Question about images.

[Detroit_Sue]

petra:

Homer, Protestant churchs often place a manger scene on the church lawn during Christmas. Here, a figurine is used to represent the baby Jesus, as well as Mary and Joseph. Is this a graven image? It is not. It serves the same purpose as the more permanent statues in the Catholic Church.

And, what about placement of a cross in Protestant churches?

 

[BloodBought]

Good Grief! This person just asked a question! Does everyone always have to be so mean-spirited?

 

[juno24]

BloodBought, please note that this thread has had no activity in 5 years.

 

[hamba2han]

“I will bow down toward your holy temple…” (Psalm 138:2).

What was in the Temple?

“In the inner sanctuary…two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. . .” (1 Kings 6:23).

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Muslims do not require the presence of any graven images whatsoever inside of it in order to bow down towards a holy temple.

And neither did Prophet David (pbuh) require any graven images as well in order for him to properly worship his Lord as can be seen in Psalm 138:2.

 

[kalt]

I want to thank you all for your answers. What i want to say first is please do not compare the act of making images for saints and God with the statue of liberty. The statue of liberty like other things mentioned are not related to my question that is about the making of images for Jesus and the saints.

In fact a lot of people do worship images when they sit in front of them and they touch them hoping they will be blessed, it’s a fact!

You said that man needs images to remind him of Jesus… but this is not an excuse, when someone surrender his life to Jesus he will feel his presence all the time and he will not need the help of a stone or a picture to remind him of God. We are blessed because we didn’t see and yet we believe. That’s the point, believing without the need to see or touch a “stone”. God is everywhere and the weak needs those stuff.

Another point is about the fact that God forbided the making of images when man didn’t know who God is, but the first verse clearly shows that also images for anything in heaven is forbidden. And the 9th verse also clearly states that we should worship in soul and the Holy Bible doesn’t mention anything about the use of images.

Ok another thing is that the word graven is not the main point here but the main point is the fact that we should not shift from the worship of God the soul to the worship of stones and images.

The last point is not quite related to the question but i must comment on something. I noticed that a lot of people say that Jesus founded the catholic church and say that it is the only true church because Jesus said that he will always be with us and never leave us. Well can you really believe that Jesus Son of God would really differentiate between Catholic and non catholic. The Church is the group of believers that follow the word of God that is present in the Holy Bible and not an authority given by a human being. So if i am rejected by the catholic church then what? Every authority given by a human being is false.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5: 21)
Isn’t this clear enough ??

Thank you.

What do you think of the angels on the ark of the covenant?

 

[racing59]

I want to ask a question and i would like to get a good answer since i am very confused. How the Catholic Church allows the creation of pictures and stones of saints since it is not allowed by God as it shows in the Holy Bible? I don’t want to start a debate, i just want an explanation since the Word is so clear in the Holy Bible and since a lot of miracles approved by the Catholic Church are done threw images. Here are some of the Words from the Holy Bible:

1- Thou shalt not make unto 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 water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to 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. (Exodus 20: 4, 5)

2- Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female. (Deuteronomy 4: 16)

3- I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. (Isaiah 42: 8)

4- They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. (Isaiah 44: 9)

5- Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 26: 1)

6- Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. (Deuteronomy 4: 23)

7- Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. (Deuteronomy 27: 15)

8- Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5: 21)

9- God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

Answers such as God is forbbing the making of images of other gods that do not exist will not be accepted and will not be reasonalbe since the first verse clearly tells us that we should not make any graven image of any thing that is in HEAVEN ABOVE or that is in the earth beneath. Also the 9th verse clarify this point.
I hope that someone can answer my question.
Thank you.

Didn’t the Ark of the Covenant have image of two Cheribum on it? The Holy of Holies also had two Cheribum.The Israelite bowed in prayer befor the Ark of the Covenant. They were praying to God,but there was still images in the Tabernacle and outside. I don’t think images are a problem, it is how some one preseves them, wouldn’t you think?