L
Louise71
Guest
Please could someone tell me why there are statues in Catholic churches when the Bible says not to make graven images? Many thanks, Louise
- Status
R
Randy_Carson
Guest
People who oppose religious statuary forget about the many passages where the Lord commands the making of statues. For example: “And you shall make two cherubim of gold *; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end; of one piece of the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be” (Ex. 25:18–20).
David gave Solomon the plan “for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. All this he made clear by the writing of the hand of the Lord concerning it all, all the work to be done according to the plan” (1 Chr. 28:18–19). David’s plan for the temple, which the biblical author tells us was “by the writing of the hand of the Lord concerning it all,” included statues of angels.
Similarly Ezekiel 41:17–18 describes graven (carved) images in the idealized temple he was shown in a vision, for he writes, “On the walls round about in the inner room and [on] the nave were carved likenesses of cherubim.”
The Religious Uses of Images
During a plague of serpents sent to punish the Israelites during the exodus, God told Moses to “make [a statue of] a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it shall live. So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live” (Num. 21:8–9).
One had to look at the bronze statue of the serpent to be healed, which shows that statues could be used ritually, not merely as religious decorations.
Catholics use statues, paintings, and other artistic devices to recall the person or thing depicted. Just as it helps to remember one’s mother by looking at her photograph, so it helps to recall the example of the saints by looking at pictures of them. Catholics also use statues as teaching tools. In the early Church they were especially useful for the instruction of the illiterate. Many Protestants have pictures of Jesus and other Bible pictures in Sunday school for teaching children. Catholics also use statues to commemorate certain people and events, much as Protestant churches have three-dimensional nativity scenes at Christmas.
If one measured Protestants by the same rule, then by using these “graven” images, they would be practicing the “idolatry” of which they accuse Catholics. But there’s no idolatry going on in these situations. God forbids the* worship* of images as gods, but he doesn’t ban the making of images. If he had, religious movies, videos, photographs, paintings, and all similar things would be banned. But, as the case of the bronze serpent shows, God does not even forbid the ritual use of religious images.
It is when people begin to adore a statue as a god that the Lord becomes angry. Thus when people did start to worship the bronze serpent as a snake-god (whom they named “Nehushtan”), the righteous king Hezekiah had it destroyed (2 Kgs. 18:4).*
N
NotWorthy
Guest
Does God tell Moses to make a graven image in Numbers, to save the Israelites from the serpents? Isn’t Moses instructed to place graven images above the Arc of the Covenant? Isn’t Solomon instructed to place graven images in the Temple?
I think you are limiting God’s words when you say simply “Don’t make graven images”. It’s more like “Don’t make graven images and worship them”.
If Catholics are found worshiping the statues that are found in the Churches, than that is a wrong… very wrong. But if Catholics are drawn closer to God through their interactions with these statues (asking the saints to pray for them, studying the saints and how they led holy lives, etc.), then that is a good thing.
One must remember that, in the life of the Church, not everyone could read. It was through statues and painting that many of the populace were able to learn more about the Bible, as the images conveyed in them told the story of Salvation History.
S
scimitar60
Guest
I sense a troll
G
GRATEFULONEjim
Guest
I just said the same thing to my wife
P
PattiDay
Guest
Statues are holy reminders of the saints. We do not worship or adore the saints, we venerate them (that is we honor and appreciate them for their holiness). We do not pray to statues. We pray to the Saints that they, whom we know are in heaven, will guide us to live holy lives like them so that we may be spend eternal life with God, Our Father, in heaven.
Do you have pictures of the ones you love? Do you look at them sometimes and smile? That’s how Catholics feel when they look at statues. We know they are only plaster images, but they remind us that even we, poor sinners that we are, have the chance to become holy saints.
Nice toe dip into the world of CAF. Hope you come back. God bless.
L
Little_One0307
Guest
Louise,
Same reason you keep photos of your kids or loved ones in your wallet. Statues or pictures of the saints remind Catholics of the saints and God. I love the Catholic Church. Visible reminders of God through the day.
The Saints and Mary many things, but the one thing that they do quite well and which surpasses all the things that they have done is that their lives point and testify to God.
Little One0307
Same reason you keep photos of your kids or loved ones in your wallet. Statues or pictures of the saints remind Catholics of the saints and God. I love the Catholic Church. Visible reminders of God through the day.
The Saints and Mary many things, but the one thing that they do quite well and which surpasses all the things that they have done is that their lives point and testify to God.
Little One0307
D
DJK100
Guest
Hi Guys,
I know the question Louise has asked has been answered a thousand times, and maybe she is trolling, but we can still be charitable in our answers.
I know the question Louise has asked has been answered a thousand times, and maybe she is trolling, but we can still be charitable in our answers.
C
Cat_Herder
Guest
Here is a complete explainer on the Saints and another explanation of Protestant FAQs including statues.
S
Sailor_Kenshin
Guest
F
Fidelis
Guest
I don’t see any animosity in the OP’s post at this point. She only asked about two hours ago, asked very politely-- and got jumped on two minutes later!
Only an amateur apologist automatically imputes ill-will to all those who question the Catholic Faith. Some simply are asking because they are curious or misinformed.
It may well turn out, based on subsequent posts, that this poster is a troll, but let’s give people a chance until they prove themselves unworthy.
Only an amateur apologist automatically imputes ill-will to all those who question the Catholic Faith. Some simply are asking because they are curious or misinformed.
It may well turn out, based on subsequent posts, that this poster is a troll, but let’s give people a chance until they prove themselves unworthy.
E
EricFilmer
Guest
Greetings Louise,
In the history of Judeo-Christianity, the first church was the tabernacle the Hebrews used in the wilderness (as described in the Book of Exodus). The tabernacle contained the Ark of the Covenant which, according to God’s specific instructions, was adorned with the graven images of two angels. It is worth noting that these images were created after God gave the Hebrews the Ten Commandments. Others have already pointed this out in this thread, but I just wanted to emphasize that the presence of the ark in the tabernacle shows that graven images were in churches since the beginning of the very concept of a church in Judeo-Christianity.
Moreover (as others have also pointed out) according to the Bible the temple later constructed by Solomon had many graven images of angels of heaven and things of the earth (such as oxen, the sea, flowers, palm trees). So the condition set down in the Ten Commandments is to not worship graven images, but simply having them in churches as a reminder of aspects of our spirituality is not problematic.
Moreover, I think it is worth pointing out that any person or church that has a nativity set has statues of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and probably an angel as well.
T
timorg
Guest
I don’t really mind the statues. I wonder, though, where prayer to saints come to mind? This has been a question resounding in my mind since I have learned that Catholics pray to Saints.
L
LOCO
Guest
Hello Timorg,
This question is the most common one I get from my Protestant friends.
We do ask Mary and other Saints to ‘pray for us’. It’s just the same as asking others to pray for you.
We believe the Saints led exemplary holy lives and are already in heaven in the presence of God. Just like Moses and Elijah who appeared in ‘flesh and blood’ before some of the disciples and talked with Jesus. Therefore, because they are already in the presence of God, their prayers are more efficacious then ‘sinners’ prayers here on earth.
The original word ‘pray’ had two meanings.
- To ‘ask for’ or request (e.g. in olde English “I pray to thee Your Majesty to grant me this request” etc) of course, they weren’t praying i.e. worshipping the King, they were asking for something.
- To ‘worship’ (praising the Lord etc)
The more people praying for you the better but if you have Saints who are ‘cleansed’ and sin no more, petitioning God directly on your behalf then their prayers are more effective than sinners on earth whose prayers may be hindered by unconfessed sins or selfish concerns.
You don’t have to ask the Saints, it is not a requirement of the Catholic faith, you can and most do pray directly to God (in the second sense) of the meaning.
I think some Protestants get ‘upset’ or ‘misunderstand’ this particular practice because for them ‘praying’ and singing is their ultimate form of 'worshipping God’.
Whereas for Catholics the Mass and keeping the Sacraments is the ultimate form of 'worshipping God’.
Prayer for Catholics connects us to God and the Saints in heaven. I see it as my daily conversation with God.
cheers
P
pablope
Guest
I think it is James where it is stated “that the prayers of a righteous man availeth much”…so those in heaven, when we ask them to pray for us, to send our prayers, pleas with their help to God.
From Job 42: 7And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
8Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.
10And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
L
LOCO
Guest
Hello Louise and welcome,
I see some of my fellow Catholics are weary of answering this question.
Deuteronomy 5:8 “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
Firstly, in order for ‘idolatry’ to exist you would have to think of the statue, tree or thing itself as a God with divine powers. The CC does not teach this and I don’t know anyone who thinks this.
Secondly, lets look at the Commandment and apply it.
Would you say a photo of your parents/children or friends is an ‘idol’?
It is the ‘form/image of something on earth’.
What about a photo or a movie of fish/dolphin swimming?
It is also a ‘form/image of something in the waters below’.
What about the statues of war heroes or Abraham Lincoln?
The answer would be a resounding No.
The photo/movie/statue serves a purpose. It reminds us of our loved ones, precious memories of times spent together, our trip to the Maritime Museum, it reminds us that some things are worth dying for or that this person was the father of the nation.
The only way it would be ‘idolatry’ is if you believed in your heart that that person, statue, animal or plant possesses ‘divine powers’.
**Thirdly, ** At the time of early Christians, paper and ink was very expensive. This is before the printing press was invented. The Bible as we know it did not exist for hundreds of years after Jesus ressurrection. The Apostles had Sacred Tradition (passed to them from Jesus) e.g. bread and wine, they had their own eyewitness accounts and the OT Scriptures to teach from.
As they spread to other parts of the globe, they encountered illiterate masses. Statues became a popular way of assisting in making the Bible stories come alive. Just as photos/home movies etc. bring memories alive.
God did not mind statues as long as they serve the purpose of worshipping the Living God not an inanimate object.
C
creole54
Guest
I’m not sure what the Church’s official response to praying to statues is, but the way I see it is it’s the same as asking a friend to pray for you in time of need. Most people have no problem asking their loved ones, church members, etc. to pray for them when they need prayer, and it doesn’t constitute ‘worshiping’ our friends and loved ones. I consider the saints to be my friends in heaven and have no problem asking for their intercession. I don’t worship or adore any saint - I only worship & adore my Lord - but I do feel that their prayers on my behalf are powerful.
E
ESMDHokie77
Guest
We pray to the people that the statues represent.
Statues… an elementary point for CAF posters to explain!
Peace,
Phil
N
NotWorthy
Guest
Although “pray to statues” is technically correct, its taken on a misconception among our Christian brothers. In many circles, “pray to” equals “worship”. So, a second elementary point for CAF posters to explain is that praying does not always equal worship.We pray to the people that the statues represent.
Statues… an elementary point for CAF posters to explain!
Peace,
Phil
L
Little_One0307
Guest
Hi,
How in the world is “praying to statues” technically correct if I may be so bold as to question this? Nowhere in Church teaching, the CCC, Church Tradition, nor the Magesterium of the Catholic Church says that praying to statues is correct. Where did you get this?
Thanks.
Little One0307
- Status