Do Catholics Worship Statues?

Tim Staples' Blog ^ | November 30, 2013 | Tim Staples

[Iscool]

God prohibits an idol as much to be made as to be worshipped. In so far as the making what may be worshipped is the prior act, so far is the prohibition to make (if the worship is unlawful) the prior prohibition. For this cause--the eradicating, namely, of the material of idolatry--the divine law proclaims, "Thou shall make no idol;"...All things, therefore, does human error worship, except the Founder of all Himself. The images of those things are idols; the consecration of the images is idolatry.

(Tertullian. On Idolatry, Chapters 1,4. Translated by S. Thelwall. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 3. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

What did the early church teach about idols and icons?

Good read on the early church father's rejection of statues and icons...

[Iscool]

"King Solomon ordered the construction of multiple images of things both “in heaven above” (angels) and “in the earth beneath” (palm trees and open flowers). After the completion of the temple, God declared he was pleased with its construction (1 Kgs. 9:3).

You ain't Solomon and God told you NOT to build those things...

[Iscool]

The Bible is the inerrant Word of God. It can't be contradicted. However, it is the story of our salvation, not a how-to on all matters of faith.

It's a how-to on all matters of salvation...

[smvoice]

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:16,17.

That pretty much tells me that it IS a "how-to on all matters of faith. Unless there is something you want to believe that is not in God's Word. That's a whole other issue..

[humblegunner]

In other words, makes the Bible the end-all and be-all for everything.

Everything?

Use that Bible to learn how & design an aircraft.

Then build it and fly it.

"Everything" indeed.

[ClaytonP]

This one

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Do Catholics Worship Statues?” <<

Absolutely!

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Meanwhile, the feet of Peter are worn off>>>” <<

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The killer is that the statue was originally of Zeus, and was taken as spoil by the Romans.

Hell is going to burst at the seams!

[pgyanke]

What I said was if a tradition or practice CONTRADICTS the Bible, the tradition or practice should not stand.

And yet you have failed to produce a contradiction... only an absence.

[what's up]

The overwhelming sense of Scripture is that prayers are directed to God in Heaven.

Yet catholics have chosen to pray also to other entities in Heaven. That's a contradiction in my view.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

-— Yet catholics have chosen to pray also to other entities in Heaven -—

We ask (”pray” from old English) the saints in heaven to pray to God for us, just as we may ask the saints on earth to. We are all part of the Body of Christ.

[what's up]

Those in Heaven are not omniscient. On earth you can relate personally with a saint...but those in Heaven are supposed to be able to hear thousands of prayers from all over the world? Don’t think so.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “We ask (”pray” from old English) the saints in heaven to pray to God for us, just as we may ask the saints on earth to. We are all part of the Body of Christ.” <<

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You have no way of knowing who is in heaven, or on the other side of the gulf.

Your prayers are necromancy, and will condemn you before Yeshua’s throne, to outer darkness.

None who pray to the dead will know Yehova’s rest.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “but to try to make the rest of us FReepers idolators like themselves is quite another!” <<

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Misery loves company.

[michaelmas]

What about when the ark was carried outside? There were hundreds of years between the ark band the temple

[terycarl]

My point is that I’ve seen plenty of statues as the subject of adoration in Catholic churches. I doubt that the actual saint or whoever in question gives a rip about candles, flowers, or jewelry being left around a statue

you have never seen a statue as the subject of veneration in a Catholic Church.....you may have interpreted it that way, but that is the danger of interpreting something that you have no knowledge of.....don't try to interpret the Greek language unless you fully understand it lest you be babbling incoherently.

[terycarl]

>> “Do Catholics Worship Statues?” <<

Absolutely! NOT!....fixed it for you

[GonzoII]

"Nothin’ there about worship."

Neither is there in my post.

[GonzoII]

"My point is that I’ve seen plenty of statues as the subject of adoration in Catholic churches."

Maybe that's what you want to see or have been told to believe.

[GonzoII]

"profitable for doctrine"

I see the word "profitable" not "sufficient".