Does the 2nd commandment approve of bowing down and kissing idols?
"Thou 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:" -Exodus 20:4
2006-10-31 11:22:15 · 16 answers · asked by I-C-U 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Catholics do not worship statues. Don't believe everything you're told. Go attend a Mass and see how many people are kissing the feet of statues, as you claim. My guess is that you won't see it at all. I haven't, and I've attended many Masses. I am not a Roman Catholic, but have some in my family, and am a bit weary of the chronic Catholic-bashing.
2006-10-31 11:25:16 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 4⤋
Do you have pictures of your loved ones?
Statues and pictures of people we love are not idols.
Statues and paintings of Jesus and the saints are just like pictures of the people we love and respect.
The King James Version of the Bible states in Exodus 20:4: "Thou 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"
Why were the Jews commanded not to make graven images? Graven images were the standard method of pagan worship. They were representations of false gods.
This is a very clear command.
However God commanded the Jews in Exodus 25:18 and 1 Chronicles 28:18–19, "And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them"
And in 1 Kings chapter 7 Solomon made bulls and other images out of precious metals.
It seems obvious that the Jews did not worship the cherubims and Solomon did not worship the bulls he had made. These images did not violate the command of God. Therefore, an image not made for worship is acceptable.
In Numbers 21:8-9, "And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he will recover." Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he recovered."
And in John 3:14-15, Jesus says in correlation, "And just as Moses lifted up the [image of a] serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
How can a statue of our Lord Jesus Christ dead on the cross be considered an idol to a false god? A crucifix is the message of the Gospel without words held up for all to see, a visual reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus, no different from a painting, a play, or a movie.
Catholics do not worship statues but the almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
With love in Christ.
2006-11-01 01:16:27 · answer #2 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Catholics do not "bow down" to images of Mary or any of the apostles or saints. Catholics pray to God/Jesus through Mary and the Saints recognized by the Catholic Church.
Mary was the mother of Jesus, recognized by Christianity as the Son of God, chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. Mary was one of the few physically taken from her earthly home into heaven to be with God and her son, Jesus. Catholics do have, as God must have had, a reverence for Mary.
When the Book of Exodus was written, Mary, Joseph, the Saints, nor Jesus had not even been born. The idols referred to in the books of the Old Testament allude to images of animal sanctification and deification.
2006-10-31 19:45:19 · answer #3 · answered by Baby Poots 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I really do not know by what power from God are they able to undo what was written in the Old Testament. Anyway, since Jesus started reversing and omitting if not adding words to all the Commandments from God and since Jesus has authorized his Apostles specially Peter " That whatever you bound on earth shall be bound in heaven", I believe that gave the Catholic hierarchy to add, change and omit any fo the writings at will. And through their dogma which made the Pope's decree as infallible; so, even the followers felt they were given the right to accuse the hierarchy of being so hard at understanding some of their demands like abortion, gay marriage et al. as if they are members of a labor union. My arguments is that why do they still pick chapters and verses from the Old Testaments in their every masses if they have abandoned most of the teachings that God Himself declared shall be not be changed for as long as He lives. Are you not sensing that 666 is the reverse of 999? So who do you think is the Beast?
2006-10-31 20:05:07 · answer #4 · answered by Rallie Florencio C 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
To Abu.... no, not all Christians do that. Catholicism does, Episcopal and Lutheran but they do because they really are Catholic but their priests can marry.
Having a cross is not idol worship UNLESS you bow to that cross. Pictures and statues are nothing but art unless you bow to them, show them honor or treat them as anything more than art. God did not forbid images to look at but to worship.
Ex 20:3-5 3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
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.
5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve 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 them that hate me;
2006-10-31 19:29:47 · answer #5 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Is that why God Blessed Solomon Temple in all its splendor?!
How about that Ark of the Covenant with it fine adornments instructed by God to create?
Your bigotry does not comply with the very bible you proclaim to honor.
Is it the ink on the page that YOU worship or the heart of the message of Christ.
Many hate what they perceive of Roman Catholicism, not the Truth of Roman Catholicism.
Investigate Your Fear!
2006-10-31 19:41:42 · answer #6 · answered by Lives7 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The second commandment is no longer in effect (Ephesians 2:15, etc.), but idol worship is clearly condemned in the New Testament.
Romans 1:23 They would rather have statues of gods than the glorious God who lives forever. Their statues of gods are made to look like people, birds, animals and reptiles.
2006-10-31 19:26:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
By the same interpretation, protestants using a cross would be an idol too then. The cross is a 'thing' and it is part of the earth.
Funny that most protestants claim that Christ dispensed with the old testament law but yet you go back to the old testament to dig this up.
2006-10-31 19:24:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 2⤋
Your point is well taken especially if people take this to an extreme as a replacement for G*d. That said, Jesus is G*d. As far as the statues of saints, etc., you have a good point. However, these saints, Mary, etc.....are acknowleged as "Angels" of The Lord, not superior. The visual is to remind people to pray and to seek the attributes and Christ like actions of the saints.
2006-10-31 19:28:13 · answer #9 · answered by Ginger Sling 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Yeah, but thats the OT and they dont pay attention to that part. Havent you heard? Much like Tide Detergent, God is New and Improved!!
A better question is why the first four commandments specifically deal with not pissing off God - and then Christians claim that all morals come via the ten Commandments....four of them have nothing to do with morality!! And the final one proves that God has not much foresight if he only considered man coveting his neighbors wife and home....
2006-10-31 19:27:44 · answer #10 · answered by YDoncha_Blowme 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋