The 10 Commandment questions

[ManicFaze]

Hope I’m posting this question in the right forum heading and I want everyone to know I’m not trying to start any kind of controversy by asking this but want to know how to justify the word of the Bible Vs Church doctrine.
I have always felt the 10 Commandments are the cornerstone of Christianity and Judaism, but for me one of the main inconstancies has been the interpretation of the Christian bibles and the Hebrew bible.
I have never understood how Catholics can be allowed to kneel down and pray to statues of the Saints and the Crucifixion when the 1st Commandment states, “You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself a graven image,
or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above,
or that is in the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth;
you shall not bow down to them or serve them;
for I the LORD your God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children to the third and the fourth
generation of those who hate me,
but showing steadfast love to thousands of those
who love me and keep my commandments”

.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/command.htm

The Greek Orthodox Church does not even have statues only images of the same saints that we as Catholics embrace too much as far as I’m concerned. I know that Christians believe that Jesus and G-d are one in the same so kneeling down to pray to Jesus is not that big of a taboo, but is the image of the Crucifixion not a likeness of anything that is in heaven above, and what about all the Saints? This is something that has always bothered me since I was a little kid, and now as an adult trying to decide if I should stay with the Church eats away a huge chunk of time in my studies.
I have always had a feeling that the Church has found the teaching of Jesus and the New Testament so much more important than the Old Testament which is another thing about the Church that I have never been able to understand. It’s always been so confusing to me, and whenever I have asked question to the Father about this I have either been scolded for questioning the teachings of the Church or told it’s all about having and understanding faith.
I have so many questions and I feel like the faith I grew up with dose not embrace my questions of faith, but the religion I’m ready to convert to wants and demands such questions to be asked when it comes to matters of the Bible.
I feel so confused because it seems like all I have ever been is a bad Catholic for my own personal beliefs and questions I have about the Bible, when G-d loves all his children as long as my faith in him is strong.

 

[Edward_H]

2 points.

The Catholic Church doesn’t teach anything contrary to the 10 Commandments. Now some Catholics may their own develop devotions which to outsiders may seem like worshipping statues. But if you asked such people they’d quickly and forcefully and sincerely explain that they are merely using the physical to help them pray more concretely. They aren’t worshipping. Proof? Break the statue and they may be sad for sentimental reasons but they wouldn’t claim that you broke their God.

Now…do you keep pictures around your house of family members. Do you ever show children these pictures and discuss the pictured person? Do you put these pictures in a prominent space? Do you use video Skype? Aren’t these lesser forms of representation and images…which help you communicate to the actual person?

 

[ManicFaze]

2 points.

The Catholic Church doesn’t teach anything contrary to the 10 Commandments. Now some Catholics may their own develop devotions which to outsiders may seem like worshipping statues. But if you asked such people they’d quickly and forcefully and sincerely explain that they are merely using the physical to help them pray more concretely. They aren’t worshipping. Proof? Break the statue and they may be sad for sentimental reasons but they wouldn’t claim that you broke their God.

Now…do you keep pictures around your house of family members. Do you ever show children these pictures and discuss the pictured person? Do you put these pictures in a prominent space? Do you use video Skype? Aren’t these lesser forms of representation and images…which help you communicate to the actual person?

I understand what you are saying but according to the Commandments just praying to the statues to ask them for help for a particular purpose like St. Jude being the Saint of lost causes and asking him directly for help with any problems that one may feel are hopeless rather than praying to G-d directly is not something we are suppose to do. The Romans never said that thier statues where thier gods just an image they could worship in thier own homes rather than going to that gods temple to worship them, yet in G-ds eye this would still be worshiping false idols.
The point you make with pictures is understandable, but if one has true faith in G-d then one does not need to see him to believe in him.

 

[sousley]

Here’s a good tract:

catholic.com/tracts/do-catholics-worship-statues

 

[Edward_H]

I understand what you are saying but according to the Commandments just praying to the statues to ask them for help for a particular purpose like St. Jude being the Saint of lost causes and asking him directly for help with any problems that one may feel are hopeless rather than praying to G-d directly is not something we are suppose to do.
The point you make with pictures is understandable but if one has true faith in G-d then one does not need to see him to believe in him.

They are not praying to statues. The focus of their mind is God

 

[ManicFaze]

I know allot of Hispanics who are just overly gun-ho towards The Saint Guadalupe and always praying to her and have images of her all over the place. My mom has thought that this was a strange practice as well; living in Texas is like Guadalupe is the States unofficial saint or something.
And if they are praying to G-d directly then why do the Saint Prayer cards always have the prayers directly to the Saints then?
i.e this pray to St. Jude on his prayer card:
Oh glorious apostle St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor who delivered thy beloved Master into the hands of His enemies has caused thee to be forgotten by many, but the Church honors and invokes thee universally as the patron of hopeless cases–of things despaired of. Pray for me who am so miserable; make use, I implore thee, of that particular privilege accorded thee of bringing visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need, that I may receive the consolations and succor of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly (mention your request), and that I may bless God with thee and all the elect throughout eternity. I promise thee, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, and I will never cease to honor thee as my special and powerful patron, and to do all in my power to encourage devotion to thee. Amen

 

[R_C]

Do you know about the “communion of saints”? About the difference between the adoration reserved to God (latria) and the honor offered to the saints, members of the body of Christ (dulia)? Do you know that greater honor (though infinitely less than adoration) is offered to the Blessed Virgin, “she who was to give birth”, called “hyperdulia” (hyper-greater) because she is the mother of Christ, the Messiah?

The Sacred Tradition is so vast and profound that it is worth years of study, indeed even a lifetime of study. Twenty centuries of theologians have clearly shown how the fullness of the divine revelation is present in the Catholic Church to the point that any in-depth study will prove this undeniably.

You don’t understand the consideration of the Church for the New Testament? Then you do not understand that Christ is the living Word of God, the Divine Legislator, and Him who established the New Covenant and rendered the Old Covenant obsolete, not by abolition but by fulfillment through grace. Everything in the Old Testament, even what appears extremely obvious, is understood solely through Christ and is fully renewed in Him.

Remember that Christianity is not “a different religion”: it is the next step in God’s plan of salvation, extending His nation to the gentiles and establishing a whole new covenant based on grace and rooted on the authority to forgive sins.

Also I noticed you adopted the custom of removing the “o”. For similar reasons we refer to the Lord as “Lord” or “Christ” and prefer not to pronounce without good reason His Holy Name, and we know well but try to never pronounce the ineffable name revealed in the Old Testament, and for the same reason in Holy Mass we are directed to bow to the name of Christ as well as to the Blessed Trinity (“Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”) which, by the way, is in the Scriptures and yet not fully revealed in the Old Testament - have you considered this?

 

[Skye_Ariel]

I know it may sound like God was saying statues are wrong, but that commandment means only not to **worship **statues or images, not that you could not have them. Here’s some verses where God Himself told people to make statues:

Numbers 21:8 Then the LORD told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”

Here God is not only telling him to make a statue and put it up for all to see, but a statue of a **snake **of all things!

This shows God can use statues to help/heal people.

Also God instructed Solomon to put many statues of angels in the temple.

1 Kings 6:23-36
English Standard Version (ESV)
23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. 24 Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25 The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. 28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29** Around all the walls of the house he carved engraved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms. 30 The floor of the house he overlaid with gold in the inner and outer rooms.**

31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olivewood; the lintel and the doorposts were five-sided.[a] 32 He covered the two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. He overlaid them with gold and spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

33 So also he made for the entrance to the nave doorposts of olivewood, in the form of a square, 34 and two doors of cypress wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35 On them he carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the carved work. 36 He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone and one course of cedar beams.

Also the Ark of the Covenant had statues on it.

Exodus 25:10-22
New International Version (NIV)
The Ark

10 “Have them make an ark[a] of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.** 11 Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. 16 Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you.

17 “Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18** And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. **21 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. 22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

He had them put the 10 commandments under 2 statues! So that commandment about the statues was only pertaining to making statues to worship. Having statues to symbolize Christianity is not wrong. Statues in and of themselves are not wrong, it’s worshipping them that’s wrong. Catholics do not worship statues, we pray in front of statues the way some may pray in front of the open Bible. Catholic statues only symbolize Christianity we don’t worship them as gods in and of themselves.**

 

[Skye_Ariel]

2 points.

The Catholic Church doesn’t teach anything contrary to the 10 Commandments. Now some Catholics may their own develop devotions which to outsiders may seem like worshipping statues. But if you asked such people they’d quickly and forcefully and sincerely explain that they are merely using the physical to help them pray more concretely. They aren’t worshipping. Proof? Break the statue and they may be sad for sentimental reasons but they wouldn’t claim that you broke their God.

Now…do you keep pictures around your house of family members. Do you ever show children these pictures and discuss the pictured person? Do you put these pictures in a prominent space? Do you use video Skype? Aren’t these lesser forms of representation and images…which help you communicate to the actual person?

That’s true, any kind of picture is technically a graven image. Emoticons in this post are graven images. LOL! Movies on DVD’s are graven images, if you have anything in your house that has a picture of something, that’s a graven image. As long as those things are not worshipped then they are fine. The Amish misunderstand that verse and that’s why they have no pictures or photographs of **anything **in their homes. Unless someone lives like the Amish, everyone has graven images in their home.

 

[ManicFaze]

I know it may sound like God was saying statues are wrong, but that commandment means only not to **worship **statues or images, not that you could not have them. Here’s some verses where God Himself told people to make statues:

Numbers 21:8 Then the LORD told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”

Here God is not only telling him to make a statue and put it up for all to see, but a statue of a **snake **of all things!

This shows God can use statues to help/heal people.

Also God instructed Solomon to put many statues of angels in the temple.

1 Kings 6:23-36
English Standard Version (ESV)
23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. 24 Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25 The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. 28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29** Around all the walls of the house he carved engraved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms. 30 The floor of the house he overlaid with gold in the inner and outer rooms.**

31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olivewood; the lintel and the doorposts were five-sided.[a] 32 He covered the two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. He overlaid them with gold and spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

33 So also he made for the entrance to the nave doorposts of olivewood, in the form of a square, 34 and two doors of cypress wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35 On them he carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the carved work. 36 He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone and one course of cedar beams.

Also the Ark of the Covenant had statues on it.

Exodus 25:10-22
New International Version (NIV)
The Ark

10 “Have them make an ark[a] of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.** 11 Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. 16 Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you.**

17 “Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18** And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. **21 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. 22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

He had them put the 10 commandments under 2 statues! So that commandment about the statues was only pertaining to making statues to worship. Having statues to symbolize Christianity is not wrong. Statues in and of themselves are not wrong, it’s worshipping them that’s wrong. Catholics do not worship statues, we pray in front of statues the way some may pray in front of the open Bible. Catholic statues only symbolize Christianity we don’t worship them as gods in and of themselves.

But they are not praying to these cherubs in temple like Catholics pray to the statues of the Saints, so to me there is a HUGE diffrence in how Catholics pray to Saints, and where in the bible does it say we are to direct any amount of faith into the Saints of the chruch? As far as I know Catholics are the only ones who put so much merit into the Saints.
Skye_Ariel;10175099:

That’s true, any kind of picture is technically a graven image. Emoticons in this post are graven images. LOL! Movies on DVD’s are graven images, if you have anything in your house that has a picture of something, that’s a graven image. As long as those things are not worshipped then they are fine. The Amish misunderstand that verse and that’s why they have no pictures or photographs of **anything **

in their homes. Unless someone lives like the Amish, everyone has graven images in their home.

But it’s graven images that are worshiped, or prayed to. I’m not going around praying to my DVD’s or pictures I have on the wall.

 

[carlos19]

None worships saints period. Please re read the prayer to st. Jude. They are asking for his prayers to God.

Catholic worship just like jewish worship only takes place within the content of a sacrifice. That doesn’t happen with mary nor the saints.

Study the communion of saints and what that means. Someone already mentioned this to you. Don’t ignore it.

 

[carlos19]

Can you show me in the Bible where it says that the 10 commandments are the birthstone of christianity…i am curious

 

[George_Stegmeir]

But they are not praying to these cherubs in temple like Catholics pray to the statues of the Saints, so to me there is a HUGE diffrence in how Catholics pray to Saints, and where in the bible does it say we are to direct any amount of faith into the Saints of the chruch? As far as I know Catholics are the only ones who put so much merit into the Saints.

But it’s graven images that are worshiped, or prayed to. I’m not going around praying to my DVD’s or pictures I have on the wall.

I don’t know how old you are, or how you were catachised as a Catholic, and I fully understand that you want to debate your religious thinking on this site, but, I do believe that you need some formal instruction in our faith. If you are indeed serious about learning the sum and substance of Catholicism before you “convert” to another religion, you should go to any Catholic Parish office and make an appointment to see a priest and present your arguments to him. In all probability he will not only answer your questions, but will also recommend that you attend The Parishes religious instruction classes for potential converts. As a review if for nothing else.
If you can find a nearby Jesuit or Dominican parish or a school or institution run by either of these religious orders, that’s where to go.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

But they are not praying to these cherubs in temple like Catholics pray to the statues of the Saints, so to me there is a HUGE diffrence in how Catholics pray to Saints, and where in the bible does it say we are to direct any amount of faith into the Saints of the chruch? As far as I know Catholics are the only ones who put so much merit into the Saints.

But it’s graven images that are worshiped, or prayed to. I’m not going around praying to my DVD’s or pictures I have on the wall.

There’s a difference between praying to, and praying in front of. Have you ever prayed in front of your open Bible? Were you praying to the Bible or praying **to God **in front of the Bible? Have you ever prayed in church? Were you praying to the church or praying to God in the church? It may look to you like people are praying to statues but God sees the heart, people do not pray or worship statues, people meditate on God and lives of the saints and pray **to God **in front of symbols of Christianity.

 

[R_C]

But they are not praying to these cherubs in temple like Catholics pray to the statues of the Saints, so to me there is a HUGE diffrence in how Catholics pray to Saints, and where in the bible does it say we are to direct any amount of faith into the Saints of the chruch? As far as I know Catholics are the only ones who put so much merit into the Saints.

But it’s graven images that are worshiped, or prayed to. I’m not going around praying to my DVD’s or pictures I have on the wall.

Look, if you decided to impugn the revealed truth, that is honestly your problem. If you seek for the truth, we can all give a small contribution, but if you simply seek to speak against centuries of Sacred Tradition that is fully scriptural and very pleasing to God, then you’re in the wrong place.

To begin with, do read the Scriptures and what Holy Church teaches about the cult of veneration offered to the members of the Body of Christ known as the Church Triumphant. And yes, we put lots of merit into the saints because we have solid evidence for their intercession before God. We know what we do, and we know that God is well-pleased and desires to receive the worship in the manner that Holy Church offers it.

And graven images are not worshiped or prayed to - to claim this would be heresy.

From the Concilium Tridentinum:

The holy Synod enjoins on all bishops, and others who sustain the office and charge of teaching, that, agreeably to the usage of the Catholic and Apostolic Church, received from the primitive times of the Christian religion, and agreeably to the consent of the holy Fathers, and to the decrees of sacred Councils, they especially instruct the faithful diligently concerning

• the intercession and invocation of saints;
• the honour (paid) to relics;
• and the legitimate use of images: teaching them, that the saints, who reign together with Christ, offer up their own prayers to God for men;
• that it is good and useful suppliantly to invoke them, and to have recourse to their prayers, aid, (and) help for obtaining benefits from God, through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is our alone Redeemer and Saviour;

But that they think impiously,

• who deny that the saints, who enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, are to be invocated;
• or who assert either that they do not pray for men;
• or, that the invocation of them to pray for each of us even in particular, is idolatry;
• or, that it is repugnant to the word of God; and is opposed to the honour of the one mediator of God and men, Christ Jesus;
• or, that it is foolish to supplicate, vocally, or mentally, those who reign in heaven.

Also, that the holy bodies of holy martyrs, and of others now living with Christ,-which bodies were the living members of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Ghost, and which are by Him to be raised unto eternal life, and to be glorified,–are to be venerated by the faithful; through which (bodies) many benefits are bestowed by God on men;

so that they who affirm that veneration and honour are not due to the relics of saints; or, that these, and other sacred monuments, are uselessly honoured by the faithful; and that the places dedicated to the memories of the saints are in vain visited with the view of obtaining their aid; are wholly to be condemned, as the Church has already long since condemned, and now also condemns them.

Moreover, that the images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the other saints, are to be had and retained particularly in temples, and that due honour and veneration are to be given them;

not that any divinity, or virtue, is believed to be in them, on account of which they are to be worshipped; or that anything is to be asked of them; or, that trust is to be reposed in images, as was of old done by the Gentiles who placed their hope in idols; but because the honour which is shown them is referred to the prototypes which those images represent; in such wise that by the images which we kiss, and before which we uncover the head, and prostrate ourselves, we adore Christ; and we venerate the saints, whose similitude they bear: as, by the decrees of Councils, and especially of the second Synod of Nicaea, has been defined against the opponents of images.

But if any one shall teach, or entertain sentiments, contrary to these decrees; let him be anathema.

 

[JRKH]

Hope I’m posting this question in the right forum heading and I want everyone to know I’m not trying to start any kind of controversy by asking this but want to know how to justify the word of the Bible Vs Church doctrine.

Welcome ManicFaze…I’m coming late to this thread so please bear with me if I repeat some things. I have only skimmed through the answers so far.
You ask above how to justify Church doctrine in light of the Bible. This is a wonderful question and an important one. The first thing that must be done is to recognize what the bible is, how it came to exist in it’s current form and how it relates to the Sacred deposit of Faith that we have in the Catholic Church. I believe that exploring this will help you to place these various questions and concerns into a proper context.
As an example, for the Christian, the OT needs always be read within the context of the NT. That is in light of the fulfillment that is Jesus Christ. Jesus in His teaching reduced All of the 600 + laws and all of the prophets to just two commands. In Mt 22:36-40 we find this:
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sad’ducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”
Note in this that he names the first commandment as the greatest…but in quoting it He leaves out all of the follow-up details about images, bowing and so forth. Instead, He places the emphasis on a single principle that needs to permeate our relations with God and with neighbor. The principle of Love. Love God above all else and with everything you have - your whole being - no mention of such legalistic matters as statues and such…Then - we show our Love for God through our Love for each other.

Now - as others have pointed out - the Church will and does fully support your concern that IF a person put too much emphasis on something that is not God that is a bad thing and violates the first commandment. BUT - it violates the first commandment, not because of some statue or other…but because of where a person has placed their heart - their treasure.
On the other hand, if a statue, or a given saint’s life and example offers aid to a person in loving God better, concentrating more fully in prayer, and growing their Love for God, the Church recognizes in this something good and something which does not violate the first commandment.
The Church does this based on this underlying principle of Love rather than some external principle of whether one should or should not make a statue or pray in front of it.

Finally - I would like to point out that nowhere in Catholic Church teaching are we required to pray to any saint, have any statues in our homes etc. These things are a matter of private devotion. The only place that these things are invoked as a community are in the mass where we invoke Our Lady and the Saints to pray with us and be with us during the Holy Sacrifice before God’s Altar and it is required that every Church have a Crucifix to remind us of the great sacrifice that restored us to the friendship of God.
But - as far as things like praying to St Jude or another saint…that is purely a matter of personal choice.

I hope that this helps a bit on your commandment question…

I have always had a feeling that the Church has found the teaching of Jesus and the New Testament so much more important than the Old Testament which is another thing about the Church that I have never been able to understand. It’s always been so confusing to me, and whenever I have asked question to the Father about this I have either been scolded for questioning the teachings of the Church or told it’s all about having and understanding faith.
I have so many questions and I feel like the faith I grew up with dose not embrace my questions of faith, but the religion I’m ready to convert to wants and demands such questions to be asked when it comes to matters of the Bible.
I feel so confused because it seems like all I have ever been is a bad Catholic for my own personal beliefs and questions I have about the Bible, when G-d loves all his children as long as my faith in him is strong.

You have not been a bad Catholic - and I am most glad that you have come here to ask these questions. Please continue to do so.
The Church DOES put great emphasis on the teachings of Christ in the the NT for one simple reason. Jesus is the Messiah - the Christ - our King and our Savior. His coming - death - resurrection and ascension are the fulfillment of the OT promises.
This is why we are called Christians.

I know that we have only scratched the surface of your questions here and I hope that as we move forward into 2013 that we can continue to explore these things together.

Something that you might find interesting is a program on EWTN called “The Journey Home” which features people who have come to the Church from many different backgrounds - including Judaism. HERE is a YouTube link to some of the episodes. About 2/3 down the page is a person who converted from Judaism named Brian Robbins.

Hope some of this helps.

Peace
James