Catholics: I'm not trying to prove you wrong, I'm just curious?

Question

In Exodus 20:4-6, God commands us to not worship carved images...so why do you do it? And don't try to deny it cuz I was once a catholic and I know what you do. but I don't why so help me understand please..

Answer 1

They are called hypocrites. At my cathedral in Glasgow there is a HUUUGE statue of Jesus on the cross like 15 meters high, but it's supposed to be symbolic like a reminder. It's not so that people can bow down to it or anything :))



Darrin: Wrong. most of the Jesus and Mary statues show someone who is clearly of Arabian decent, the clothes and all. I've never seen a picture of a white Jesus except from online.

Answer 2

You may have been Catholic, but you obviously didn't get a good education in Catechism class. Worshiping anyone or anything except God is strictly forbidden by the Bible and the Church because it is idolatry. A statue only becomes an idol when it is a substitute for the real God Almighty and is worshiped instead of Him.



So please don't tell me what my fellow Catholics and I do or don't do. We know the difference between a plaster representation of someone and the real person. I have a beautiful painting of the Mother of Sorrows hanging on the wall here beside my computer desk, but I don't mistake it for the Virgin Mary. And I certainly don't worship it as if it was God.



I'd like to think that Protestants are smart enough to make that distinction, but apparently a lot of them aren't.



Edit:



"Catholics say they don't worship statues, but they do."



Those of you who made that statement are guilty of bearing false witness against your Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ. If a Catholic said, "Protestants say they don't worship the Bible in place of God, but they do," a lot of you would have a world class, top of the line, blue ribbon hissy fit.



You'd deny it with your last breath: "I don't worship the Bible because that's idolatry. I only worship God." And you'd expect us to accept your word on the matter because "After all, I'm Protestant, and I know what we do and don't do."



That's all well and good. But then you turn around and tell every Catholic on the face of this earth that you know that we're all guilty of idol worship. . .and you expect us to just meekly accept your judgment because you, the big important Protestant, say it's so.



On second thought, scratch the false witness assessment. Make that "hypocrisy."

Answer 3

We don't worship statues.



We don't think people who use the word "cuz" in place of "because" are all that intelligent.



We don't believe you know what we do; being baptized a Catholic does not grant you any special insight, especially if you left prior to attaining the age of reason.



We are still looking for signs you have attained that age. Spelling your name Candeeea does not help your cause.



Hey! Justin Beiber is on TV and he has a special private message just for you!!! Better go check it out, Candidia!

Answer 4

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.

Answer 5

Well, by your commentary you just proved that you were never a Catholic. The Church forbids under any circumstances the worship of anything or anyone but God. You are bearing false witness against the Church which is a mortal sin against God's commandments in the Decalogue. Such sin being mortal murders one's soul to Christ and separates one from the familial relationship with Christ that they enjoyed through their Baptism. Repent and pray for forgiveness for your serious sin that will have eternal circumstances if you do not repent. May our Lord have mercy on you. God bless!



In Christ

Fr. Joseph

Answer 6

They do not worship images...and images were used in the ARK of the COVENANT

Exodus 25 your favorite deity give instructions to build the ARK of the COVENANT with two images above.... was it the center of worship when it resided in the tabernacle....where God manifested His presence on earth... you can try to deny it..lol

Exodus 25....17 “Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18 And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.



These i worship my imaginary deity better than their competition is common between faction of the same religion..in all the abrahamic religions, the jews christians, the muslim do the same thing and they all worship the same abrahamic deity.... you make your invisible friend proud.

Answer 7

Catholics don't worship their icons. They are simply used to honor the people they depict; the actual icon itself isn't important, only what it represents to the person doing the veneration. And veneration, by the way, isn't worship either. Saints are given veneration (dulia), and the Virgin is given hyperdulia, a greater veneration because of her status, but only God is awarded latria (worship).

Answer 8

You were never a Catholic. read on

Prov. 12:19

The lip of truth shall be established forever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Answer 9

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We don't.



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You know what I do? Really? I don't even know you.



I don't worship any carved images...if you did when you were Catholic, then that was a grave and mortal sin. Catholicism teaches that we are to only worship the one true God.

Answer 10

I was brought up Catholic. I am non-denominational now. A Catholic will tell you that they have statues, etc., but that they are made as works of art to HONOR GOD, not to worship. I have never seen anyone in the Catholic Church bowing down and worshipping any of the statues there; however, I went to a Catholic service at Easter with my dad and the Priest had a 3-ft long wooden cross and everyone lined up and when they got to the Priest with the cross, they would bend down on one knee and kiss the cross. That was very disturbing to me.

It was disturbing because I do not want to kiss the cross that crucified my Lord, I want to kiss my Lord when the time comes. I understand that his dying on the cross was for us sinners, and I am grateful for it, but not for the horrible way in which he was killed, but grateful for the FACT THAT HE LOVES HIS CHILDREN ENOUGH TO HAVE PAID FOR OUR SINS.



That said, I do see Catholics in my own family who pray to Mary. They feel it is perfectly fine - they say its just like if you ask your sister for help in getting your dad to do something for you. The problem with that is that Christ was quite clear when he said "nobody comes to the Father BUT BY ME". He did not say nobody comes to the Father but by me or by my mom if I'm busy or some saint if ya want. Prayer is to be directed to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, only showing the Father your respect and belief in the Savior.



When Moses was up the mountain and then came down and the golden bull was built, those Israelites were kissing the bull, and do you know where they were kissing it? We have a saying used even today: "kissing someone's butt".....yep, thats where the saying came from. The Israelites thought it was fine, they just wanted something they could ACTUALLY SEE to worship. This takes faith and throws it right out the window.



If a Catholic or anyone else cannot have a relationship with their Lord except that they have something in front of them to actually see, then there are much deeper problems than just the statue or whatever they are praying to.



It would be helpful if Catholics stopped using a "catholic bible" and began to use the Bible most closely translated from the original Manuscripts, The King James. God only knows what ideas they are getting from a book that Rome replaced Gods Word with. It is astounding to me that they would even consider making a Catholic Bible. There is one Word of God and the last thing you will read in it is a warning not to add, delete or change it in any way or you will wish you were never born.



God Bless the Catholics, but I will not ever go back to another Catholic Church in my lifetime, esspecially since I found out that because my mom was brought up as a child in a methodist home, she is not allowed to be buried in the same cemetary plot with the rest of the family, even though she brought all six of us kids up as Catholics, gave to the Church for 56 years, did everything they required of a Catholic family, never drank, never smoked, never even drove - was the best and most dedicated loving mother ever on earth, and this is the way they treat her?? Obviously God thinks more of my mom than they do, so I will stick with God and dump the hypocrites in the Catholic Church.

Answer 11

As long as you know Christ Jesus is the Only way to Heaven and Jesus was God whom walked in flesh and laid His life down for us , and Jesus is the Only way and it is not by good works you enter into Heaven but by a relationship with Christ and Jesus mother Mary was a sinner also and needed Christ and that there is No Hope with the pope

Answer 12

didn't know catholic worshiped any images care to show the catholic teaching on this..since after all you were once catholic and can provide it..

Answer 13

Catholics will tell you they don't "worship" icons or statues -- they use them as reminders, symbols, representations of ideas.

My experience is that most catholics don't "worship" their icons...but many do. The distinction between what the icon is supposed to represent and the icon itself often gets very blurry, especially when the claimed 'miracles' of crying statues, etc. come out.



Hey, I'm an atheist and so don't really care -- I just call 'em like I see 'em.



Peace.

Answer 14

catholics dont worship the statues. They are never worshiped. worship belongs only to God.

the statues are revered, as symbols of who they represent. Nothing more.

Answer 15

We don't worship "carved images"; we worship God and only God.



Why do you have pictures of friends & family?

Answer 16

Despite what some Catholics will say to the contrary, some really DO worship the object and not the power behind it. Ideally speaking though, they......like I said...worship the power behind it. But then a statue cries blood and everyone thinks its magic....I do not really care, they can do what they want and pretend they are not, or they can do what they are supposed to do according to their church, NOT worship but venerate or whatever...non of my Buddhist business.

Answer 17

He tells us more than not to worship the images. He tells us not to carve them in the first place.



At any rate, I wouldn't waste too much time trying to reason with them. If they feel that worshipping idols is fine, I have no issue with allowing them to freely follow their hearts. I am not God that I can force them to stop.

Answer 18

@ Darrin - When I was a Catholic, I never bowed to objects so you've either heard wrong or you just made that up.

Answer 19

To have images of JEsus and worship Jesus, is to worship a carved image.

Answer 20

Quoting old testament law, even if it is the ten commandments, is not very effective, as we are no longer bound by the law.

Answer 21

Worshiping and honoring are two very different concepts.

Answer 22

When you hold your cross are you worshipping that cross? When you hold a rossary are you worshipping it?

Answer 23

because popery comes from the roman religion, hence the ROMAN catholic church, the old gods became the saints, it is not christian

Answer 24

They say they dont worship, they venerate and are a form of art. Yet, they do bow down before them, that by biblical definition is worship..........>



They will say you have pictures of friends and family....but I dont bow down to those pictures and at least those are accurate pictures. The pictures and statues of Mary and Jesus are that of either European or Western white people......when in fact they have no idea of what they looked like.....that in itself is idolatry.........>

Answer 25

because we're human..