Do Catholics Worship Statues?

Question

NO WE DONT!
"Catholics worship statues!" People still make this ridiculous claim. Because Catholics have statues in their churches, goes the accusation, they are violating God’s commandment: "You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow down to them or serve them" (Ex. 20:4–5); "Alas, this people have sinned a great sin; they have made for themselves gods of gold" (Ex. 32:31).

It is right to warn people against the sin of idolatry when they are committing it. But calling Catholics idolaters because they have images of Christ and the saints is based on misunderstanding or ignorance of what the Bible says about the purpose and uses (both good and bad) of statues.

Anti-Catholic writer Loraine Boettner, in his book Roman Catholicism, makes the blanket statement, "God has forbidden the use of images in worship" (281).

Yet if people were to "search the scriptures" (cf. John 5:39), they would find the opposite is true. God forbade the worship of statues, but he did not forbid the religious use of statues. Instead, he actually commanded their use in religious contexts!

God Said To Make Them



People who oppose religious statuary forget about the many passages where the Lord commands the making of statues. For example: "And you shall make two cherubim of gold [i.e., two gold statues of angels]; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end; of one piece of the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be" (Ex. 25:18–20).

David gave Solomon the plan "for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. All this he made clear by the writing of the hand of the Lord concerning it all, all the work to be done according to the plan"

Yes we do I meant...I am trying to prove of what Christians believe we just make statues up but no. Read the Bible. Catholics, we are based on the Bible and we are the true Church

Answer 1

I'm Catholic, and I only hear from Protestants the idea of statue worship when they are accusing us and trying to tell us what we believe in. I've never known of a Catholic that worshiped statues, and the Catholic teaching is we believe in one God.

Answer 2

There are two reasons why things happen in this world. Some are merely accidental, like the pronouncements of fortune tellers. Sometimes, what they predicted happens. But do not get the impression that simply because it happened, it is a will of God. This is what Deuteronomy 13:1-3 says,

“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder comes to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

The reason why God allows them to happen is for Him to find out if you love Him, or not. And He wants to know that whatever happens, your trust should still be on Him and not on those false prophets.

There are things that happen because they are the direct will of God, but there are also things that God permits to happen even if they are against His will. That is the principle behind what you are saying. Some people think that when they pray to graven images, their prayers are granted. Some believe that it was those images that healed them and saved them. No, that is not true! This is what Deuteronomy 32:39 says,

“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”

Man is healed because of God; when he dies, God lets it happen. But you have to remember that some are healed, but not by God. It could be done by the devil. You see, the works of the devil can mislead you. As written in the “Pasyon” of the Catholics, “Ang kanilang pagmimilagro, tutulungan ng demonyo (their miracles they will be helped by the devil) …”

In Matthew 24:24 it is written…

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Therefore not all miracles and wonders are God’s work. Some are works of the devil.

Answer 3

What God had made was to be extravagant because actually those things, when studied, have symbolism of Christ and of the Holiness of God. I don't think there is any need for idols of saintsand especially not of Mary or Jesus because the statues I saw aren't even what they really looked like...they were "European-ized"....and God never told Christians themselves to do it....He only said it for this particular temple/ark of the covenant, etc...

Answer 4

Catholics Worship God
Statues are Holy Reminders.
Like looking at a picture of a family member.

I love the subject of the picture, not the paper and ink image.

God Bless You;-)

Answer 5

Read and practice the New testament Scriptures from Roman Through Hebrews.

Have a good Day.

The Old testament was written to the Jew and describes worship before Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection. It is not to us.

Answer 6

the Hindus do not actually"worship" statues either and the reasoning is the same. a good question to ask. I think you went just a little over on the detail, and it creeps into rant, no offense it was well done.

Answer 7

I've never seen a christian sect that didn't use some sort of symbol or image in their worship.

... yet they all attack each other for doing it.


ahhhh the smell of .... hypocrisy....

Answer 8

Your use of scripture is totally warpped maybe you should try reading the bible

Answer 9

Im orthodox but i know that catolics don't worship statues!

Answer 10

I thought we were supposed to answer the question.