are Catholics Literally pagan idol worshipers?

Answer 1

Yes, literally.

Answer 2

No.

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.

Answer 3

Of course Catholics are NOT idol worshippers. It might help if you knew the difference between a real 'idol' and a Sacramental. The answers are in the Bible:

Images and Statues
Deut. 4:15 - from this verse, Protestants say that since we saw "no form" of the Lord, we should not make graven images of Him.

Deut. 4:16 - of course, in early history Israel was forbidden to make images of God because God didn't yet reveal himself visibly "in the form of any figure."

Deut. 4:17-19 - hence, had the Israelites depicted God not yet revealed, they might be tempted to worship Him in the form of a beast, bird, reptile or fish, which was a common error of the times.

Exodus 3:2-3; Dan 7:9; Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32; Acts 2:3- later on, however, we see that God did reveal himself in visible form (as a dove, fire, etc).

Deut. 5:8 - God's commandment "thou shall not make a graven image" is entirely connected to the worship of false gods. God does not prohibit images to be used in worship, but He prohibits the images themselves to be worshiped.

Exodus 25:18-22; 26:1,31 - for example, God commands the making of the image of a golden cherubim. This heavenly image, of course, is not worshiped by the Israelites. Instead, the image disposes their minds to the supernatural and draws them to God.

Num. 21:8-9 - God also commands the making of the bronze serpent. The image of the bronze serpent is not an idol to be worshiped, but an article that lifts the mind to the supernatural.

I Kings 6:23-36; 7:27-39; 8:6-67 - Solomon's temple contains statues of cherubim and images of cherubim, oxen and lions. God did not condemn these images that were used in worship.

2 Kings 18:4 - it was only when the people began to worship the statue did they incur God's wrath, and the king destroyed it. The command prohibiting the use of graven images deals exclusively with the false worship of those images.

1 Chron. 28:18-19 - David gives Solomon the plan for the altar made of refined gold with a golden cherubim images. These images were used in the Jews' most solemn place of worship.

2 Chron. 3:7-14 - the house was lined with gold with elaborate cherubim carved in wood and overlaid with gold.

Ezek. 41:15 - Ezekiel describes graven images in the temple consisting of carved likenesses of cherubim. These are similar to the images of the angels and saints in many Catholic churches.

Col. 1:15 - the only image of God that Catholics worship is Jesus Christ, who is the "image" (Greek "eikon") of the invisible God.

Answer 4

No, not at all. We don't worship idols, or anything other than God.

Read Exodus 20 carefully. It condemns the making of graven images for the purpose of worshipping them. It does not condemn the making of images for other purposes.

Go on to Exodus 25 and 26 -- you'll see numerous examples of God commanding the Israelites to fashion all sorts of objects to be used as aids in worship. (Not as objects of worship, of course, but as aids in worship. There's a big difference.)

The idea that we are idol-worshippers because of statues and other objects being in our churches, is an ages-old anti-Catholic stereotype.

But it's easily debunked, and frankly, I would think that someone of your intellectual prowess would realize how weak and shallow the "Catholics are idol-worshippers" argument is.

.

Answer 5

The problem I have with Catholics is the Second Commandment -"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD YOUR GOD, am a jealous GOD, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments".

Answer 6

No. Not literally, nor in practice. I've been known to kiss the TV screen now and again, usually after the power's been restored. (I'm fibbing) I have a crucifix on the wall in my bedroom, but it serves as a reminder more than any other thing. My daughter has an icon of the Mother of Perpetual Help, and I don't go around bowing down to it, although on occasion, I look at it for a while, thinking about their family life. I have a print of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the dining room wall, and knowing how that picture was formed; that alone is cause for wonder. I'm glad that I have those things. They remind me that they are part of my family too.

Answer 7

There are some aspects of Catholicism that is idolatry. Praying to anyone other that God is idolatry. Actually idolatry is honoring anyone or anything higher or greater than God. Unfortuanately protestants also commit idolatry. The catholic communion is idloatry. The wafer does not actually become the body of Christ. That would be idolatry. The wine does not actually become the blood of Christ (which is what they also teach) that is also idolatry. Overall many Catholic teachings can be idolatrous.

Answer 8

A HUGE YES ANYHOW THEY JUSTIFY IT. But I am not counting it against them coz they know not. I was a catholic before and didnt know it but was surprise when someone told me. Of course, got angry at first but with the bible as evidence, cant refuse it any longer. Well, even other people are as guilty even protestant when we love (worship) other things life house, cars,etc.

Answer 9

I wouldn't say that they are literally pagan idol worshippers.

I would say however, most christian holidays are a form of pagan holidays.

Answer 10

Have you never felt or experienced the Holy Spirit in a Catholic church?

Maybe you've never been inside one.

(I'm not a Catholic, by the way).

Refer to my question, "Why do so many Protestants believe the Pope is the antiChrist?"

Answer 11

well if you mean one day they went from worshiping Isis etc to then jesus/god and that Constantine (who was a pagan) helped construct the bible to reduce the violent mobs in Rome at the time then by all means yes.