Exodus 20:4 the second part

[30yrslost]

I want to focus on the or any likeness of anything in heaven. I have a crucifix with G_ _ holding up Christ and the Spirit dove flying. Wouldnt this fall under that along with angels on cards. I get the graven image argument so does it all hinge on bowing to them? Thanks.

 

[MrZoom]

Only 5 chapters later, in Exodus 25:18, God commands images of cherubim be made for the Ark of the Covenant. This shows that the prohibition on images in 20:4 is not absolute.

 

[Thom18]

Images made to aid in the worship of the One True God do not fall under the prohibition against images.

 

[30yrslost]

Ok just wanted so different ways to think about it. Thank you.

 

[twf]

As pointed out above, even the Old Testament law doesn’t forbid images absolutely, as there were images of angels on the tabernacle and in the temple. Beyond that, the New Covenant is incarnational…sacramental. The invisible God became flesh. The Church, His body, is the mystical extension of the incarnation. So yes, it is appropriate for us to use images in worship, for our God is visible…physical…in the person of Christ.

 

[Vico]

I want to focus on the or any likeness of anything in heaven. I have a crucifix with G_ _ holding up Christ and the Spirit dove flying. Wouldnt this fall under that along with angels on cards. I get the graven image argument so does it all hinge on bowing to them? Thanks.

Only God deserves adoration.

Signs are allowed.

Numbers 21

6 Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit them and killed many of them. 7 Upon which they came to Moses, and said; We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and thee: pray that he may take away these serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said to him: Make a 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.

 

[GiftofMercy]

I want to focus on the or any likeness of anything in heaven. I have a crucifix with G_ _ holding up Christ and the Spirit dove flying. Wouldnt this fall under that along with angels on cards. I get the graven image argument so does it all hinge on bowing to them? Thanks.

Are you Jewish, if not you can say God. We Christians do say God. We also have images and likenesses of the saints and Jesus and the Holy Family and the Angels. These are not graven images, these are our Christian images

If you are Jewish, then pictures of people etc are not allowed. Its part of the Torah. And this is why no one made a likeness of Christ when he was alive and for some time after His passion and resurrection and entry into heaven

 

[De_Maria]

I want to focus on the or any likeness of anything in heaven.

30 years lost? As in 30 years lost until you returned to the Faith?

I have a crucifix with G_ _ holding up Christ and the Spirit dove flying.

Nothing wrong with that.

Wouldnt this fall under that along with angels on cards. I get the graven image argument so does it all hinge on bowing to them? Thanks.

It all hinges upon whether you believe:

1. That the image or card are somehow manifestations of God. In other words, do you think that the image or the card are alive and can hear you?
2. Or whether you believe that the angel is God. In other words, do you worship angels?

Let me give an example in everyday life. In the US, we venerate the flag of the US. We love the flag because it represents our country. We get very angry when someone disrespects the flag or destroys it because we believe they are saying that this is what they would do to our country, if they could.

But we know the difference between the flag of our country and our country.

In the same way, an image of God is simply an image of God. We love the image and venerate it because of what it represents. But we know that the image is not God. Therefore we do not worship the image.

We regard an image of an angel or a saint in the same way. We love the image because of what it represents.

As for praying to angels and saints, we don’t worship them. We love and venerate them because they are members of our extended Holy Family. They are our elder brothers in Christ. But we don’t worship them as we do God. We recognize that they are still interceding for us in heaven and we ask them to assist us in our daily life.

I hope that helps.