Does Catholic Religion= Evil?

Question

There is one sin in the bible that confuses me, that is related to the catholic faith.(Exodus Chapter 20 verse 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.I've been to a catholic church once and all I see is a building filled with graven images of Gold and priests carrying graven images dressed in fine linen. Was it suppose to be ONLY the word and through our spirits that we believed in Christ and not praying to graven images. If you are a catholic give me an opinion on this.

Answer 1

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 2

This is a good question because it is a source of great confusion and has unfortunately led to much misguided animosity.

First, you've been to only one Catholic Church - not all have statues. I'm not sure if you stayed for the Mass, but you'll notice the Mass is about Christ. The statues (and stained glass windows and illustrations and reliefs and carvings) are somewhere between art and storytelling, a continuation of a heritage that began with the illiterate masses eons ago. But they hold no power, they're clay and stone and paint. They're not idols.

I can see they distracted you enough that they were all you noticed. That's a shame. I hope you didn't miss that Mass is Scripture-centered and full of worship directed to the Lord alone. I'm guessing you're accustomed to a Christian tradition that has no such decorations, since they distracted you so much. I went to a wedding for an evangelical friend of mine, and the LACK of decoration was distracting to me. There weren't even any crosses, just a few banners with the words "faith" and "justice" and "mercy" sewed on in felt cloth. The church felt barren, but I'm also used to a more full service.

Third, most people take issue with the statues because this is the classical idea of pagan idolatry. Note that the statues are not ends themselves but means to an end - all are shown praying or in contemplative thought. Some more elaborate ones depict the saints receiving a revelation, or fighting demons. But by no means are they presented in such a way as to deserve worship. Idols, those graven images that are banned by the Second Commandment, depicted the pagan gods, not their servants.

Fourth, is there a prohibition to depicting Christ? To an artistic expression of God? Again, we all know that the Crucifix is a bronze and wood statue that represents Jesus but is not Him. We believe His presence is best felt in the celebration of the Eucharist (which we Catholics take to be the literal command of Jesus from John 6). The crucifix is a reminder of His death and suffering. It's a call to humility. The statues of the saints remind us that they are praying to the Lord, and are in His presence in Heaven. It's like keeping a photo of a friend with you on a long drive.

Anyway, long story short, the graven images aren't prayed to. If you took them out of every Catholic Church, you'd have less-decorated churches that are no less Catholic.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I'm not Catholic, but I suggest you study the history of the church and especially the iconoclastic controversy. It dealt with this issue specifically.

That said, I have two quibbles with your question:

1. You ask Catholics to respond, but in your header, you =equate Catholicism and evil. That's not exactly an open invitation to an honest dialogue.

2. You quoted the whole verse, but you only quoted half the commandment. The full text is:

" You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punnishing the children for the sins 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." (Exodus 20:4-5).

The old King James version, in early Modern English used the term "graven image", but it is important to note the Hebrew does not mean just any sculpture, it means sculpture intended to be worshiped. That's why the New International Version renders the word as "idol."

Sculpture in and of itself is not a sin. There was sculpture all over the old Hebrew tabernacle and Temple (eg. the cheribum on top of the Ark of Covenant). The sin is the worship of an idol and the carving of an idol *with the intent* to worship it.

Therefore, the decoration of a Catholic church is just that: decoration. The statues of saints and Bible heros are intended to remind the worshiper of the "great cloud of witnesses" who have gone before us (Hebrews 12:1). The focus of worship in a Catholic church is the altar where the Eucharist (aka "Communion" or "Lord's Supper") is prepared to remind of us Christ's Death, Burial, Resurrection and Asension - just as in every other Christian church, regardless of tradition or denomination.

I hope this helps you.

Answer 4

Personal opinions are irrelevant. God's Truth is all that matters.

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 5

I believe its not about making graven images, but worshiping them. as the Jewish people did.

Statues, images of Christ help our worship of God, just as a picture of a relative or someone close.

Here is a site that will help

http://users.binary.net/polycarp/graven.html

The Catholic Church during the Council of Trent (1545-1563) issued a clear statement concerning images and statues. According to the 25th Session of this General Council:

The images of Christ and of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the saints are to be had and retained particularly in churches, and due honor and veneration are to be given them; not that any divinity or virtue is believed to be in them on account of which they are to be worshipped, or that anything is to be asked of them, or that trust is to be reposed in images, as was of old by the Gentiles, who placed their hopes in idols; but because the honor which is shown them is referred to the prototypes which these images represent; so that we through the images which we kiss...or bend the knee, adore Christ and venerate the saints, whom they represent. [The Canons & Decrees of the Council of Trent (TAN Books, 1978) p. 215-6]

Its more than the word, because the Church came before the new testiment.

The Catholic Church was started by Jesus, and has remained in place for over 2000 years. The faith is sooooo rich. If you want to know more about being catholic, I suggest you go to catholic web sites to learn the truth.


Hope this helps...

Answer 6

I am Catholic, we do not pray to idols. I pray in my car to Mary, Saints, and even God. Icon are meant for our human nature not our spiritual life. Icons are just Icon. The cross for symbolize the sacrifice that Jesus gave to us, and the metaphorical cross that we carry each and every day. I do not think any relgion that professes good will is evil in anyway.

Answer 7

This is abunch of manure. Everyone has a Nativity set practically and they don't mind putting it up and saying "Oh isn't that nice." They say well, "there is nothing wrong with this because it just reminds us of .... " What in the heck do they think Catholics do? They use the statues just like everybody uses a Nativity set to remind us of the people we venerate. (not worship but venerate). Don't you guys ask other people to pray for you? I have seen on this site a million times where someone says "Oh please pray for me and everyone says "Oh sure and certainly and ..." but everyone her is sooo much better than a Saint who is actually in Heaven huh? Disgusting....

Answer 8

No not necessarily evil, they are still Chtistian, though a little misguided by the RC Church dogma. Having said that , that's why I left the Catholic church and became a Baptist. I found the teachings of the Baptist Church more inline with scripture.

Answer 9

Pastor Billy says:The Ten Commandments are made up of more than ten statements. Each commandment needs to be taken on whole and not sub-divided. Your problem is two-fold why makes something graven? and What classifies as worship like that of the gentiles?

1. Do Catholics offer food to statues? No you might however want to try the Hindus and Buddhists.

2. Do you know what is in the heart of any man? No therefore you cannot judge others for mere possession.

3. Do you know which Christian Church condemned idolatry in accord with scriptural teaching? The Catholic Church.

4. Is all imagery evil? No , if it was than God would not have instructed imagery placed in the temple as another person has already informed you. If you still believe this you'd better get ride of the picture of your mammy in your wallet

5. Did early Christians use imagery? Absolutely there is much archaeological evidence in catacombs, caves, early churches and other buildings including fresco, tile work, wall drawings and statues. In many Eastern churches the entire building told the gospel story via imagery.


Finally if imagery is evil than we had better destory all those Protestant children's books which show images of the saints and Jesus.

See my question on Nativity scenes in Evangelical churches, you might have to think things over before jumping to this conclusion of evil.

late addition: to Mike aka MBK person sadly you've been taught a false gospel as you have presented entire scripture out of context.
this is not the place to answer you as you ramble off topic to critize the Catholic church in general. I pray for you as I see little hope in explaining truth to you. One thing I would like to address, if the Catholic Church prevented others to marry as you claim than explain why the Catholic world population is 1.1 billion and growing? People like yourself never think things out.

IN Exodus 20:3-6 God forbids making graven images for the purpose of idolatry but does not forbid the making of graven images per se. Elsewhere he commands that statues and other graven images be carved for religious purposes. The Catholic Church permits statues because they remind us of unseen things, but it condemns the idolatry of statue worship.

"[The Lord said] make two cherubim of gold; 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. . ." (Ex. 25:18-19).

"You shall make the tabernacle with . . . cherubim skillfully worked" (Ex. 26:1).

"The Lord said to Moses, `Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole" (Num. 21:8-9).

"He made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. . . . He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the Temple . . . And he overlaid the cherubim with gold. He carved all the walls of the Temple round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers" (1 Kgs. 6:23, 27-29).

"[The brazen sea] stood upon [statues of] twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east" (1 Kgs. 7:25).

"And on the surfaces of its stays and on its panels, he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths round about" (1 Kgs. 7:36).

Answer 10

Catholics are no more "evil" than any other religion. Searching the Bible for any kind of logic is futile. I have a University Degree in a philosophic subject and I can't make any sense of it.