Thou shalt not...

Exodus 20
4"You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth

Do catholics do this?

I think the purpose behind this is that you shouldn't "worship" an idol

By its definiton and idol is a created thing that is worshiped .... like Harley's ...

So the creation of an image, such as a statue of Jesus or Mary, that is not "worshipped" but merely there to focus the thoughts does not make it an idol.

However thinking that your image had intrinsic qualities of its own - heal, bless etc - would make whatever you worship an idol...

BTS thread - Nicaea II allows icons of Christ to be venerated

No council in church historhas evertuaght to worship statues or pictures. Yes w do venerate them as signs of Gods saints or angelswhich would be veneration. To respect, honor, cherish ect.



God used statues i the OT for a sign to Moses.


Numbers 21:8


" And the Lord said to him (Moses): make a brazent serpent, and set it up for a sign: whoever being struck shall look on it, shall live. Mose therefore made the Brazent sepent, and set it
up for a sign: which whe they wer bitten looked upon it, were healed "



See how God uses suff for a sign like this brazent serpent? We do the same but only with the saints wo have lived and the angels ad we use the for asign to remindus of their holiness.



God bless.

Originally posted by Netchicken
I think the purpose behind this is that you shouldn't "worship" an idol

By its definiton and idol is a created thing that is worshiped .... like Harley's ...

So the creation of an image, such as a statue of Jesus or Mary, that is not "worshipped" but merely there to focus the thoughts does not make it an idol.

However thinking that your image had intrinsic qualities of its own - heal, bless etc - would make whatever you worship an idol...

You see this kind of crazy lawyerly parsing all over the church but it still breaks God's law.

Did you even read my post? what you just said.



"" It breaks Gods law ""



No it doesn't. have you even read how God used statues in the Old Testament? Did the passage I gave breeze by you? God did this in the OT plenty of times. How can he creat a brazent serpent and then have Moses look upon it to be healed? We just are too prideful to realize how God works.




god bless.

Originally posted by Truth


Did you even read my post? what you just said.



"" It breaks Gods law ""



No it doesn't. have you even read how God used statues in the Old Testament? Did the passage I gave breeze by you? God did this in the OT plenty of times. How can he creat a brazent serpent and then have Moses look upon it to be healed? We just are too prideful to realize how God works.




god bless.

I wasn't refering to you and no one worshipped the serpent figure, no one bowed down to it. You're a bit off.

I thought you were talking about the catholic church?



All im trying to say is that neither do we worship statues. Our church leaders have never ever taught this snce it began throug all the councils
and catechisms they have never taught to worship statues.


Just like God had Moses creat a statue for a sign of healing, so do we have statues as a sign of the saints and angels holiness. Im sorry, truly sorry that alot of people cannot see what im trying to say here.


God bless.

Originally posted by Truth


I thought you were talking about the catholic church?



All im trying to say is that neither do we worship statues. Our church leaders have never ever taught this snce it began throug all the councils
and catechisms they have never taught to worship statues.


Just like God had Moses creat a statue for a sign of healing, so do we have statues as a sign of the saints and angels holiness. Im sorry, truly sorry that alot of people cannot see what im trying to say here.


God bless.

So, when I walk into a church and see the big statue of christ. Then, I see people bowing down before it in pews, they aren't really worshipping by order of the priests, right? Youmust be high.

This is what God said about that idol you call a cross in prophecy:

Jeremiah 10
4 They adorn it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so it will not totter.
5 Like a scarecrow in a melon patch,
their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them;
they can do no harm
nor can they do any good."

6 No one is like you, O LORD ;
you are great,
and your name is mighty in power.

Are you kidding me?


what is said in Jeremiah was about (idols) who people (worship) that cannot harm you.


My (cross) I carry is a sign of my saviour. I don't worship it, nor do I thinkof it as a God. this is common sense whih I know people out there reading has, or shuld have.



When I see people bowing down to a statue in church, they are not praying to the statue itself. they should know better. they are praying to the one in heaven that is represented in that statue. I garuntee if you colonel went up to someone you saw doing this and asked.


Do you worship this?

they would say not at all. But you might be too scared to ask to find out the truth of th matter.



Aagin this conversation is useless. if our church ever taught to worship and give all due worship to a statue then you have a point, but otherwise your judging something you have no clue of with all due respect.




God bless.

Originally posted by Truth


Are you kidding me?


what is said in Jeremiah was about (idols) who people (worship) that cannot harm you.


My (cross) I carry is a sign of my saviour. I don't worship it, nor do I thinkof it as a God. this is common sense whih I know people out there reading has, or shuld have.



When I see people bowing down to a statue in church, they are not praying to the statue itself. they should know better. they are praying to the one in heaven that is represented in that statue. I garuntee if you colonel went up to someone you saw doing this and asked.


Do you worship this?

they would say not at all. But you might be too scared to ask to find out the truth of th matter.



Aagin this conversation is useless. if our church ever taught to worship and give all due worship to a statue then you have a point, but otherwise your judging something you have no clue of with all due respect.




God bless.

Here is what Jeremiah prophecized about with that cross you idolize:

"5 Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, "

You can convert that to whatever youlike but i take the plain meaning.

Hmm... looks to me that these graven images can be found at a catholic church. You're right about seeing them kneeling before them and decorating them. Interesting.

I think the point is that 'you shall not make any likeness of anything that is in heaven above. . .'
I don't think anybody could deny that catholic icons, statues etc.. are not a likeness of things that are in heaven above.

The reason for the bronze serpent has nothing to do with icons and idolatrous statues.

John 3:14-15
14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
(NKJ)

The bronze serpent was a pre-figure of what Jesus would do on the cross.

The Catholic Church is a rank institution. Perverting God's very words.

The bible teaches nothing about the papacy, condemns the forcing of priests to a celibate lifestyle as doctrines of demons (1 Tim 4:1-3). There is just too much error to go into. How anyone can believe in the Word of God and stay Catholic is beyond me.

Now why is it ok for God to use statues but not humans.

Sounds like a case of "do as I say, not as I do"

and its a good thing otherwise we would be smiting people off the earth.

The god of the Bible is definitely not a role model.. There is no way to argue out of that. I don't care for what reason he kills...........he has no morals because he is a god? Please

If you kiss a photo of your dead mother or your girl friend or who ever, do you in any way worship it?

Obviously not. The statues are the same as a photograph you look at to make you remember our Lord and our Lady.