Graven Images - Not Allowed?

[Kevan]

Kevan:

What do you think it would mean for one to “serve” his graven images, as the commandment forbids when it says “thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them”?

Imprimartin:

Short answer: The same way one would serve God (whatever that is).

Well, we ordinarily serve God through hymns, prayer, incense, offerings, etc. Is that what you mean?

 

[Imprimartin]

Kevan:

Well, we ordinarily serve God through hymns, prayer, incense, offerings, etc. Is that what you mean?

Well the short answer is pretty short and the long answer is pretty long. Let’s see if I can come up with a medium answer.

Serving God means (among other things) to do as he commands. If he says that I should not steal, then stealing something would not serve God. And not stealing something (when given the opportunity) would serve God. Additionaly, if my mother told me not to steal because it would serve God, then everytime I didn’t steal, I would be serving God. The fact that the words came from my mother’s mouth doesn’t change anything because they were originally God’s words.

It goes the same for a saint. If a saint says to the pray the rosary (assuming it doesn’t violate a commandment somehow–this is another topic), then it would serve God.

Martin