Question:
Why Catholic People make statues that they Venerate when Exodus 20:4 prevent us from making any sort of idols?
?
2010-05-19 10:57:16 UTC
Exo 20:4 Clearly says that we must not make ourselves statues or Idols and that we shall not bow to them or serve them or Venerate them, can anyone please explain this to me?
Nineteen answers:
2010-05-19 11:05:48 UTC
good question, you see... the catholics took out the commandment that says do not make graven images and replaced it with something else in their bible..... because they love and worship graven images and idols.... so it is a sin they are doing and encouraging their members to do as well. Good question hon. keep studying and thinkin\g like that because you will grow in the word like that.
schecter
2016-12-14 20:22:47 UTC
remember that punctuation and verse numbers are a well known invention further to the Bible for the earnings of learn and so on, those have been in no way part of the unique texts. As such, once you study those verses they say to no longer make a picture and not serve them. human beings that venerate previously a lifeless ringer for Christ or a saint do no longer serve the saint nor a lifeless ringer for them or Christ, so they do no longer ruin this commandment. the image is totally a illustration of the the guy in question basically as in case you have been to have a image of your loved ones, you like the guy no longer the image that represents them. If the image replaced into lost or destroyed the project of the image is unhurt. are not getting caught up in each and all of the anti-catholic propaganda by using people who've deviated greater from the unique faith greater beneficial than any branch of the catholic church ever has, in case you doubt this, basically study the writings of the early church and spot basically how a strategies present day gatherings have deviated from that unique faith.
?
2016-12-14 20:25:26 UTC
endure in concepts that punctuation and verse numbers are a well-known invention further to the Bible for the ease of be taught etc, those have been in no way area of the unique texts. As such, once you examine those verses they say to no longer make a picture and not serve them. those that venerate earlier a lifeless ringer for Christ or a saint do no longer serve the saint nor a lifeless ringer for them or Christ, so as that they do no longer destroy this commandment. the image is purely a illustration of the the guy in question purely as in case you have been to have a image of your loved ones, you like the guy no longer the image that represents them. If the image replaced into lost or destroyed the subject of the image is unhurt. are not getting caught up in each and every of the anti-catholic propaganda via people who've deviated better from the unique faith better than any branch of the catholic church ever has, in case you doubt this, purely examine the writings of the early church and notice purely how far cutting-side gatherings have deviated from that unique faith.
mattbrick
2010-05-19 11:21:05 UTC
First in response to one of the answers catholicism is Christian christian is a broad term referring to any religion that believes that Jesus is Christ. Now for the question the statues are not made to venerate or idolize they are symbols reminders of the fact that all people can follow Christ and become saintly. Much like crosses an prayer beads they are used as tools to inspire and help people focus on God. And when prayers are made to a saint it is not a prayer to them Catholics believe that people that are in heaven can pray for those of us who are still here. We ask the saints to pray for us just as we ask our parishioners. These are not idols they are symbols and yes there is a very big difference. And yes catholics do read the bible however our faith is not based only on the bible but instead also incorporates the traditions set by Jesus such as the sacraments. Just as one cannot live on bread alone one cannot live on the bible alone.
St. Bernadette (formerly Catholic Teen)
2010-05-19 12:41:38 UTC
True, in Exodus 20:4-5 it says "You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship."



Did you know that in Numbers 21:8-9, God Himself told Moses to make a carven image, "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."



Moses made a three dimensional bronze serpent just like God told him to do.



But in 2 Kings 18:4, the Israelites started worshiping the bronze serpent so King Hezekiah had to destroy it. "He smashed the bronze serpent called Nehushtan which Moses had made, because at that time the Israelites were burning incense to it."



Again in Exodus 25:18-19 God was giving the Israelites instructions for the Ark. "Make two cherubim of beaten gold for the two ends of the propitiatory, fastening them so that one cherub springs direct from each end." (Cherubim are the 2nd highest ranking angels for those who do not know)



God told the Israelites to make these statues, aka carven images. But in 2 Kings 18:4, when the Israelites started worshiping the serpent, the serpent was destroyed. God said don't WORSHIP idols, not don't make them.



Catholics do not worship, venerate, serve or bow down to statues. We have them as a visual reminder to remind us of God and His love for us (ex, a Crucifix), and that there are people (saints) who were able to serve God through their lives, and that we should try to imitate these people who gave us an example of how to live a Christian life.
GNW_Paul
2010-05-19 11:11:45 UTC
1 a Statue of a Saint is NOT an idol - we don't worship the Statue or the saint - we worship God to whom that Saint is one of HIS beloved creations now in heaven with him.



Idol - 1. an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed.

2. Bible .

a.an image of a deity other than god.

b.the deity itself.



#2 The temple was adorned with carved angels or Cherubim - were they idols? (1 kings 6:23-35)



#3) do you have pictures of family or favorite celebrities in your room or around your house? Do you worship them?
?
2010-05-19 11:10:09 UTC
Sadly Sandy you've been misinformed. Us Catholics don't venerate, worship, or pray to statues or idols. We have statues of saints and Mary for us to constantly remember what the power of God can accomplish in man. Do we as Americans venerate the Statue of Liberty for freedom? No, of course not. Do we worship Mount Rushmore in order to get leadership? That's silly.



Let me ask you a question: do you have pictures on your cell phone or in your purse? If so, why? Why do you carry them with you? Do you carry them with you because they remind you of something, somewhere, or some time in the past? Do you carry them with you because they give you an emotion when you look at them? That's excactly why we have statues (NOT idols), paintings and artwork in Catholic Churches.



The main problem that you might have seen is that the vast majority of Hispanics kneel and make the sign of the cross before statues. That is simply wrongly taught Catholicism, trust me, I've seen it at my church at the Spanish Masses. With a lot of Hispanics it's simply a cultural thing.
42
2010-05-19 12:00:47 UTC
Do you know the first thing about Catholicism? Catholics don't worship the statues. It's no different from you having a picture of Jesus hanging in your house somewhere, or wearing a cross necklace.



The Amish won't even allow pictures to be taken of themselves because of the "graven images" scripture. Some people interpret it differently than you do, believe it or not. You stick to your beliefs, and they can stick to theirs. Seriously, what does it matter to you what Catholics do?



And the point about "In God We Trust" on our currency is an excellent one. Talk about idolatry. How many people, Christians included, worship the almighty dollar? To put God's name on it should make Christians sick. Teddy Roosevelt tried to remove the motto from American coinage because he didn't think God's name should be cheapened in such a manner, being put on currency that's used for what he considered immoral purposes, like gambling.



Think about that for a moment. That's more "idolatry" than what you're complaining about.
2010-05-19 11:06:55 UTC
Let's not add to scripture, it doesnt say "Statues".



Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth.



God said no "Idols", he has commanded statues to be made.



Exodus 25:18

Thou shalt make also two cherubims of beaten gold, on the two sides of the oracle.



Numbers 21:8 And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live. 9 Moses therefore made a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: which when they that were bitten looked upon, they were healed.



Catholics use Statues of the Saints that have died, Do Non-Catholics use Grave Stones for their dead?

Do you visit them in the Cemetery? Do you talk to them? If so then what is the difference between that and Catholic Statues and us Speaking to the Saints?



You have a grave stone so they are remembered and so you know who's grave you are at. So is it idolatry to have a grave stone since you say Catholic Statues are Idols?



The same can be said of Urns.



Peace be with you



<<>>
catholic199_returns
2010-05-19 12:45:01 UTC
I. Images and Statues

Deut. 4:15 - from this verse, Protestants say that since we saw "no form" of the Lord, we should not make graven images of Him.



Deut. 4:16 - of course, in early history Israel was forbidden to make images of God because God didn't yet reveal himself visibly "in the form of any figure."



Deut. 4:17-19 - hence, had the Israelites depicted God not yet revealed, they might be tempted to worship Him in the form of a beast, bird, reptile or fish, which was a common error of the times.



Exodus 3:2-3; Dan 7:9; Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32; Acts 2:3- later on, however, we see that God did reveal himself in visible form (as a dove, fire, etc).



Deut. 5:8 - God's commandment "thou shall not make a graven image" is entirely connected to the worship of false gods. God does not prohibit images to be used in worship, but He prohibits the images themselves to be worshiped.



Exodus 25:18-22; 26:1,31 - for example, God commands the making of the image of a golden cherubim. This heavenly image, of course, is not worshiped by the Israelites. Instead, the image disposes their minds to the supernatural and draws them to God.



Num. 21:8-9 - God also commands the making of the bronze serpent. The image of the bronze serpent is not an idol to be worshiped, but an article that lifts the mind to the supernatural.



I Kings 6:23-36; 7:27-39; 8:6-67 - Solomon's temple contains statues of cherubim and images of cherubim, oxen and lions. God did not condemn these images that were used in worship.



2 Kings 18:4 - it was only when the people began to worship the statue did they incur God's wrath, and the king destroyed it. The command prohibiting the use of graven images deals exclusively with the false worship of those images.



1 Chron. 28:18-19 - David gives Solomon the plan for the altar made of refined gold with a golden cherubim images. These images were used in the Jews' most solemn place of worship.



2 Chron. 3:7-14 - the house was lined with gold with elaborate cherubim carved in wood and overlaid with gold.



Ezek. 41:15 - Ezekiel describes graven images in the temple consisting of carved likenesses of cherubim. These are similar to the images of the angels and saints in many Catholic churches.



Col. 1:15 - the only image of God that Catholics worship is Jesus Christ, who is the "image" (Greek "eikon") of the invisible God.



Top



http://www.scripturecatholic.com/sacramentals.html





http://www.ewtn.com/library/mother/ma18e.htm





The center of every Catholic Mass....



http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/lanciano.html



http://catholic-resources.org/ChurchDocs/Mass.htm



Good guys for answers....

http://www.catholic.com/radio/calendar.php
?
2010-05-19 11:19:35 UTC
Catholics don't make idols. Idols are pagan gods. Catholics belong to the original Christian religion. The lineage of Popes can be traced right back to St. Peter. Catholics, therefore, have a very proud and vibrant set of traditions and culture that also go back to the times of Jesus Christ Himself.



The first university and the first hospital on earth were started and established by the Catholic Church. There are some very, very long traditions that are misunderstood by people outside the Catholic Church.



I think the idea of all the statues and Saints and Blesseds fall under one of the biggest misunderstood categories about the Holy Roman Catholic Church.



Part of the traditions of the Catholic Church is the respect and love shown for Mary and the Saints. Saints are people that the Catholic Church has investigated and found to be very holy. One way to describe it is as if they are all members of the Hall of Fame for the sport of worshipping Jesus Christ. They are the role models out there. They give concrete examples for us in how to live.



The crucifix is a very important symbol to Catholics. Most practicing Catholics have a crucifix somewhere in their homes. The crucifix is a symbol. It is used in many religious ceremonies and worship. You carry pictures of those you love in your wallet or purse in the same way. You show them to others and look at them when you want to think of those you love. You do not worship the picture itself. You might respect and carry that picture with you everywhere. You might treasure the picture. It might make you a better person to have a picture of your wife that you see on your desk at work or while traveling for work. It does not mean you love your physical wife any less. Just a reminder and a rich part of your relationship. It also shows your wife how much you love and cherish her to have reminders of her all over the house.



It is a great thing to have a beautiful statue of Mary in your garden. It is an outward sign to all that visit you. Jesus obviously loves Mary very much. Mary cared for Jesus and raised him as a man and then suffered watching Him die for all of us. Loving Mary as well does not rub Jesus wrong.



Loving those that went before us and showed us a great example of love, strength and holiness through their lives is not going to rub Jesus wrong. It helps give us something to strive for.



Catholics do not worship Saints. Catholics talk to Saints in prayer in various intercessionary ways. Say you have a Grandma that was a great cook. You might say a prayer to her after she has long passed. For example : Grandma Betty, please watch over me and ask Jesus to give me the strength to bake all these pies in time for the family reunion.



Cops wear St. Michael the Archangel medallions around their neck. Firefighters wear St. Florian or St. Michael. There are prayers asking these holy beings to help in the conduct of our day and to help look over us. Catholics believe in angels and that they can be sent by God to look over us. Having St. Michael the Archangel near your heart is a positive thing. Does not IN ANY WAY mean you are worshipping St. Michael. You are not placing him on a pedestal above God.



I hope these examples help clear things up in a way everyone can understand. The idea of Saints, statues, Mary and our prayer is not so weird when you understand it all in the proper context.



I think the first thing in any religion you investigate is to ask why they do something before you assume it is an evil or twisted thing. On the face, something may seem weird or even sinful. Once you get the full meaning in the proper context - it may be beautiful.



Keeping all this in mind, I will be the first to admit that some, some Catholics will take some statues or traditions to the point of a superstition or praising someone on a par with God. That is not good and needs to be watched...
?
2010-05-19 11:13:41 UTC
we never worship the saints, the angels, Virgin Mary, or the cross. when we pray to a cross or crucifix, it is a symbolic representation of Jesus and we're actually praying to Jesus directly. When we pray to the Virgin Mary, or a image of her, we pray that she in return prays for us to God (ask others to pray for you). the saints and angels are the same deal (ask them to pray for us). we don't make statues or idols and call it god unless it's in Jesus's image (and that is not a false image).



edit



@stopitnow!: I'm looking at my Vatican II bible right now and there seems to be ten commandments in it. Next time see if we left it out before saying we left it out
primitive Lion
2010-05-19 11:09:30 UTC
A long time ago the Roman Catholic Church went on a broad campaign to convert masses of pagan idol-worshipers to their version of "Christianity".



These people brought with them many of their beliefs, holidays and idols, which the RCC allowed, as long as the practices became "Christianized". Protestants kept most of these practices, so in God's book they're on the same side of the Judgement as the Catholics are.



Some are less offended by spiritual adultery than by the idea that the people's money might not go to their church.



"COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE!" Revelation 18:4
choko_canyon
2010-05-19 11:02:01 UTC
There's nothing about 'veneration' in exodus 20:4, just bowing and worshiping. Catholics do not bow to or worship the people portrayed in the statues that you're referring to. You don't like the way they do things? Great. They don't like the way YOU do things. So don't do things the same way, and you'll have no problems. Mind your own business, and let others mind theirs.
SpiritRoaming
2010-05-19 11:06:05 UTC
Baloney. I suggest you re-read it.



Many Protestants have pictures of Jesus and other Bible pictures in Sunday school for teaching children. Catholics also use statues to commemorate certain people and events, much as Protestant churches have three-dimensional nativity scenes at Christmas.



If one measured Protestants by the same rule, then by using these "graven" images, they would be practicing the "idolatry" of which they accuse Catholics. But there’s no idolatry going on in these situations. God forbids the worship of images as gods, but he doesn’t ban the making of images. If he had, religious movies, videos, photographs, paintings, and all similar things would be banned. But, as the case of the bronze serpent shows, God does not even forbid the ritual use of religious images.



It is when people begin to adore a statue as a god that the Lord becomes angry.



Though bowing can be used as a posture in worship, not all bowing is worship. In Japan, people show respect by bowing in greeting (the equivalent of the Western handshake). Similarly, a person can kneel before a king without worshipping him as a god. In the same way, a Catholic who may kneel in front of a statue while praying isn’t worshipping the statue or even praying to it, any more than the Protestant who kneels with a Bible in his hands when praying is worshipping the Bible or praying to it.



Since the days of the apostles, the Catholic Church has consistently condemned the sin of idolatry. The early Church Fathers warn against this sin, and Church councils also dealt with the issue.



The Second Council of Nicaea (787), which dealt largely with the question of the religious use of images and icons, said, "[T]he one who redeemed us from the darkness of idolatrous insanity, Christ our God, when he took for his bride his holy Catholic Church . . . promised he would guard her and assured his holy disciples saying, ‘I am with you every day until the consummation of this age.’ . . . To this gracious offer some people paid no attention; being hoodwinked by the treacherous foe they abandoned the true line of reasoning . . . and they failed to distinguish the holy from the profane, asserting that the icons of our Lord and of his saints were no different from the wooden images of satanic idols."



The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566) taught that idolatry is committed "by worshipping idols and images as God, or believing that they possess any divinity or virtue entitling them to our worship, by praying to, or reposing confidence in them" (374).



"Idolatry is a perversion of man’s innate religious sense. An idolater is someone who ‘transfers his indestructible notion of God to anything other than God’" (CCC 2114).



The Church absolutely recognizes and condemns the sin of idolatry. What anti-Catholics fail to recognize is the distinction between thinking a piece of stone or plaster is a god and desiring to visually remember Christ and the saints in heaven by making statues in their honor. The making and use of religious statues is a thoroughly biblical practice. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know his Bible.



As for removing a commandement, yet another lie..

In Exodus 20:2–17, which gives the Ten Commandments, there are actually fourteen imperative statements. To arrive at Ten Commandments, some statements have to be grouped together, and there is more than one way of doing this. Since, in the ancient world, polytheism and idolatry were always united—idolatry being the outward expression of polytheism—the historic Jewish numbering of the Ten Commandments has always grouped together the imperatives "You shall have no other gods before me" (Ex. 20:3) and "You shall not make for yourself a graven image" (Ex. 20:4). The historic Catholic numbering follows the Jewish numbering on this point, as does the historic Lutheran numbering. Martin Luther recognized that the imperatives against polytheism and idolatry are two parts of a single command.



Jews and Christians abbreviate the commandments so that they can be remembered using a summary, ten-point formula. For example, Jews, Catholics, and Protestants typically summarize the Sabbath commandment as, "Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy," though the commandment’s actual text takes four verses (Ex. 20:8–11).



When the prohibition of polytheism/idolatry is summarized, Jews, Catholics, and Lutherans abbreviate it as "You shall have no other gods before me." This is no attempt to "hide" the idolatry prohibition (Jews and Lutherans don’t even use statues of saints and angels). It is to make learning the Ten Commandments easier.



The Catholic Church is not dogmatic about how the Ten Commandments are to be numbered, however. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "The division and numbering of the Commandments have varied in the course of history. The present catechism follows the division of the Commandments established by Augustine, which has become traditional in the Catholic Church. It is also that of the Lutheran confession. The Greek Fathers worked out a slightly different division, which is found in the Orthodox Churches and Reformed communities" (CCC 2066).
Rockadayjohnny
2010-05-19 10:59:07 UTC
They don't really believe the statue does anything.

They believe it's God acting through the Saint, as shown by the statue.
gutbucket
2010-05-19 10:59:26 UTC
Because their beliefs are just as plausible as yours are.
2010-05-19 11:00:28 UTC
catholics don't read the bible.
?
2010-05-19 11:02:45 UTC
religion always finds a way to be retarded...


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...