Please expound on Leviticus 26:1 Christians and Catholics Welcome?

Question

"Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image' neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God."

This so well descibes what the Catholics have been doing for years now.How can they possibly read scripture like this and continue to commit idolatry?

father k,yes i have pictures of my family but i don't bow down to them as i see catholics do with their stone statues

Would it make it easier for all of you if I asked WHY DO YOU BOW DOWN TO THESE STONE IMAGES IF YOUR NOT WORSHIPPING THEM? WHY BOW DOWN TO THE POPE IF YOUR NOT WORSHIPPING HIM? When Cornelius bowed down to Peter he was told to stand up by Peter because he was a man just like Cornelius was.Acts 10:26

Standbo you bring out a good point here.But these things were all pointing to Christ and no one ever bowed down to them.Compare these two scriptures Exodus 25:20 and John 20:12 note the position of the angels or cheribums.

stanbo I would like to add to the facts here.Be mindful that God told them to make the cherubims.God also said don't make or rear up stone images and He can do that.

Answer 1

They will say that they are not worshiping the statues, then give some ridiculous excuse as the tabernacle having images on the laver, the ark etc.

The big problem with the usage of images as aids for worship is that there is a fine line between using it as an aid, and worshiping it as an idol. Consider the brazen serpent in the wilderness. It was initially used as an aid in the prevention of dying from the bite of the fiery asps. But later, the children of Israel burned incense before it (ref. 2 Kings 18:4). Today I see candles and incense being burned before these "statuary aids". Now what will happen if one of these statues in some way bleed? Do they say, "Oh dear, moisture has rusted the internal steel reinforcement and stained our statue." Or do they call it a miracle and burn incense to it? Today we see many Catholics flocking to places of miracles or "divine manifestations" whether it be a wall stain of the blessed virgin, or a burned cheese sandwich sold on eBay. That fine line has been crossed too many times. It starts innocently enough, but it opens the door for great error.

Here is my take on images, icons, jewelry and the like. When a father/husband has gone to war, we carry and display reminders such as bracelets and photographs. We use these things aids to remember them. However, it produces a longing, because you cannot touch, hug, or lovingly converse with them, for they are away. When they are home, there is really no such need for such aids, because he is in the back playing and laughing with the kids. If you need a hug or a word, just call.
The NEED for images and icons only proves that the Father is not home. Alive? Yes. But absent in a personal way. Faith without the need for crosses, jewelry, beads, icons, pictures, or statues proves that the Father is home and interacting in a real and personal way with their beloved.

Answer 2

Matthew 15:6-8 " he must not honor his father at all.’ And so you have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 you hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you, when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me."

Colossians 2:8 "Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ;"

1 John 5:19-21 "We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the [power of the] wicked one. 20 But we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us intellectual capacity that we may gain the knowledge of the true one. And we are in union with the true one, by means of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and life everlasting. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols. " Notice how it says the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one. What better way to decieve people then the following scripture found at 2 Corinthians 13, 14 "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light."

The Bible warns constantly about false doctrine and who is behind it, none other then Satan the Devil. His ways appear to be righteous. That is why it is up to each of us as we were given "intellectual capacity that we may gain knowledge of the true one." Is it enough to go to church every sunday and listen to what is being spoken from the podium and take it at face value as truth? Or should we take the time to study the Bible and seek out the truth in the scriptures?

Answer 3

Jesus Christ became the flesh image of a heavenly thing when he became man.

That changed everything, for all time.

Ever since that moment, man was able to see what the eternal and heretofore unknowable God actually looked like.

The Church called a council to deal with the matter, and soon realized that since God chose to reveal himself to us by means of a flesh image, than the old prohibition against images, just like all the old laws, were no longer applicable to the new covenant, and the age of grace in Christ.

Knowing that God truly exists, and knowing what he looks like, makes the old prohibitions against graven images a non-starter, as now, sacred art and religious statuary acts only to remind us of the truth, and bring us closer to God, and to those he has already blessed, sanctified, and admitted to heaven.

Instead of diverting worship from the true God to false gods, sacred art and statuary allows the faithful to better focus their prayers on the one, true God, and develop a closer realtionship with him.

Why are you still trying to keep the old laws, which never saved anyone, while conveniently side-stepping the main issue, which is the authority and power to teach, to govern, and to sanctify, which was given by Jesus Christ to the Catholic Church alone?

You have no authority in this matter, as neither you nor scripture is superior in any way to the virtually unlimited power and authority that God gave only to his Church.

Answer 4

First I want to ask you why you address us as Christians and Catholics? Are you not aware of the fact that Catholics are Christians?

Secondly, Catholics do not worship statues. We use them to remind us of those whom we want to remember and want to pattern our lives after, much in the same way that I have pictures of loved ones in my home. I am Catholic and I worship noone and nothing but God alone.

Finally, if it is a sin to make statues why did God tell Moses to "Make two cherubim of beaten gold for the two ends of the propitiatory..." Ex. 25:18, and to "Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it he will recover." In the temple built by Solomon in 1Kings chapter 6, there were statues of cherubim (verses 24, 29, 32,35) built by Solomon at the command of God.

God bless,
Stanbo

P.S. Sometimes we can confuse cultural gestures of reverence for gestures of worship. In doing so, we often judge not as God does, by what is in the heart, but rather by appearances (see Jn 8:15, Is 11:3).

Answer 5

My theory would be that that verse was talking about man-made gods. Like buddha, krishna, etc. Catholics don't see themselves as breaking any law.
FYI: NIV is better. Looks like you're still reading King James. NIV is truer to the original Greek and Hebrew text.

Answer 6

The sin involved here is the worship of graven images. To make an image and call it "god" is both sinful and foolish ("can these "gods" move or speak or act?")
RC and Orthodox Christians are using icons and representations of saints/Jesus as ways to focus on and approach God, not as substitutes or extras.

Answer 7

You quoted the whole passage, at least. The answer is right there. To "bow down" in context means to worship. As a Catholic, I worship only the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, One God...Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Do you have any pictures of your family? Is THAT idolatry?

Answer 8

The key phrase here is, "to bow down unto (ie, worship) it".

Anyone who says that Catholics are simpleminded enough to consider stone, plaster and paint as something greater than they themselves are, is someone who is probably that simpleminded him/herself.

And this anti-Catholic polemic is wearing a mite thin, people.

GET A LIFE!

Answer 9

The Catholic church does not serve the true and living God. No Offense to Catholics, but U are not to have pictures, statues or no similitude that represent the lord. Just read your bible.

Answer 10

In what way do they break this?

Catholics do not pray to statues. The statues are nothing more than artistic interpretations of how a certain person may have looked.

Are you telling me you own no photographs or portraits of your family members?