Icons as useful aids for attaining holiness

Vivificat - From Contemplation to Action ^ | 29 February 2012 | TDJ

[annalex]

Your argument that Christians aren’t bound by the clause concerning graven images and idolatry is nonsense

Don't put words in my mouth. Besides, it helps to understand the argument before replying to it.

Chruist, -- nor the Catholic Church, -- did not abolish the Moral Law. Monotheism -- belief in one God, -- is a part of Moral Law. Idolatry: belief that an idol is God is a violation of Moral Law and is abhorrent to Catholic Christians.

The clause about graven images is not moral law. As you yourself showed, taken literally -- as you want to take it -- it only applies to carved sculpture. Not flat images and not even (you did not say it, but it follows from what you did say) to cast sculpture. How can a moral law depend on the technique of the image? Now that particular clause has not been repeated and was lifted without even a decree just by the practice of the Church.

God has told us many times that he hates those images

in the context of idol worship. So do all Catholics.

If your contention is correct, and the Moral Law is abolished, and we have only what is in our hearts to guide our actions, then a sociopath...

The Moral law is not abolished. It cannot be abolished any more than gravity can be abolished -- it is Natural Law.

he says that every part is still binding, forever, in the beginning, you require him to list every sentence and expound on them, or you will feel free to disobey?

First, I rely on the Rule of Faith that is the Catholic Church, which toyed with the idea of abolishing veneration of icons and that heretical isea was condemned at the Second Nicean Council. Triumph of Orthodoxy, remember?

I certainly don't require Christ to list anything. He did not mention for example certain sexual sins beside adultery, or contraception, or abortion in that Sermon; nevertheless they are still sins. But He discusses the first Commandment for the entire length of Matthew Chapter 6, and He never mentions anything about images. This is consistent with the fact that He is Himself an image as we discussed earlier. I already showed you scripture where veneration of an image is suggested (see my 147).

if the restrictions of the commandment had been lessened...

The Commandment to love one God and have no other was not lessened. The point about graven images is the kind of pedantry that is not consistent with the entire tone of the Sermon. It is, however, very consistent with Protestant pharisaism.