Thoughts fellow Catholics?
The OP is twisting things in the title for a bit of a shock factor, my statement didn’t say thank the statue it said what it said. The Missal and I am going off of memory stated after recieving absolution and completing your penance if you can go to a stature of Jesus, kneel before Him and thank Him for His foregiveness. That’s what it said I would bet my life on it. And I did do that and I felt absurd and ridiculous.
Do you really think people confuse the statue with Our Lord and Savior? Do you honestly think if you asked them, they would not know the difference between the statue and God?
Already seems you are doing just that.
Doesn’t matter what I think, why have the statue there in the first place? With billions of people in the world and billions throughout history do I believe people have crossed the line into idolatry with Catholic statuary or scapulars, or medals, or murals? Of course I do, anyway the 2nd commandment doesn’t require us to evaluate someones heart, we can see isolatry with our senses. God ordered the destruction of numerous cities without having the Israelites judge their hearts. The 2nd Commandment forbids us to make the graven images, bow down to them, and worship them. Three seperate things all of which are wrong, Catholics break two of them and the third is debatable, when I see people crowning a graven image with a crown of gold then parading it around, or an old woman talking with a statue or crying before it, it’s tough for me to rationalize that not being idolatry based on the Biblical definition. Jews the folks who wrote the book would certainly call it idolatry and so would Muslims. So we have the only two monotheistic religions in the world believing it to be idolatry, coincidence? I don’t think so.
Both of which are false religions! Monotheistic or otherwise.
What I saw as rampant idolatry being promoted by the Church is hardly a small issue.
I left for many reasons, most doctrinal, some having to do with the terrible behavior of Priests and Bishops, some had to do with the coldness of Catholic Parish life. They are all my own and it wasn’t a rash decision, it’s one that took years to make.
According to you billions of Muslims and Jews would disagree…
God commanded the creation of the Cherubim for the Temple and Holy seat as an exception, the people were not around these images in their regular prayers daily, they were not seen by the public at large. Not to mention God is not bound by His commandments, we are.
Not really sure to be honest the jury is still out, but I know one that doesn’t promote creating graven images, bowing before them, praying before them, venerating them, talking to them or weeping before them. Definitely not one that crowns statues and parades them around the streets.
That is the Missal in question like I said the OP twisted things for a bit of a shock factor if you read the topic not just the OP’s title you will understand.What’s a picture of a prayer book got to do with this?
I’m curious how you know what people are thinking or doing when they bow down before a statue and begin to pray?
Maybe not, but I assume you have offered burnt offerings, prayed before, bowed down before and venerated graven images correct? IMO that is sufficient for breaking the 2nd Commandment.
Which is actually irrelevant to what we Catholics believe.
Where is that specifically said in scripture? I don’t see that “exception” stated anywhere in my Bible.
Odd that I know not a single faithful Catholic that does this. Not even one.
It’s seven days long? Or do you mean “weak” as in not strong? If so, you need to do some more research. A-Cs spout this rubbish all the time, and I find it weak. That’s why I wrote the blog article I linked above.AND A PLEDGE OF PEACE."
Maybe because I actually know them and talk to them and share my faith with them, which means I don’t have to make any assumptions about what they believe and do.
you have offered burnt offerings, prayed before, bowed down before and venerated graven images correct? IMO that is sufficient for breaking the 2nd Commandment.Assume anything that you please, but again you’d be dead wrong and that makes you look all the more silly. I know precisely who I am talking to when I pray before any image and I have no problems at all with using those images to help me focus on them.
Of COURSE it matters what you think. If you were convinced that people could tell the difference between a statue and God I doubt you’d ask the question.
Well if you’re going to judge a thing based on billions of people and billions throughout history, I’m sure I could make a strong case against the bible based on bad or mistaken behavior towards it as well. But I seriously doubt you’d find much merit in that argument. Perhaps you want to find idolatry with regard statues, but you don’t want to find it with regard to the bible.
That they would - and we in turn as Catholics - 1Billion strong - would expect that, while disagreeing.
It isn’t just giving a graven image the worship due God, read the commandment, it is against making them, bowing to them, and worshipping them. All three don’t have to be met in order for it to be wrong.
Comparing the Bible to graven images and venerating them talk about spin…
Do you know what a sign is?