Catholics do not worship idols but have a long tradition of using statues in our churches
Catholics have a been using statues in churches for years. Thousands of years ago, people were not able to read and write. The average person could not read and understand the stories in the bible for themselves, until the early 1900’s. Priests and scribes were the only people in the church who were educated enough to read and understand the bible. Therefore, the church used statues, paintings and stained glass windows to visually portray the stories in the bible. Also, it is to show what people from that time period may have looked like. The stained glass windows in a church often depicted the stories from Jesus’ life visually. That way, everyone, including little children, could understand who Jesus was.
It isn’t much different today. We have photographs of our grandparents to remember them by, and share stories about who they were, with our children. Music and YouTube videos on the internet tell a story in a couple of minutes, mostly by using pictures and a few words too. People do not have time to read very much and the message needs to get across to the viewer as quickly, and to the point as possible. The images and sound bites on the evening news is also another example of the need to quickly portray a story in just a few seconds.
Many of the buildings in our nation’s capital have statues of presidents, war heroes and other important public figures in order to honor them and preserve their memory. There are a lot of town squares throughout the world that have statues of a famous person who once lived in their town too, to honor them and remember what they looked like. Jesus, Mary and the saints are no different than any other important public figures in our world today. Catholics have statues of Jesus, Mary and the saints in our churches, to honor them and preserve their memory. This is just like our nation does with statues of presidents and war heroes.
Statues of Jesus and Mary
Catholics often decorate statutes of Mary with roses and flowers to honor her memory. Sometimes we sing songs about Mary or carry a statue or picture of her in a procession. To a casual observer, it may appear that Catholics are worshiping a statue of Mary, but this is simply a way that Catholics show her honor. God honored Mary too, by sending the angel Gabriel to tell her she was “full of grace” and ask her to bear his son. Jesus also honored Mary, was obedient to her as a child, and did what she asked when he turned the water into wine at the wedding at Cana. Jesus especially honored Mary from the cross when he gave his mother to us
“Woman, behold your son” and to his disciple “behold your mother”.
John 19: 26-27
Our statues of Jesus, Mary and the saints are ways that Catholics honor and preserve their memory, through visual means in our everyday life. Remember the expression, “out of sight, out of mind?” As Catholics, we never want Jesus and Mary, and the example of the saints to be out of sight or out of mind, but be forever enduring in our hearts, and in our, every day lives.
Read More:
- How can I explain that praying before a statue of Mary doesn’t constitute idolatry?
- A Prayer for healing past memories
- Pope’s homily for feast of Corpus Christi
- Pope Francis reveals the greatest strength of the Church
◄ Exodus 20:4 ►
New International Version
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
New Living Translation
“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.
English Standard Version
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Berean Study Bible
You shall not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens above, the earth below, or the waters under the earth.
New American Standard Bible
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
King James Bible
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:
Christian Standard Bible
Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.
Contemporary English Version
Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth.
Good News Translation
“Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.
International Standard Version
“You are not to make for yourselves an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above, or on earth below, or in the water under the earth.
NET Bible
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water below.
New Heart English Bible
“Do not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
GOD’S WORD® Translation
Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water.
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of 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;
New American Standard 1977
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
Jubilee Bible 2000
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 nor that is in the water under the earth.
King James 2000 Bible
You shall not make unto yourself 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:
American King James Version
You shall not make to you 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.
American Standard Version
Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor 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.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth.
Darby Bible Translation
Thou shalt not make thyself any graven image, or any form of what is in the heavens above, or what is in the earth beneath, or what is in the waters under the earth:
English Revised Version
Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor the likeness of any form that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Webster’s Bible Translation
Thou shalt not make to 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:
World English Bible
“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Young’s Literal Translation
Thou dost not make to thyself a graven image, or any likeness which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth.
Study Bible
The Ten Commandments
…3You shall have no other gods before Me. 4You shall not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens above, the earth below, or the waters under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,…
Berean Study Bible
Exodus 32:8
How quickly they have turned aside from the way I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘O Israel, this is your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.'”
Exodus 34:17
You shall make no molten gods for yourselves.
Leviticus 19:4
Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 26:1
You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar, or place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 4:16
that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,
Deuteronomy 5:8
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
Deuteronomy 27:15
Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image–which is detestable to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman–and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
2 Kings 17:12
They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this.”
Psalm 78:58
They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.
I enjoyed reading this discussion, it broadens my understanding and strengthening my Catholicism
For those who said that Mary is dead and cannot pray for us, read Gospel of John 11: 25-26. Jesus said that anyone who believes in him will never die even if he dies still lives. So Mary is alive because she truly believed in Jesus Christ and can intercede for us.
But it is God who gave the commandment that we must not carved or paint images for He is a jealous God. Who are we going to follow, God our Creator or the created ones? It is the role of the Holy Spirit to open the heart of human so he or she could know the Lord. We must not under estimate God’s power to introduce Himself to someone even if he or she cannot read.
Exodus 20:3-6
“You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
I have seen some devout Catholic left the Church to some Pentecost church saying that this is against the 1st commandment of Moses against making graven images.However My reading closer lead me to the Arck of Covenant and the Cherubin adorned therein and Temple of Solomon built as God’s Temple had Many graven images reminding the presence of God etc.In fact I came to the conclusion the so called Pentecost people are abusing a Church that is keeping the New covenant of God’s..