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.
2007-01-10 00:01:44 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes we are!
The Catholic church practice these ordinances which come directly from paganism. By bowing down, kissing, giving gifts, etc. to statues are all idol worshiping. They argue that they are not worshiping the image but it is a representation of God but that is what everybody else does, Buddhist, even back in the days of Babylon and Greece they didn't believe that they there God was the stone they carved but it still is idol worship in the sight of God.
2007-01-10 00:09:18 · answer #1 · answered by Damian 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
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.
2007-01-10 17:18:57 · answer #2 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
expensive, i understand Who I worship, and it is not a statue or "idol". I worship the daddy, Son, and Holy Spirit. God on my own, in different words. in case you got here into my church and bumped off the statues, i might want to imagine you've been very rude, yet Mass (our worship) might want to be celebrated in a uncomplicated field of a room. obviously you imagine we may be hamstrung and horrified with information from such an act. incorrect. you do not understand what is going on at a Catholic Mass, nor what Catholics believe. for this reason, you're assuming. And it basically makes you look stupid to assert you're attempting "2 open the eyes of catholics". flow get cautioned, first.
2016-12-02 02:08:39 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you're still mired in the 12th century BC, your question might make sense.
However, most Christians are firmly seated in the 21st century AD and we don't worship the statues, the paintings, the stained glass windows, etc. They're there for the same reason you hang pictures of loved ones on the walls of your homes. To remind you of them and of your love for them. To keep the bond, the connection with them, even those who've gone home to God.
SHEESH! Get a life, get a grip, GET A BRAIN!
2007-01-10 00:15:47 · answer #4 · answered by Granny Annie 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do you think that the images themselves contain "God'? Do you think that what is done to the images is done to "God"? Do you think that the images "listen" to you pray?
If you don't, then you're not worshiping them.
BTW, the bit of scripture you quoted would seem to forbid artwork of any kind except pure abstractionist stuff - no nice pastoral paintings of trees in a meadow, no portraits of historic people, no representational artwork of any kind.
I don't know how that would be applied to photography, or television, or movies.
But in any case, do you have no artwork in your home? If you do have artwork, do you worship the images in it?
2007-01-10 02:50:20 · answer #5 · answered by Praise Singer 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The commandment you just quoted forbids the worship of Jesus Christ, who is the likeness of a heavenly thing.
What do you intend to do about that?
And regarding statues ... I don't know any Christian who worships them. Worship is reserved for God alone.
2007-01-10 01:59:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
We are breaking God's Law when we worship or pray to statues or pictures of any sort. We are to follow the Word of God alone, and worship God alone.
www.bahai.org
2007-01-10 00:31:34 · answer #7 · answered by Linell 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes!
If you worship the image it is idolatry. If you use the image as a symbol of your faith to show others what or who you believe in then it's OK.
2007-01-10 00:07:58 · answer #8 · answered by L Strunk 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Do not worship statues or books or animals or any false gods.
2007-01-10 00:07:00 · answer #9 · answered by djmantx 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but I have never bowed down to any statue or worshipped it!
2007-01-10 00:06:02 · answer #10 · answered by -♦One-♦-Love♦- 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋