Does God leave any doubt on this subject? He uses the strongest language possible.?

Question

Deut 7:25-26
25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.
26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
(KJV)

He calls images, idols, graven images - or whatever creative euphemism you have heard for them evil.
Notice, these are God’s feelings. This is His reaction.

An Abomination - The feeling of extreme disgust and hatred,

To be Abhorred - To regard with horror or detestation; to shrink back with shuddering from; to feel excessive repugnance toward; to detest to extremity; to loathe.

Accursed - Doomed to destruction or misery

God cannot be more plain in regards to His feelings on this subject.

So stop trying to downplay your idolatry with “venerate”, “only ask for intercession”.

What you are doing is the most horrible kind of sin. God detests it, and ultimately He will not stand for it.

If telling the truth is anit-baptist, anti-charismatic, or anti-catholic, then Let God be true and every man a liar.

The Bible truly is the Sole Authority that God recognizes on the earth. Human traditions are rejected by Him.

Christoiglesia -- thank you for your insights about Exegisis.

How about this one: The Catholic Church is not the Children of Israel, and the Cathedrals are not the Temple of God, Tabernacle of God, and do not contain the Ark of the Covenant.

In fact, the Catholic Church has chosen images that have pagan roots, and were worshipped as Idols in the religions that the Catholic Church absorbed into it's conglomerate self.

So if you really believe in your argument (which I do not) you should replace the pagan symbols with the ones specifically mentioned in the Old Testament.

We non-catholic non-protestants find it typical of carnal believers to ignore the abunance of scripture in the Bible condemning graven images.

Your arguments are truly not against me or those like me. The whole graven image debate did not come from us.

It comes straight from scriptures.

Answer 1

You really need to learn the difference between an icon and an idol. An idol is thought of as an object which is a vehicle for a divine entity or spirit. Please read that carefully, and commit it to memory, so that you don't have to keep repeating the same misconception over and over.

If you believe the spirit of your mother resides in a picture (or sculpture) of her, then you're practicing idolatry. This really isn't so hard to understand. I know you can do it if you let yourself. You're clearly an intelligent person. I have faith that soon, you'll understand the difference between an icon and an idol.

God bless!

Answer 2

If you surrender to pagans all images that they may have used in all of history then there is nothing left for other people.

As Catholics we believe in redemption. That Jesus can redeem all things. That He is all about redeeming all of creation back to Himself. Taking creation and all created beings back from the evil one and cleansing them and making them holy. Images shapes, art and creativity, are all gifts from God and should be used in His service.

Nothing in all of creation should be surrendered to the evil one--he is not the creator.

The other point that you bring up here--- that sacred art, that seeks to portray God or the members of the body of Christ or Biblical scenes to the illiterate or help keep us mindful of scripture and or heritage as Christians, that this could be innately evil just because it is made into a form, or a painting.

Keep in mind that God Himself commissioned sacred Art in scripture. He commanded Moses to fashion a snake and also commanded that the people "Look upon it" to be healed.

God also commissioned sacred art in the Temple and surrounding the Ark of the Covenant.

So from this I would conclude that God is in favor of some images being created and "looked upon".

Intercessory prayer is sought from the Christian brothers and sisters who have gone on before us into glory because we believe that they live forever and stand in the presence of God and in love would intercede for us, we are not asking intercession from a statue--just like the cherubim on the ark of the covenant was a reminder that there are heavenly hosts all around us; an image of a saint reminds us of the life of the saint and the good and faithful lives they lived and that they live in heaven, and can pray for us.

Answer 3

Some people argue that, back in the day, people used icons as a means to have the Bible "illustrated" to them because they couldn't read or write.

Now I'm not defending the use of icons. I believe that you can directly communicate with God just by talking to Him.

The Bible does have a good point; the use of icons and idols are blasphemous against God.

Answer 4

Let's take a look at a case of actual idolatry in Exodus 32:

Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
---

Do you actually think this is what original Christians do when they place a crucifix in church--an image of Jesus Christ suffering and dying for our salvation? No "real church historian" would make this mistake.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 5

Do you actually have a question? I don't understand what images you are accusing us all of worshipping, but I don't have any graven images of god, and neither do many people I know.

Answer 6

All that is true only if someone believes that the bible is actually the word of some god.

Most people in the world do not.

Answer 7

"Graven Images of THEIR gods" OT idols were the images of pagan gods not religious art of the Jewish or Christian religions.

Answer 8

Ask yourself if you're worshiping the Bible (as an idol). Do I see someone casting the first stone here?

Answer 9

Let us promote Health care for that matter.

Answer 10

It is a lie to claim as some conservative ideological authorities do that myth is truth. An affirmation of an ability to know about the existence of a good one in Heaven at war with an evil one cast down to and ruling over Earth is a fraud that follows from the lie that myth is truth. Some conservative ideological authorities perpetrate this fraud in order to be able; to make threats against the life and or afterlife of anybody who does not submit to their authority; and to extort tithes and offerings from communities of faithful believers in exchange for a lifelong indoctrination in a standard of conduct that these same ideological authorities proclaim to be based on the discovery of the truth about the will of a good one in Heaven at war with an evil one cast down to and ruling over Earth. Based on the lie that myth is truth some lead communities faithful believers to behave like racist, heterofascist, warmongers.

Based on the truth that myth is myth, I challenge religious leaders who repeat the lie that myth is truth until their fraud and extortion operations become profitable. Based on the truth that myth is myth, I lead us to have highest esteem of self and world the we can possibly imagine. Based on the truth that myth is myth, I lead us to believe that there is an abundance of time to live made possible by an infinite series of lives to be lived by our divine eternal souls. Based on the truth that myth is myth, I lead us to believe abundance is freely given to us by Father Love, an infinite body of large universes of the correct kind to support living infernal fractal entities and Mother God an infinity, divinity, eternally, one. Based on the truth that myth is myth, I lead communities of faithful believers to behave like friendly, homotolerant, peace makers.