How do i reply to my protestant cousin about this passage and shy we bow down to. Mary?

[Itsmary]

Kuz I think your missing the Mark if these people don’t want to be Glorified or worshiped in the Flesh why should we make An Image of them and think that that’s ok? Even within the Ten commandments it says in Exodus 20 4 You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. I don’t know How this Can be misinterpreted any other way not only that we Have to use our common Knowledge Kuz ive Been on both sides of the Fence and when I read scripture for my self and it doesn’t A line with the word of God I feel Convicted by the Holy Spirit Not only to Change but to know that this is Dipleasing To God.Kuz of Done Loku with The Family and that this is why I say what I say when you look at This Scripture what dose this Mean to you. All I Know is that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever Hebrews13:8

 

[adf417]

We no longer worship with body language, gestures, or words. We worship in spirit and truth - Jn 4:24.

Peace!!!

 

[ProdglArchitect]

You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

This issue comes from a common misunderstanding about the nature of the word “idol” in the Old Testament.

During the pagan era, idols were physical embodiments of the gods that were directly worshiped by the people. The same is true for “graven images.” The pagans literally believed that those statues held the essence of their gods.

Catholics, on the other hand, just have nice artwork and statuary that directs our minds and our hearts towards the realities they represent. We do not believe a statue or painting of God/Jesus/Mary is that actual person any more than I think the picture of my wife on my phone is actually my wife. They are simply tools that direct our hearts and minds towards the realities they represent. We do not worship the statue of Jesus, we worship Jesus while using the statue to direct our minds up towards Him. It is not immoral to create artwork depicting heavenly things, as God himself commanded the Israelites to do so during the construction of the Temple. There were depictions of angels, cherubim, and other heavenly beasts explicitly commanded by God as adornment for the sanctuary, as well as for the Ark of the Covenant. If those things were not immoral, then neither are Catholic statues.

Nowadays in the Protestant lexicon an “idol” is any sort or of statue that depicts a person or being. Put bluntly, that is just wrong. That understanding ignores the historical reality of what an idol was in the pagan world, which is what the author of Exodus and Leviticus was addressing. The two things are not the same, it is like comparing apples and oranges.

As for why we bow before a statue of Mary, it’s the same reason we bow before anyone who is deserving of honor. Mary is the highest being in God’s creation, the only sinless created being, and the mother of our Lord incarnate. There is no one more deserving of honor than her. We bow before the statues as a physical representation of her real place as our Mother in Heaven. She’s not in the statue, but the statue directs our minds and actions towards her.

 

[Carmel]

To all protestants who think that bowing is worship
Why do you all worship the Queen of England by bowing before her ?

 

[Billy_Buescher]

In all of the OT, worshiping god’s involved a sacrifice. Look what Cain and Able did, offered sacrifice.

In the NT God wanted sacrifice, just what His Son did for us.

This weekend we will be honoring our earthly mothers, put then on a pedestal, we do this for birthdays etc.
What we do not do is offer a sacrifice for/or to them, sacrifice is reserved for God alone.

Would they think that what the Lord instructed Moses to do was worshiping an idol? Would it have be easier for them to pray to God directly and be saved, instead of going to a statue of a serpent to be save?

(Num 21:6) And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
(Num 21:7) Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
(Num 21:8) And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
(Num 21:9) And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Just my thoughts

 

[TheLittleLady]

Ask her if her boyfriend gets down on one knee to propose, does that mean he thinks she is God?

What about if she were invited to meet the King of the Netherlands. Would she refuse this opportunity because courtly etiquette requires bowing before the King?