What do you tell someone who accuses you of worshipping statues?

[CaptFun]

Someone told me the other day that Catholics are idolaters because we kneel in front of statues to pray, which means we are worshipping the statue.

I told him that meant kneeling by your bed to pray is worshipping your bed, and praying at the table before meals must be worshipping your food. That actually helped him understand that you aren’t always praying to whatever is in front of you, and I used the opportunity to tell him that we worship God, but we simply ask saints to worship God on our behalf.

Of course this individual was not converted, but I honestly think he has more understanding of our faith than before. I always find it useful to use humor to get people to see your side of an issue. I just thought I’d like to share that, and see what others have experienced in issues like this.

Well done Kevin.

I have answered at different times.

“That WOULD be wrong as my Church teaches if I was actually doing it. But visual aids are allowed to be used to spread the gospel, and in fact, to deaf people or people who cannot read, artwork or images that cause God to be worshipped can benefit them greatly”.

MUSIC as we know can be dedicated to evil … but IT is allowed in worship when it is devout … as the book of Psalms shows. Artisans as well as musicians can bring their gifts into God’s house and honor Him without their gift being the thing worshipped instead.

And there are scriptures which do involve artwork to be involved with worship directly - some of it commanded by God to be made - and that of course would never be idol worship."

In my own life, I went to a Catholic Church for mass with my parents at age four or five.
I had many questions, but even the grown ups were being quiet so I followed their lead.

When mass was over, people began to talk a bit. I excitedly asked " … who is that?" pointing to a beautiful stained glass window with sunlight gloriously illuminating it.

“That’s St. Patrick!” “What did he do?” “He taught people about Jesus, Our Lord …”

I was quickly taught a few things about why we went to Church, where Mom and Dad went at Communion time, the importance of Sunday and many other things. The crucifix
taught me about the most important moment in human history.

So … having enjoyed the "fruit of the good tree … " of consecrated artwork, I have never
really even considered that “idol worship” of the window or the crucifix INSTEAD of God was ever being done by anyone in my church.

It CAN happen I suppose. Somebody might even sin more slightly by being superstitious
in some way … like believing a crucifix is “lucky” or something apart from the article’s purpose of being consecrated for the worship of God. AND the Church teaches against that. But artwork is allowed. And CAN be inspired and holy. And has enriched our worship too.

Oftentimes this is made in a dismissive way. The Catholic Church is a bit more difficult to belong to than one that (say) just hangs Jesus’ name on a shingle and has a “you can’t go wrong because you are saved …” sort of theology. If one is NOT Catholic (I am) I imagine that one wonders about the Catholic Church … this big, worldwide, unified, Christ preaching, historically linked by apostolic succession back to Peter and Jesus, Church that - some “Christians” are yet not born into.

For His own purposes we can see that God (who invites everyone to be saved) creates people who are born into families of Protestants, Orthodox, other “Christian denominations,” non-Christians, non-believers etc. And yet all are invited to know, love and serve Him. The Church from the beginning was sent to “teach all nations.”

A non-Catholic may view Catholics and the Church as an ally against evil and be happy that those of “another culture” are also proclaiming Christ … or they might be taught that the reason their Church is NOT in Communion with the Catholic Church is … (fill in the blank).

Sometimes that blank is “idolotry”. And Iconoclasm is then seen as a good.
I was taught Catholicism and NOT anti-Protestantism at all. Except that I was taught that
MY Church was the Catholic Church and I was to belong to it. That there was a commandment about Sunday worship and (at the time … maybe third grade in the late 1950’s) we were taught to respectfully decline if asked to worship in another church.

I remember being taught that we had to “Witness for Christ” and “Defend our Faith” but as a child, I didn’t know what that meant really. There were no Roman Soldiers coming to arrest us Christians. Today these words have a clearer meaning to me.

The “fruits” argument for the case of “holy artwork” is one of the best. Hold up a crucifix and ask … what does this remind you of? Or shall we agree that this visual aid is neither a god, nor alive, but yet can call one’s attention to Jesus?

Once a little girl who’d come to our Catholic Communion Service pointed to the crucifix and told us “we don’t believe in that … it should be just a cross!”

So I turned the crucifix around. And said … “like this?” She smiled, “yes!”

I asked her what it made her think of. She said “Jesus!”

I said “good!” Then explained that it wasn’t just ANY cross that saved us, or the CROSS at all … but Jesus! So it was important to remember Jesus MORE than the cross or crucifix … but that whichever holy thing we used to remind us of that moment that Jesus paid for our sins with his life … we think of it often … and turn away from sin as an offering to Him and an example to others.

The “accusation” or even if it is just a “warning” or a “concern” about so called idols - can be a moment to set things straight and promote understanding between Christians.

It is best to keep our charity and patience - even in the face of galling false witness in the worst of spirits - and have a ready answer that edifies everyone.

 

[Robert_Sock]

I used to think that praying to statues was very immature, but then I heard a voice in my head saying that God can impart His graces to whomever He likes, including little old ladies who worship in front of statues.

 

[PRmerger]

I used to think that praying to statues was very immature, but then I heard a voice in my head saying that God can impart His graces to whomever He likes, including little old ladies who worship in front of statues.

I hope the voice didn’t actually come from the statue!

 

[guanophore]

I used to think that praying to statues was very immature, but then I heard a voice in my head saying that God can impart His graces to whomever He likes, including little old ladies who worship in front of statues.

Praying to a statue IS very immature. Anyone who thinks an inanimate object is a divine being or even a person consecrated to the Divine has a very childish understanding of Holy icons.

It was a Pagan practice long before God revealed Himself to mankind as the One God and still does continue today.

 

[Truthstalker]

I used to think that praying to statues was very immature, but then I heard a voice in my head saying that God can impart His graces to whomever He likes, including little old ladies who worship in front of statues.

That, my friend is a non-sequitor. One does not necessarily follow from the other. Do you now think praying to statues is a mature thing to do? And why is ‘maturity’ the concern instead of correctness? I agree that God can impart His grace as He pleases, but that has NOTHING to do with the other IMHO. Sorry.

 

[Truthstalker]

I am not arguing with Guanophore. I am trying to figure out what Mr. Sock meant.

 

[Randy_Carson]

That, my friend is a non-sequitor. One does not necessarily follow from the other. Do you now think praying to statues is a mature thing to do? And why is ‘maturity’ the concern instead of correctness? I agree that God can impart His grace as He pleases, but that has NOTHING to do with the other IMHO. Sorry.

Happily, knowledgeable Catholics do not pray “to” statues which are inanimate objects. However, they might pray “before” a statute (standing, sitting, kneeling, etc) while speaking “to” the living saint whose image is represented by the statue.