Is the Use of Christian Icons and Statues Idolatry?

Question

The Catholics use statues to focus their prayers while Orthodox Christians use icons. Is this against God/Christ and the Bible at all?

Answer 1

Only if you're worshiping the symbol rather than what it symbolizes.

Answer 2

Rabbinically--yes it is.
Catholically--no it isn't.
According to the Law of Moses, the people of the true God are not to direct their worship toward an object that represents God. This goes back to the discovery by the ancient Israelites of Egyptian religion with its extensive use of statuary and iconography. The ancient Israelites saw the ancient Egyptians bowing down before huge statues and--although they were quite impressed by the spectacle--they "knew" it wasn't right; that the real God wasn't contained in the big sculptures.
But...according to the decrees of Catholicism, whatever the Pope says is the Word O God, so if He says you need to direct your prayers to a statue or a painting, you'd bloody well better do it or you won't be a good Catholic.
I'd rather opt out of the whole mess, but that's just me.

Answer 3

Christians used to use symbols to secretly identify themselves to each other without risking death by the powers that wanted them dead. This certainly wasn't idolatry! However, if you are praying TO such a symbol, or to someone other than God-directly- I personally believe it is. I spoke with a catholic friend on this matter, and realized where our differences lie.

To a catholic, praying to a saint is a way to get someone right at God's side to entreat unto him to answer a prayer.
To other Christians, there is no need to do that, since we can speak to God directly, and he really listens!

In my opinion the former is idolatry- but I think it is a kind of unwitting idolatry.

Answer 4

It's only idolatry if one worships the objects in question. For many people today, the Bible is an idol, because they worship the Bible instead of God. But using a Bible, or rosary beads, or whatever, to help one learn about and focus on God is not idolatry.

.

Answer 5

I dont think it is Idolatry but I do think it detracts from what you are actually doing.

As an example, you enter an LDS Chapel and you will not see a cross anywhere. We do not worship the dead Jesus as although his death was an important part of it all, his ressurection and exaltation was much more important. We worship the living Christ.

Answer 6

NO it is not Idolatry..In Idolatry..YOU worship the statue, the Idol. If anything, in my life, money and my computer are more likely to label me an idolater than any cross on my wall.

Answer 7

During the reformations churches started throwing out religious images and statues. Statues and religious images cant help us only Jesus Christ can.

Answer 8

Idolatry only ever relates to other people, a bit like being a heretic. For instance, our worship (Christianity, Islam, Sugar plum fairy) is always correct, while they are always vile devil worshipers.

Answer 9

Only if the person using them actually believes they are deities, or possess magic powers.

"Don't make symbols of anything that is on Earth or in heaven" is usually what most fundamentalists complain about, but they don't take the consecutive verse into account which says "don't worship them as gods".

Put the two verses together in context and you have "dont make symbols and worship them as gods"

Show me a Catholic or Orthodox who actually believes there is a deity within a statue or picture, and I'll show you how to join my church for the low low price of only $19.95

Answer 10

Absolutely. Commandment no. 2.

I was reading how a Jew walked into a CC by invitation from a friend and had to run out because the statutes are considered idols to them.............and I completely agree with that.

REMEMBER to always mention that CATHOLICS and ORTHODOX 'so-called' christians do this, not evangelical.