Catholics Delete Commandment 2 From Ten Commandments?

[TrueLight]

I just recently found out that Catholics are often accused of dropping one of the ten commandments when they are listed. I’m not speaking of how it is listed in the bible with all the accompanying explanations, but the actual lists people use for memorization.

The accusation is that the second commandment is deleted which says this:

**8 Thou shalt not make 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 waters beneath the earth:
9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, **

Then it is said that the last two commandments are split into two to make up for the missing commandment. So then Commandment ten was supposedly split from this:

**10 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant **

To this:

**9 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife
10 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods
**

I found the following two commandment listings on Fisheaters.

Most common Protestant listing:

Thou shalt have no other gods before me
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy
Honour thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour
Thou shalt not covet

**Latin Catholic listing:
**
Thou shalt not have other gods besides Me
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain
Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day
Honor thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not murder
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods

So it is said that Catholics removed the second commandment because it talks of statues and bowing before statues and that would cause confusion among Catholics since Catholics have lots of statues and at least some bow to the statues.

Any comments on how I would respond to someone who brings up this issue?

Thanks.

 

[Godfollower]

The explanation on the Fisheaters site is pretty good.

You might also consider the fact that worshiping a graven image is “hav[ing] other gods beside” God, by definition. So a ban on having other gods besides the one, true God clearly includes a ban on worshiping graven images.

And, if they want to make the specious argument that, no, the Catholics have missed the part about how you can’t have any graven images, whether they’re used for worship or not, then ask them when they stopped using money, national flag pins, and family photographs – all of which are, by definition, graven images.

 

[Cathhsmom]

I was just reading about this in the CCC, Catechism of the Catholic Church. I have added the CCC quote to the end of this that explains it. I would also like to point out from a page or 2 prior in the CCC that the Protestant Numbering comes from Exodus 20:2-17 and the Catholic Numbering comes from Deuteronomy 5:6-21. AND, I think that it is interesting when you think about the quote from St. Augustine that 3 were on one tablet and 7 on the other. Wouldn’t that go hand in hand with 3 being related to God;Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and 7 being a number for perfection? Just something that I thought of when reading it earlier today. It just struck me that way.

2064
In fidelity to Scripture and in conformity with the example of Jesus, the tradition of the Church has acknowledged the primordial importance and significance of the Decalogue.

2065
Ever since St. Augustine, the Ten Commandments have occupied a predominant place in the catechesis of baptismal candidates and the faithful. In the fifteenth century, the custom arose of expressing the commandments of the Decalogue in rhymed formulae, easy to memorize and in positive form. They are still in use today. The catechisms of the Church have often expounded Christian morality by following the order of the Ten Commandments.

2066
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 St. Augustine, which has become traditional in the Catholic Church. It is also that of the Lutheran confessions. The Greek Fathers worked out a slightly different division, which is found in the Orthodox Churches and Reformed communities.

2067
The Ten Commandments state what is required in the love of God and love of neighbor. The first three concern love of God, and the other seven love of neighbor.

As charity comprises the two commandments to which the Lord related the whole Law and the prophets . . . so the Ten Commandments were themselves given on two tablets. Three were written on one tablet and seven on the other.27 ( footnote 27 says"St. Augustine, Sermo 33,2L 38,208)

 

[DavidFilmer]

**Latin Catholic listing:
**
Thou shalt not have other gods besides Me
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain
Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day
Honor thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not murder
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods

I don’t know where this list came from, but it is only a summary.

The full text of the First Commandment, per the teaching of the Catholic Catechism, has four directives, which are (in this order):

• YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.
• HIM ONLY SHALL YOU SERVE.
• YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.
• YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF A GRAVEN IMAGE, OR 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; YOU SHALL NOT BOW DOWN TO THEM OR SERVE THEM.

The Catechism devotes an entire chapter (57 articles) to this one commandment.

The list you presented includes only the third directive. I suppose, if I wanted to summarize the First Commandment, that would probably be the one I would pick, but this summary does not represent the full teaching of the Church.

 

[BluesPicker]

The Ark of the Convenant had two Holy Angels on it. Moses was given specific instructions from God on how to make it. Do you think that God contradicts Himself or is the understanding as the Church teaches it?

 

[Barbkw]

Catechism of the Catholic Church - 1st Commandment

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a1.htm

See also Idolatry at:

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c1a2.htm#1723

Idolatry/idol(s)

definition and significance of, 2112-14

fame and riches as idolatry, 1723

idolatry of the human body, 2289

liberation from idolatry of the world, 2097

idolatry of money, 2424

idolatry as perversion, 2114

prohibition of making idols, 2129

idolatry as sin, 1852

idolatry as superstition, 2138

**Idolatry **

2112 The first commandment condemns polytheism.

It requires man neither to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God.

Scripture constantly recalls this rejection of “idols, [of] silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.” These empty idols make their worshippers empty: "Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them."42 God, however, is the "living God"43 who gives life and intervenes in history.

2113 Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship.

It remains a constant temptation to faith.

Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God.

Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. Jesus says, "You cannot serve God and mammon."44 Many martyrs died for not adoring "the Beast"45 refusing even to simulate such worship. Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God; it is therefore incompatible with communion with God.46

2114 Human life finds its unity in the adoration of the one God.

The commandment to worship the Lord alone integrates man and saves him from an endless disintegration.

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."47

 

[ANNE_2]

True light, good question that frequently comes from Protestants.

No the Ten Comandmants have not been changed by the Catholic Church. The Latin listing you posted is the correct order.

Quote from the Cathecism of the Catholic Church # “2110 The first commandment forbids honoring gods other than the one Lord who has revealed himself to his people. It proscribes superstition and irreligion. Superstition in some sense represents a perverse excess of religion; irreligion is the vice contrary by defect to the virtue of religion.”
You can find paragraphs in the CCC against Superstition 2110, against Idolatry, against divination and magic, against irreligion, against atheism, and against agnosticism all under the First Commandment.

CCC " 2132 The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, “the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype,” and “whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it.” The honor paid to sacred images is a “respectful veneration,” not the adoration due to God alone:
Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is."

In simple English, we do not worship images or statutes. They are special reminders to bring us closer to God, and to keep God in our human focus.
We don’t pray to wood or plaster statues. (If someone did pray to these statues it would not only be silly but sinful.)

Example, if you have a picture of someone you love on your desk, you do not love that picture - but the person it represents. The picture is a constant reminder of that person.

Remember that God’s specific directions in the Bible for the ‘Arc of the Covenant’ - included two Angels made of gold - after giving Moses the 10 Commandments. Exodus 25: 18-20.

 

[Barbkw]

More here on the specifics of graven images:

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a1.htm

• IV. “YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF A GRAVEN IMAGE . . .”>

2129 The divine injunction included the prohibition of every representation of God by the hand of man. Deuteronomy explains: "Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a graven image for yourselves, in the form of any figure. . . . "66 It is the absolutely transcendent God who revealed himself to Israel. “He is the all,” but at the same time "he is greater than all his works."67 He is "the author of beauty."68

2130 Nevertheless, already in the Old Testament, God ordained or permitted the making of images that pointed symbolically toward salvation by the incarnate Word: so it was with the bronze serpent, the ark of the covenant, and the cherubim.69

2131 Basing itself on the mystery of the incarnate Word, the seventh ecumenical council at Nicaea (787) justified against the iconoclasts the veneration of icons - of Christ, but also of the Mother of God, the angels, and all the saints. By becoming incarnate, the Son of God introduced a new “economy” of images.

2132 The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, “the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype,” and "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it."70 The honor paid to sacred images is a “respectful veneration,” not the adoration due to God alone:

Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.71

66 Deut 4:15-16.
67 Sir 43:27-28.
68 Wis 13:3.
69 Cf. Num 21:4-9; Wis 16:5-14; Jn 3:14-15; Ex 25:10-22; 1 Kings 6:23-28; 7:23-26.
70 St. Basil, De Spiritu Sancto 18,45G 32,149C; Council of Nicaea II: DS 601; cf. Council of Trent: DS 1821-1825; Vatican Council II: SC 126; LG 67.
71 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II,81,3 ad 3.

 

[PJM]

=TrueLight;7739354]I just recently found out that Catholics are often accused of dropping one of the ten commandments when they are listed. I’m not speaking of how it is listed in the bible with all the accompanying explanations, but the actual lists people use for memorization.

The accusation is that the second commandment is deleted which says this:

**8 Thou shalt not make 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 waters beneath the earth:
9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, **

Then it is said that the last two commandments are split into two to make up for the missing commandment. So then Commandment ten was supposedly split from this:

So it is said that Catholics removed the second commandment because it talks of statues and bowing before statues and that would cause confusion among Catholics since Catholics have lots of statues and at least some bow to the statues.

Any comments on how I would respond to someone who brings up this issue?

Thanks.

Dear friends in Christ; this is a human understading of a Divine Proclaimation! Caused bu human translation of ONLY A CHOSEN PART of the Bible… Based in truth it nevertheless convey’s a wrong and incomplete message from Go… Read carefully the Story of Moses and YAHWEH GOD giving him specific instructions on what; how and Hoe God HIMSELF designed the Ark of the Covenant: God CANNOT CHANGE who and What God is and beleives…

The Offical Position of the CC is that WORSHIP is [MUST BE} reserved to God ALONE!

Mary and all the Saints can be shown reverence and respect but not Worshiped: And for the RECORD: IT IS FAR MORE ACCURATE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE CATHOLICS **PRAY TO GOD OUR PRAYERS TO MARY AND SAINTS IS **THROUGH THEM TO GOD **AS INTECESSORS;They in effect ADD there prayers to ours and present to God personally on our behalf

**Exodus 25:8-20 ** "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. According to all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it. "They shall make an ark of acacia wood; two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.
And you shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shall you overlay it, and you shall make upon it a molding of gold round about. And you shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark by them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you. Then you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.
[18] And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end; of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be

FYI: Cheribum are images of Angels…

WHAT GOD PROHIBITS IS WORSHIP OF FALSE GODS! PERIOD! Do you have any photos of loved ones? THAT IS exactly the same purpose as catholic Statues and paintings: to REMIND us of HOLY and GODLY Things:thumbsup:

God Bless,
Pat

 

[narnia59]

First point – the Bible nowhere ‘numbers’ the commandments. If it didn’t tell us that there were ten, we wouldn’t have a clue by reading the texts. So the Bible does not specify a ‘second’ commandment at all, so you might start by asking why they put a number on it at all, since Scripture does not.

Second point – therefore different faith ‘traditions’ all have an abbreviated listing (the original text in Scripture is quite long), and there are four different numbering systems in use – the Jewish, the Catholic (which is shared by Lutherans), the Orthodox, and the Protestant. Wikipedia has a pretty good article that displays them side by side if you’re interested. Point though, since the Bible does not number them for us, any numbering system is a product of ‘tradition’, not Scripture. Isn’t interesting that someone who would claim to go by the “bible alone” is arguing about a point of ‘tradition’ as though it had merit??

Third point – St. Augustine is who numbered the Catholics. His logic was that creating an idol rightly belonged to the commandment about not having other gods before the Lord God. Seems pretty logical. He also thought that since “thou shall not steal” (the physical taking of another’s property), and “thou shall not commit adultery” (the physical taking of another’s spouse) were two separate commandments that it made logical sense that “thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife” and “thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s goods” should also be two separate commandments (the desire to take these things). Difficult logic to argue with.

Fourth point – if that commandment was ‘left out’ by the Catholics, it was ‘left out’ by the Jewish people first. Let’s not forget they are who actually received the commandments from Moses at Mount Sinai, and they consider the command to make no idols as being part of “having no other gods before me” commandment as well. The Jewish numbering system:

1. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.
2. You shall have no other gods but me.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
4. You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

judaism.about.com/cs/judaismbasics/f/tencommands.htm

So you might start by asking why the Jews ‘left it out’ first. After all, they probably accept their word regarding the canon of the OT as authoritative.

 

[DavidFilmer]

So you might start by asking why the Jews ‘left it out’ first.

The ONLY person who left anything out was the OP’s source.

The First Commandment (per the Catholic Church) is NOT “Thou shalt have none other gods than me.” That’s only one of four directives (it’s the third, eight words long). The First Commandment (in English) according to the teaching of the Church is 79 words long. I posted the complete text of the First Commandment, as taught by the CCC, above.

It’s absurd for the OP’s source to leave out 3/4 of the First Commandment and then criticize the *Church *for leaving it out!

That’s like Luther blaming us for tossing books out of the Bible. Sheesh.

Why are we still having this conversation?

 

[narnia59]

The ONLY person who left anything out was the OP’s source.

The First Commandment (per the Catholic Church) is NOT “Thou shalt have none other gods than me.” That’s only one of four directives (it’s the third, eight words long). The First Commandment (in English) according to the teaching of the Church is 79 words long. I posted the complete text of the First Commandment, as taught by the CCC, above.

It’s absurd for the OP’s source to leave out 3/4 of the First Commandment and then criticize the *Church *for leaving it out!

That’s like Luther blaming us for tossing books out of the Bible. Sheesh.

Why are we still having this conversation?

That’s why “left it out” in my post is in quotes.

The catechism does definitely include the full text, which you pointed out so I didn’t have to. It should indeed show that we don’t leave anything out.

However, we do also use a numbering system that abbreviates the text that differs from the Protestants, leading to the charge of our ‘leaving one out’.

Therefore, I think it’s important to begin educating Protestants how they’re under the influence of man-made traditions (like numbering systems of commandments), which contradicts their view of the “bible-alone”. It also contradicts the authority they give the Jewish people in establishing their canon of Scripture. I mean, surely if they turn to the Jews for what is and is/not scripture, they should turn to the Jews as to how the commandments should be numbered, since they’re who received them from Moses.

Perhaps my approach doesn’t make as much sense to you, but I have generally found it takes people off the offensive pretty quickly and leaves them with a rather puzzled look.

And the same conversation will continue about all such topics that separate us I’m afraid. Often Protestants have to come up with reasons to reject the authority of the church, so proving the church ‘wrong’ is almost necessary for the existence of many.

 

[TrueLight]

The ONLY person who left anything out was the OP’s source.

The First Commandment (per the Catholic Church) is NOT “Thou shalt have none other gods than me.” That’s only one of four directives (it’s the third, eight words long). The First Commandment (in English) according to the teaching of the Church is 79 words long. I posted the complete text of the First Commandment, as taught by the CCC, above.

It’s absurd for the OP’s source to leave out 3/4 of the First Commandment and then criticize the *Church *for leaving it out!

That’s like Luther blaming us for tossing books out of the Bible. Sheesh.

Why are we still having this conversation?

Actually my source was Fisheaters.com. 10 Commandments

Someone already posted it.

 

[Nita]

Actually my source was Fisheaters.com. 10 Commandments

Someone already posted it.

Thanks for the link. I found it interesting. I did not realize the Lutherans followed our numbering, or that the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches were different from the Latin numbering. Always enjoy learning something new.

 

[Church_Militant]

• [The True Ten Commandments (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...xImRAw&usg=AFQjCNHyJU7fr15y2e_RyaIT1fzS96tLBg) (This Rock: March 2004)
• Iconoclasm: Or: Catholics Worship Graven Images NOT

Those are two articles that might help out some.

 

[BerhaneSelassie]

There are 3 lists in the OT for the 10 commandments, the Catechism, quotes them all for verbatim. The commandments are abbreviated. The only commandment as Catholics do not and cannot keep is “keeping the sabbath day,” that one literally cannot be kept in the ancient sense, since that law was for Jews, the NT makes no requirement of it. Though, the early FAthers did apply it in a spiritual sense Its often reworded in Catechism’s to the “Lord’s Day” ie Sunday for NT purposes even though the Church NEVER EVER considered Sunday the “sabbath” day.

 

[TrueLight]

There are 3 lists in the OT for the 10 commandments, the Catechism, quotes them all for verbatim. The commandments are abbreviated. The only commandment as Catholics do not and cannot keep is “keeping the sabbath day,” that one literally cannot be kept in the ancient sense, since that law was for Jews, the NT makes no requirement of it. Though, the early FAthers did apply it in a spiritual sense Its often reworded in Catechism’s to the “Lord’s Day” ie Sunday for NT purposes even though the Church NEVER EVER considered Sunday the “sabbath” day.

Yes, I’m not really sure where the actual lists came from.

However, whenever someone memorizes the ten commandments they normally use the abbreviated versions. I guess the point is that in the abbreviated version the Catholic list leaves out the idolatry part.

 

[Nita]

Yes, I’m not really sure where the actual lists came from.

However, whenever someone memorizes the ten commandments they normally use the abbreviated versions. I guess the point is that in the abbreviated version the Catholic list leaves out the idolatry part.

“I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before me.”
(the first commandment as it was in my catechism growing up.)
I always understood any sort of idolatry as being included in not having false gods. The graven images forbidden in the commandment were those that were treated as “strange gods” – images that were they would “bow down to and serve”.

Ex. 20:4-5 ***"You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or 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; *** you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, …
God certainly wasn’t forbidding images and likenesses for purposes other than use as false gods, for later, in that same interchange with Moses, He gives instructions to make some of these very things. And they are to be a part of their religious environment!
Eg. in Ex. 25 - God directs images to be made of angels (vs 18), almonds, flowers (vs 33).
Ex. 26:1 image of cherubim worked into the tabernacle curtains.
Ex 28:33 pomegranates on the priest’s garments

 

[Ignatius]

I just recently found out that Catholics are often accused of dropping one of the ten commandments when they are listed. I’m not speaking of how it is listed in the bible with all the accompanying explanations, but the actual lists people use for memorization.

The accusation is that the second commandment is deleted which says this:

**8 Thou shalt not make 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 waters beneath the earth: **
**9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, **

Then it is said that the last two commandments are split into two to make up for the missing commandment. So then Commandment ten was supposedly split from this:

**10 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant **

To this:

**9 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife **
10 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods

I found the following two commandment listings on Fisheaters.

Most common Protestant listing:

Thou shalt have no other gods before me
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy
Honour thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour
Thou shalt not covet

Latin Catholic listing:

Thou shalt not have other gods besides Me
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain
Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day
Honor thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not murder
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods

So it is said that Catholics removed the second commandment because it talks of statues and bowing before statues and that would cause confusion among Catholics since Catholics have lots of statues and at least some bow to the statues.

Any comments on how I would respond to someone who brings up this issue?

Thanks.

Yes, take them to the Catechism of The Catholic Church page 496 and 497, these are the Ten Commandments as taught in The Catholic Church and found in Deuteronomy 5:6-21.

 

[patrick457]

So it is said that Catholics removed the second commandment because it talks of statues and bowing before statues and that would cause confusion among Catholics since Catholics have lots of statues and at least some bow to the statues.

Any comments on how I would respond to someone who brings up this issue?

Thanks.

Other posters have already given very good, rock-solid answers, so I’ll be content with pointing out a little-known fact.

The Orthodox Church uses the Philonic reckoning (the one used by Philo, Josephus, and many Protestants today), and thus reckons “Thou shalt not make any graven image” as the second commandment. But if you go into an Eastern church, you’ll find a lot of icons hanging and possibly some wall-paintings/frescoes/mosaics (especially in more older churches)! The East holds pretty much the same theology as the West concerning sacred images, yet no one criticizes the Orthodox for ‘violating’ the commandment.