Images, Statues And Relics

[MC Just]

I have a protestant sister who keeps insisting that Catholics worship images and statues. I tell her everytime that we do not worship them, and just because our churches are loaded with images "Just having an image doesnt mean we are worshipping them". She just keeps insisting and I keep repeating "We do not worship images" My goodness it gets agrivating sometimes. I told her that God even commanded that images be made in the old testament. We can have images and not be Idol worshippers. But that famous Protestant false accusation always comes into play.

[Dave]

Ask her if she's worshipping her bed if she kneels down to pray right before going to bed.

[nikkan_hanil]

Ask her if she's worshipping her bed if she kneels down to pray right before going to bed.

:ph34r: Ooooooh! B)

[phatcatholic]

MC,

ask her to show you her proof. if its all hearsay, then give her the catechism and ask her to try to find where in our official doctrine does it say that we worship statues.

this will help b/c once u know her proof, u know exactly what to refute. also, it gets her reading the catechism!

good luck and God Bless,

nick

[LTNgurl]

lol....to dave's quote

i love the art work. i show the paintings and sculptures off as much as i can.

[CatholicAndFanatical]

I feel ya bro, I get the same flack from my parents..but by the Grace of God she is coming around..never thought it would happen and im probably speaking too soon, but she is actually starting to understand what im saying..i gave her my Catholic Bible and she's reading it now, I gave her a statue of Mary and told her that this is a reminder of our Blessed Mother, i told her that she is her Mother too and we should respect and honor her. Then I explained why we would ask Mary to interceed for us..So its been 4 years of constant battles with them..lets hope the end of battling is near.

Just I will pray for your sister, I've been agrivated alot like yourself..just keep at it man.

God Bless ya,

CatholicAndFanatical

[M.SIGGA]

Does she wear a cross (a lot of Church of Christ people don't b/c it's an image) and I've been to a few protestant churches w/ large crosses inside!!!

Exodus 20:4

You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;

5

2 you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation;

6

but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Tell her to take off her cross b/c it's not excluded!!! After defending the cross as a sacred image instead of an idol, make the connection with Catholic images being the same thing.

[the_rev]

We need a reminder of the holy people of the church, we need to remember who they are, so we can be holy as they were!

That's how this dude on ewtn stated it!

[cmotherofpirl]

I have a protestant sister who keeps insisting that Catholics worship images and statues. I tell her everytime that we do not worship them, and just because our churches are loaded with images "Just having an image doesnt mean we are worshipping them". She just keeps insisting and I keep repeating "We do not worship images" My goodness it gets agrivating sometimes. I told her that God even commanded that images be made in the old testament. We can have images and not be Idol worshippers. But that famous Protestant false accusation always comes into play.

Does she worship photographs of her mom and dad? If the Queen of England showed up would she curtsy?

Does she ever ask people to pray for her?

Explain the original meaning of the word "pray" which is intercessional as opposed to the modern meaning. She probably doesn't know the difference.

[MrsFrozen]

MC,

ask her to show you her proof. if its all hearsay, then give her the catechism and ask her to try to find where in our official doctrine does it say that we worship statues.

this will help b/c once u know her proof, u know exactly what to refute. also, it gets her reading the catechism!

good luck and God Bless,

nick

This is a great idea!! I'm going to always carry my Catechism with me and do this.

I love the Apologetics board!! So many amesome ideas. :)

[phatcatholic]

hehe, thanks frozen, that's what we're here for ;)

[cathgirl]

Is your sister saying that it goes against the first commandment? Here are some bible verses that support some form of art:

Exodus 25:17-20

"You shall then make a propitiatory of pure gold, two cubits and a half long, and one and a half cubits wide. Make two cherubim of beaten gold for the two ends of the propitiatory, fastening them so that one cherub springs direct from each end. The cherubim shall have their wings spread out above, covering the propitiatory with them; they shall be turned toward each other, but with their faces looking toward the propitiatory."

and

1 Chronicles 28: 18-19

"The refined gold, and its weight, to be used for the altar of incense; and, finally, gold for what would suggest a chariot throne: the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. He had successfully committed to writing the exact specifications of the pattern, because the hand of the LORD was upon him.

[Petrus]

I have a protestant sister who keeps insisting that Catholics worship images and statues. I tell her everytime that we do not worship them, and just because our churches are loaded with images "Just having an image doesnt mean we are worshipping them". She just keeps insisting and I keep repeating "We do not worship images" My goodness it gets agrivating sometimes. I told her that God even commanded that images be made in the old testament. We can have images and not be Idol worshippers. But that famous Protestant false accusation always comes into play.

Do you think most NCC use this as an argument just because they don't want to use other ones? It seems like such a crazy idea that Catholics worship statues, at least some who use this argument must not believe it themselves. At least the NCC on phatmass don't use arguments like that.

[cmotherofpirl]

They have tried, but even the how silly it is.

[willguy]

Ask them if someone who kisses a photograph of a loved one is sinning or loving the image? What about someone who goes to a gravesite of a loved one? No, they are expressing their love for someone who is not physically present. The same is true for our expressions towards images, statues and relics.