Why do Catholics pray to statues when the Bible forbids idolatry?

Answer 1

Catholics pray to God often and occassionally ask saints to pray for them.

Catholics do not pray to statues.

Do you have pictures of your loved ones? Have you ever looked at the picture of someone while talking on the phone to them?

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.

How can a nativity set set up in your house to constantly remind you and teach your children of God's love for use be idolotry?

Catholics do not worship statues but the almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

a million. Praying and worship are not an identical element. you are able to worship once you're praying, yet worship is adoring God (and only God), and praying ability asking. Any time you ask somebody for something, you're praying to them. 2. Catholics even have self assurance that we would desire to constantly don't have the different god till now the Lord Almighty. Our bibles have an identical verses approximately idols as yours. 3. the recent testomony constantly encourages Christians to wish for one yet another. The saints who stay with Jesus in heaven are nevertheless area of the physique of Christ (that's unlike they have been given kicked out, magnificent?), so as that they are nevertheless praying for God's will to be carried out, and the Bible says we gained't tell them we don't desire them (a million Cor 12). Jesus suggested "good and honest servants" are "put in value of many stuff," (Mt 25), so for sure, the saints in heaven are doing something. additionally, in John 2, we see that Jesus responds to Mary's request, besides the undeniable fact that it wasn't his time yet, so because it somewhat is a splash that He listens to His mom.

Answer 3

Catholics pray to graven images is not allowed as in deuter5:7 making their own interpretation of god,s law. The verse 5:7 is a simple declaration of god,s law and is not allowed to make individual interpretation.

Answer 4

Because they do know how to worship God in spirit and the truth. Catholics are very ignorant bunch of people who are blindly guided by the uncrupulous clergy.
Why dont they pick up a bible and read what God has to say on this matter rather than a sexually depraved priest

Answer 5

They don't, they use images, etc. as a focal point. Funnily enough though, when Pagans made statues of their deities, Christians in the past have said that they were worshipping them. I think (or at least hope) most modern Christians have more sense than that though.

Answer 6

alot of christians pray to statues or own statues or images and muslims don't worship the kaa'ba stone also since some christians believe that jesus is God that is direct violation of that rule also those that don't see jesus as God but believe you must pray to jesus to get to God also are in violation then there are those churches with the stain glass windows but hey let the people disobey their own belief if they want. i don't know the exact reason for idols in an anti-idol religion though.

Answer 7

well my parents are catholics and when i asked the same question my mum replied its to remind them to pray to whoever the statue is resembling.

Answer 8

The Roman Catholic and particularly the Orthodox Churches cite St. John of Damascus' work "On the Divine Image" to defend the use of icons. He wrote in direct response to the iconoclastic controversy that began in the eighth century by the Byzantine emperor Leo III and continued by his successor Constantine V, St. John maintains that depicting the invisible God is indeed wrong, but he argues that the incarnation, where "the Word became flesh" (John 1:14), indicates that the invisible God became visible, and as a result it is permissible to depict Jesus Christ. He argues, "When He who is bodiless and without form... existing in the form of God, empties Himself and takes the form of a servant in substance and in stature and is found in a body of flesh, then you draw His image..." He also observes that in the Old Testament, images and statues were not absolutely condemned in themselves: examples include the graven images of cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant or the bronze serpent mentioned in the book of Numbers. He also defends external acts of honour towards icons, arguing that there are "different kinds of worship" and that the honour shown to icons differs entirely from the adoration of God. He continues by citing Old Testament examples of forms of "honour": "Jacob bowed to the ground before Esau, his brother, and also before the tip of his son Joseph's staff (Genesis 33:3). He bowed down, but did not adore. Joshua, the Son of Nun, and Daniel bowed in veneration before an angel of God (Joshua 5:14) but they did not adore him. For adoration is one thing, and that which is offered in order to honour something of great excellence is another". He cites St. Basil who asserts, "the honour given to the image is transferred to its prototype". St. John argues therefore that venerating an image of Christ does not terminate at the image itself - the material of the image is not the object of worship - rather it goes beyond the image, to the prototype.

Answer 9

Catholics do not pray to statutes. They pray to Saints and Mary for intercessory prayer on their behalf with Jesus. They do not worship the statutes they are physical reminders of the Saints that have gone on and can have access to the throne of God on our behalf. Who better to ask to pray for us than Mary the mother of Jesus. Catholics do not worship her they worship God (God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit). Other Christian religions also use intercessory prayer when anyone says please pray for me that is intercessory prayer whether it is to a Saint already with God or a person/persons here.

Answer 10

Could it do with the followings of man made traditions rather than following the bible ?