Isn't it wrong for Christians to have religious symbols?

Question

Aren't Christians supposed to not worship idols and such? Isn't praying to a cross or having paintings of Jesus a form of idol worship? Wouldn't any religious symbol be considered an idol?

Leviticus 26:1 says: 1 " 'Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God.
In image is defined as: A reproduction of the form of a person or object, especially a sculptured likeness.
Therefore, it clearly says not to have images of Jesus or crosses.

It says DON'T have the images AND don't worship them. It does not just say to not worship them but that it is okay to have them.

Answer 1

Yes this is true. This is the problem with some religions. They always disagree with each other who is right. The Catholic religion prays to saints, and has statues pictures, and Jesus On the cross, but many other religions do not put Jesus on the cross, because he has risen from the dead. Many Catholics says that they are not praying to a statue, but praying to a saint to pray for them in heaven. In Exodus 20: 4-5 it says 4Thou Shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, norserve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of that hate me: Jesus is God so you are praising God when you have Jesus on the cross or Jesus pictures. but to support the Catholics side of praying to the saints it says in Revelation 5:8 8 and when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vails full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. So I think you can pray to a saint to ask him or her to pray for you, but do not have any form of statue or pictures.

Answer 2

Do you have a picture of a loved one in your home or room? If, so are you worshiping the picture or person? I doubt you are. Would having a picture of your loved one mean that you have an idol? No, the same is true of symbols and pictures of Jesus; they are simply reminders of our beloved Lord. We all know the picture isn't a god; it is a just representative of the person, place or thing. A thing that we find comfort in to reflect upon as a reminder NOT and idol! Christians do NOT worship idols or pray to idols, period. We are to have no false gods before us and we don't.

Answer 3

If it is an issue for you to have a crucifix hanging from your neck then, yes, that's wrong for you. If you think that you are sinning by having one, then please don't do it.

The same goes for any sin.

But if you start to pray to it, or any other image, then it is pure idolatry. Yes, that includes a rather large church.

Also, praying to any other person (saints, Mary,etc.) it is as the sin of Manasseh:
2 Kings 21:3 For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

It is in the belief that praying to heavenly beings other than God is an act of righteousness. Like a Chistian would be doing the right thing: when the opposite is true. It is Abomination set by the councils of man.

Does that mean that those people are not saved?
Not necessarily: What must one do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

If there is faith in Christ for salvation, there is salvation.

About God's salvation: It is the beginning of completion for the race of Man. If idolatry is practiced by the man, and the man be in faith of God, God fulfills His promises. The idolatry remains to be a sinful part of that man's life, but the Law of Faith remains.

I pray that God can forgive the idolater, then He might also forgive me for the sins that I do.

Answer 4

That would be like saying it is wrong for Christians to have children. It would only be wrong if they 'worshipped' those items. No true Christian prays to a cross. Simply possessing items of the faith does not make one an idol worshipper. May God Bless

Answer 5

Having a religious symbol isn't the same as worshipping it.

I own a cat. That doesn't mean I worship my cat.

A cross, painting of Jesus, etc., can help people to focus their thoughts on God, the real God, whom we cannot see.

Answer 6

I think that the crosses and paintings are symbolic of God. Besides, if you pray to a cross, you'd direct prayer towards it. I personally have never seen someone direct prayer at a cross. They face it, but pray to God.

Having a painting of Jesus is idol worship? So you can't have posters on your wall because that's idol worship? Or do you mean that people pray to the painting? "Oh, holy painting, spare my life for today...blah blah blah" I've never witnessed that...

Answer 7

It is wrong for Christians to worship religious symbols. We don't worship the cross. We worship the sacrifice that was made on the cross----the Lamb of God, the last blood offering for the forgiveness of sins.

Catholics worship religious symbols; they bow down to statues and the Bible is clear that idol worship is not a good thing! In fact, idol worship will be judged harshly by God and those who practice idol worship will not be counted in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Christians wear crosses that do not depict Jesus still hanging on the cross. The power of salvation was in the Power of the blood shed, and the resurrection of Christ from the grave. Christ victored over the brutalization on the cross; he victored over Satan and death so that the sins of the world could be forgiven.

Those religious practices, such as in Catholicism, seek to diminish the power of the blood of Christ and exclude the victory over death when they bow down before a cross that still enslaves Christ. Christ is risen and is alive--- I assure you.

Answer 8

Not at all, As if you lost one of your beloved family member or friend, you just hang his photograph to wall or keep it on your table or in pocket to remember him, to keep him in your mind same way as you love god so much you can keep his symbol in Church, home or your necklace. Nothing is wrong in love, no boundaries no limitations. God is first and religion is secondary. Devotion towards God is primary; rules and regulations are secondary. The basic idea is that in mathematics, if you don’t know value of something and if you have to find out unknown value, you have to assume “X or “Y” otherwise you couldn't find out real value of unknown figure. Same way if you have to find out truth the real God you have to assume certain symbol. This is what I feel. I may be wrong and everybody would have different beliefs, opinion, thoughts, views, ideas, and imaginations. I do respect all devotees and lovers of God.

Answer 9

BIG difference in having a symbol as art or a reminder of one's faith - to WORSHIP it, yes it is a sin.

Answer 10

I'm not sure if it's wrong to just *have* pictures to look at, but it certainly would be wrong to pray to any of them. It's also wrong to pray to crosses and rosaries!