INFORMATION
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Statues
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
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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 trusteth 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 |
Understanding Roman Catholicism © 1995 by Rick Jones
Reproduced by permission
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