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AlexR
Guest
Kissing or keeping the hand on the foot of the saint, Mary, Jesus statues is idolatry?
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stpurl
Guest
No, how is it idolatry?
Do you have a picture of your father, mother, or child? Do you blow a kiss to that picture when passing by? If your loved one has died, might you not kiss the picture, not thinking the picture IS your loved one, but wishing and praying for the day when you will one day, God willing, kiss them again in eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior?
When a Catholic touches a statue, does that Catholic think, “I am touching the statue. The status is God. The statue is all powerful. The statue will bring me to heaven?”
Of course not.
Does the Catholic touch the statue and think, "Oh how happy this saint must be, in Heaven with Jesus. Oh, I hope one day I too will be happy in Heaven with Jesus. I pray to God through His saints (who are members of His Body, just like me, but who have ‘fought the good fight’ and won the crown of salvation, and are encouraging me to do the same) that one day I will be able to be with Him forever in heaven.’
Does a Catholic ‘have to’ touch a statue to pray, or even look at one? No. Do you have to have pictures of your loved ones to remember them? No. But if you do have pictures or statues and you are praying and loving with God as your focus through the love of others, seems to me like you’re obeying BOTH of the "great commandments.’ You are loving the Lord God with your whole heart and soul and mind and strength, and you’re loving your neighbor (saints are our neighbors) as yourself.
I would never dream of telling somebody that they ‘have to’ use statues to pray. Likewise I would never dream of telling somebody that they have to NOT use statues to pray. .
Do you have a picture of your father, mother, or child? Do you blow a kiss to that picture when passing by? If your loved one has died, might you not kiss the picture, not thinking the picture IS your loved one, but wishing and praying for the day when you will one day, God willing, kiss them again in eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior?
When a Catholic touches a statue, does that Catholic think, “I am touching the statue. The status is God. The statue is all powerful. The statue will bring me to heaven?”
Of course not.
Does the Catholic touch the statue and think, "Oh how happy this saint must be, in Heaven with Jesus. Oh, I hope one day I too will be happy in Heaven with Jesus. I pray to God through His saints (who are members of His Body, just like me, but who have ‘fought the good fight’ and won the crown of salvation, and are encouraging me to do the same) that one day I will be able to be with Him forever in heaven.’
Does a Catholic ‘have to’ touch a statue to pray, or even look at one? No. Do you have to have pictures of your loved ones to remember them? No. But if you do have pictures or statues and you are praying and loving with God as your focus through the love of others, seems to me like you’re obeying BOTH of the "great commandments.’ You are loving the Lord God with your whole heart and soul and mind and strength, and you’re loving your neighbor (saints are our neighbors) as yourself.
I would never dream of telling somebody that they ‘have to’ use statues to pray. Likewise I would never dream of telling somebody that they have to NOT use statues to pray. .
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TheLittleLady
Guest
When I am far from my son, when I travel, I have been known to take out a picture of him and give it a kiss. Is that idolatry?
po18guy
Well-known member
Who says this? Those who say this are idolaters if they kiss their family members. They apparently know nothing of veneration - and typically “bible” Christians are woefully ignorant of this ancient Christian practice. As to relics:
Contact with the bones of Elisha brought a dead man back to life.
So-called “bible” Christians only reveal their ignorance of the self-same bible (and Christian history) when they make such claims. Oh, they may have good intentions, but not a clue as to what they are saying. The relics of the martyrs have been venerated since the first days of the Church.
Contact with the bones of Elisha brought a dead man back to life.
Kerchiefs touched to Paul healed the sick.
Peter’s shadow healed!
IIRC,in Against Heresies, Saint Irenaeus wrote that the Bishop of Rome was right in celebrating mass over the bones of the martyrs.
So-called “bible” Christians only reveal their ignorance of the self-same bible (and Christian history) when they make such claims. Oh, they may have good intentions, but not a clue as to what they are saying. The relics of the martyrs have been venerated since the first days of the Church.
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BoomerangToo
Guest
It’s not idolatry. It’s love. 
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AlexR
Guest
Ok bro…then can explain me what is idolatry? Bcoz in my chruch…father asked as not to touch or kiss the foot of the saints and he also mentioned a saint name who gets angry while others kissing the foot
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TheLittleLady
Guest
Well, I am not your “bro”.
Valuable works of art like statues can be damaged by people mishandling them.
Idolatry is defined for us by the Church:
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2113.htm
2113 Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. Jesus says, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Many martyrs died for not adoring “the Beast” refusing even to simulate such worship. Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God; it is therefore incompatible with communion with God.
Valuable works of art like statues can be damaged by people mishandling them.
Idolatry is defined for us by the Church:
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2113.htm
2113 Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. Jesus says, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Many martyrs died for not adoring “the Beast” refusing even to simulate such worship. Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God; it is therefore incompatible with communion with God.
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TheHolyTrinity
Guest
@TheLittleLady, well said!
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