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Statues and Idols
The Catechism requires all Catholics to "venerate" statues, or images
of Christ, Mary and others:
| "Sacred images in our churches and homes are intended to
awaken and nourish our faith in the mystery of Christ.
Through the icon of Christ and his works of salvation, it is
he whom we adore. Through sacred salvation, it is he whom we
adore. Through sacred images of the holy Mother of God, of
the angels and of the saints, we venerate the persons
represented." Pg. 307, #1192 |
Regardless of what statues are intended to do, one thing is certain -
they transgress God's instructions. When God gave the ten commandments,
the second one was:
| "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image, or any likeness of any thing that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in
the water under the earth:" Exodus 20:4 |
God also ordered:
| "Neither shalt thou set thee up any image;
which the LORD thy God hateth." Deuteronomy
16:22 |
The Bible concludes that those who make or have statues have been
corrupted:
| "Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves... Lest ye
corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the
similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female..."
Deuteronomy 4:15-16 |
God states His position again:
| "Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant
of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a
graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD
thy God hath forbidden thee." Deuteronomy 4:23 |
God's Word also expressly forbids people from bowing down to statues,
which is customary in the Catholic church. Whenever you see a picture of
the pope bowing before a statue of Mary, you should think about this
verse of Holy Scripture:
| "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them,
nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God..."
Exodus 20:5 |
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul explains why God was so
adamant about idols:
| "What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that
which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?... the
things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice
to devils (demons), and not to God:
and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils."
1 Corinthians 10:19-20 |
Behind every idol is a literal demon, and God does not want anyone
fellowshipping with demons. No wonder God forbids the use of idols:
| "Turn ye not unto idols, nor
make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God."
Leviticus 19:4 |
God hates idolatry:
| "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if
any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or
covetous, or an idolater... with
such an one no not to eat." 1 Corinthians 5:11
"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater,
hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
Ephesians 5:5 |
Here, God declares that idolaters will not enter heaven. The next
verses warns:
| "Let no man deceive you with vain words:
for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the
children of disobedience." Ephesians 5:6 |
Is the Catholic church deceiving you with
vain words? You must decide that for yourself.
Origin of this Doctrine
Catholicism does not even pretend that this doctrine came from God:
| "Following the divinely inspired teaching of our holy
Fathers and the tradition of the Catholic Church (for we
know that this tradition comes from the Holy Spirit who
dwells in her) we rightly define with full certainty and
correctness that, like the figure of the precious and
life-giving cross, venerable and holy images of our Lord and
God and Savior, Jesus Christ, our inviolate Lady, the holy
Mother of God, and the venerated angels, all the saints and
the just, whether painted or made of mosaic or another
suitable material, are to be exhibited in the holy churches
of God, on sacred vessels and vestments, walls and panels,
in houses and on streets." Pg. 300, #1161 |
This doctrine came from the "holy Fathers" and "tradition of the
Catholic Church." You are expected to believe that these holy Fathers
were "divinely inspired" to violate God's Word. Can you accept this?
The psalmist teaches us even more on the subject:
| "The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work
of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes
have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear
not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that
make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusts in
them." Psalm 135:15-18 |
In other words, as an idol is deaf and dumb, so everyone who makes
idols or trusts in them is devoid of understanding.
This is a powerful warning from a loving and compassionate God.
Conclusion
The Catholic church contends that idols will "awaken and nourish"
your faith in "the mystery of Christ." But God's Word forbids their use.
Who will you obey?
| "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither
rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any
image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am
the LORD your God." Leviticus 26:1 "For laying aside the
commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men..." Mark
7:8 |
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