but that is exactly what christians do, they kneel before the cross of jesus christ and worship him. Am i wrong in saying that God doesnt want you to kneel to any man made object.
2007-10-28 17:57:22 · 23 answers · asked by Josh 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Just one of the many inherent contradictions in any religion. It's hard to make any sense of a set of beliefs that would call anyone with a reasoning mind a blasphemer.
2007-10-28 18:02:28 · answer #1 · answered by the waterbourne AM 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Even the Bible is contradictory on this.
Exodus 20:4 commands that no graven images should be made.
Exodus 25:18-20 says that sometimes they should.
Kneeling before the cross is not the same as worshipping a graven image. The cross is a representation of the suffering and death jesus, so all may know how he suffered and died for their sins.
The "empty" cross, is a representation of the risen christ.
When moses came down from the mount with the ten commandments, he found those he left had built a graven image in gold of a calf, and were worshipping it.
Since presumably no one has seen god, there can be no images made of him/her, lest christians would be worshipping it.
2007-10-29 01:14:58 · answer #2 · answered by elder_moon81 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I think you may have answered your own question. The words you used "and worship HIM" That is where the emphasis is. Worshiping, paying homage, thanking, and loving, God/Jesus and not other things. The other things are just objects. Objects used to remind us of something. It's what the object represents that's important and not the object itself. It's sort of like when a person says the pledge of allegiance or singing the national anthem. There would be the American flag present. People will face the flag BUT they are honoring the country...not the flag itself. The flag simply represents the country. It's the much the same way in a church. A cross, pictures of Jesus, etc. may be present but the honor and homage is being paid to what these items represent and not the item itself.
2007-10-29 01:14:21 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
God is the creator of this earth, Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We are to kneel and worship them, it is our God.
Graven images can be any man made object or anything you put before God is sinful. God first.
2007-10-29 01:04:49 · answer #4 · answered by NJ 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Incorrect! Graven images are images that represent other gods. An image is just that, however, if an image will bring you closer to Christ in your thoughts, then what is wrong with that? Nothing. God commanded the builders of the temple in the OT to carve images in the altar, some angels, some grain and grapes. Are these graven? did anyone bow to worship them? No, they bowed before the Holy of Holies, the Lord Almighty.
Catholics have many images that bring us closer to Christ. Some are of saints; the saints lived such holy lives and exuded Christ in their walk. We honor them for their faith, but we do not worship them; it is God and God alone we worship. We try to imitate the saints in their holiness.
Graven images can be other things besides statues and pictures. Graven images can be lustful thoughts. They can be actions and words that separate us from Christ. Graven images are any images in our hearts and minds that lead us away from true worship.
2007-10-29 01:07:27 · answer #5 · answered by Leopardlady 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Yes the Word of God does say this in the context of not putting any god before Him. One would have to be a complete idiot to think that a cross, statue or crucifix is a god or the God. I would think that one would be using these objects to focus their devotion on the God they represent and not the objects themselves.
So yes, you are very wrong in misunderstanding the prohibition against graven images. If one was to accept your conclusion then the Bible would be prohibited as it contains thousands of graven images as each letter written can be described this way.
The fact is that God actually ordered the production of graven images that represented His glory so your conclusion must be in error.
In Christ
Fr. Joseph
2007-10-29 01:22:55 · answer #6 · answered by cristoiglesia 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
first of all, that's the wrong definitions of graven. this graven means "engraved" as in carved out of stone or some other material, like an idol would have been. second of all, we don't worship the cross, we worship the guy he stands for. third, the cross wasn't his grave... he was buried several miles away from his crucifixion. fourthly, i wouldn't say he ever actually had a grave. he did stay in a tomb for about 3 days, but that was just so he could enjoy some peace and quiet.
2007-10-29 01:04:23 · answer #7 · answered by f0876and1_2 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Well I consider myself a Christian but I have asked myself the same question. I do not think Christians should worship the cross or a picture of Jesus or anything else. Jesus is in our hearts so why do we need to kneel before any object to talk to him?
2007-10-29 01:02:42 · answer #8 · answered by ashleylives 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋
How we worship is important.It is the reason that Gos's word tells us that we should not worship graven images. We should worship in the way he says, even though this may be different from the way we have been taught. For example, it has been the custom for some persons to use images in their worship. They may say that they do not worship the image, but that seeing and touchiong it helps them worship God. Yet does God want us to worship him with the aid of images?
No, he does not. And for this very reason Moses told the Israelites that God never appeared to them in any visible form. As you point out, one of the Ten Commandments says:"You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything...you shall not bow down to them or serve them,"(Exodus20:4,5)) Only Jehovah should be worshiped. Over and over again the Bible shows how wrong it is to make an image or to bow down before it, or to worship anyone or anything except Jehovah.(Isaiah44:14-20 ; 46:6,7 ; Psalm115:4-8)
As we might have expected, then, Jesus never used images in worship."God is a Spirit" he explained,"and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth."(John4:24) Acting in harmony with this council, none of Jesus early followers used images as aids in worship. In fact, his apostle Paul wrote:"We are walking by faith, not sight."(2Corinthians5:7) And his apostle John warned:"Guard yourselves from idols."(1John5:210) Why not look around your home and ask yourself wether you are following this advice?(Deutronomy7:25) So, you are absolutely right, it is certainly wrong to use images in our worship to God,Otherwise God wouldn't ask us not to use them. But satan wants people to use images, because he knows it will not be pleasing to God, and that, he then can claim the worship for himself! So whom do we want to please? Or whom are we pleasing?
2007-10-29 01:31:10 · answer #9 · answered by I speak Truth 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
We are not worshipping the image, just like you would not marry a picture or statue of your fiance. We worship or honor the person that the image reminds us of. The images are a material focus for devotion that reaches beyond it in the spirit.
2007-10-29 01:05:41 · answer #10 · answered by carmel 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋