Idolatry In Brazil?

[deb1]

I suppose the John Knox in me is shocked and repulsed by the attachment to the statue itself and it’s “crowning”.
WP

I understand your concern. But try and take some things into consideration. You can’t accidentally worship something. that is impossible. If those people were worshiping the statue, why wouldn’t they acknowledge doing so? If we thought the statue had power, wouldn’t we admit it?

Although some American Christians try to deny it, we do need symbols. That is why the American Flag being burnt is so atrocious. It isn’t because we think that the flag is actually America or has feelings but it represents the ideals that our country stands upon.

If you ever enter a military base during the evening, you will hear the National Anthem being played. You will be required to stop your car or if you are walking to stop. Most people place their hands over thier hearts.

If a place of cloth can be accepted as a symbol that deserves outward displays of honor, how much more a representation of the Mother of God or Jesus himself.

Can you imagine a alien from outerspace saying, “Mmmm… They show that red, white and blue piece of cloth a lot of honor. They have a ceremony when they lower it, they fold it a certain way and they play music. Wow! They worship the flag. It is their God!”

 

[valient_Lucy]

Do kids worship Frosty the Snowman because they put a scarf, hat, carrot nose and buttons on him?

I did.

 

[valient_Lucy]

When you think of Jesus and visualize Him, would you think of Him as a Can Opener or a man?

Oh, definitely a can opener.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Catholics,
Please comment on this story
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_Who_Appeared
Apparently someone found a broken statue in a river, caught a few fish and now it is a “queen” and is worshipped as a god.
Reeks of idolatry to me.
Explain.
WP

“As a god” is your interpretation of the devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida - it is not the purpose of this devotion; one which, AFAICS, is perfectly agreeable to the Gospel.​

Veneration for the Mother of God is not idolatry - use of images to recall to mind & to honour their prototype is not idolatry: of themselves, images are nothing. The object of veneration is the Mother of God; the statue is an aid to this, nothing more.

Idolatry is of course absolutely & utterly forbidden, & is a terrible sin, primarily against God, yet also against ourselves; for by idolatry we reduce ourselves to a state lower than that of the beasts; it is a profoundly dehumanising sin, as all sins are. The Mother of God is far better than any representation of her ever could be - & the God Who created both her & us & all things visible & invisible is infinite in splendour & glory, so that no creature whatever is fit to be compared with Him.

Photographs, the media, verbal descriptions (there are many of these last in the Bible), money, postcards, other cards, all represent things - as much so as three-dimensional statues do. Money can become an idol - yet it is not abolished even so. A post-card of the White House is as much an image & a representation as a statue of a saint; as is the US flag. To this outsider, some of the respect for it looks remarkably like religious veneration. Apparent “Old Glory”, made out of bunting, is tolerable in churches; but images representing the far more excellent Mother of God, are not

 

[Contarini]

I suppose the John Knox in me is shocked and repulsed by the attachment to the statue itself and it’s “crowning”.
WP

Kill the John Knox in you before it kills you, as it killed Scotland!

Go to St. Andrews sometime, stand in the ruins of the Cathedral, and weep.

Edwin

 

[LilyM]

Oh, definitely a can opener.

Yeah but he’d have to be a really really fancy one

 

[Catolico]

Virgin Mary is NOT Patron Saint of Brazil, this statue itself is!

Oh really! How about reading again the first sentence of the article on your OP. You know where it clearly says

Our Lady of Aparecida (also written as Our Lady Aparecida) is the patron saint of Brazil, represented by a statue of the Virgin Mary

Key word: REPRESENTED

Guess you missed it

 

[6glargento]

I suppose the John Knox in me is shocked and repulsed by the attachment to the statue itself and it’s “crowning”.
WP

the catholic church ahs always “crowned” statues of mary,esspecially in the month of may, its called maycrowning and it happens all over the world as well, this is nothing new.

 

[SPH1]

Virgin Mary is NOT Patron Saint of Brazil, this statue itself is!
A statue is a saint? Humbug! I say put a stake thru it’s heart and be done with it.
WP

Judging from your “political site”, I expect your attitude.

However, no doubt you’d place a crown (or something) on a statue of Jefferson?