Does My Avatar Violate the Second Commandment?

HereIStand said:

It has been pointed out to me that my avatar is a violation of the second commandment against idolatry and images, based on the Presbyterian Westminster Catechism (Questions 108-110). This seems to be a misapplication of the Westminster standards and a misinterpretation of the second commandment. Am I wrong? If so, how?

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It is written...

15 "You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,
16 so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman,
17 or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,
18 or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below."
(Deuteronomy 4:15-18).

Jeremiah 10:14-15 says,
14 "Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish."

Also, how can you not look at a picture Jesus and not have reverence for Him in some way (even without bowing down to such an image)? It is easy to think that is WHAT He really looks like if you keep seeing that image over and over and over. Could you not pray thinking that is what He looks like because you have conditioned yourself to see such an image in your mind of Him over and over and over again? But such an image is a lie. It is an idol. Christians are not supposed to worship and or promote lies.

Think for a second. Who is the one person in whom you really love besides God in this world? Is it your grandma or mother or father? Imagine if somebody had said they were a different color and was a hippie and a criminal. Imagine it was your spouse in whom you love. Would you be happy if somebody started promoting false pictures of them and they started to spread lies about them in being a hippie and a criminal in fun? I know I would not take kindly to that. Now, why on Earth would it be okay to do that with God? Come on now.

Stand up for what is right.
Do not promote false images of Jesus (Which are a lie).

Jesus says,
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).

You know, something occurred to me as I read through this thread the other day. In the OT, no one knew what God looked like. Even Moses only saw the "back" of God, and it was believed that if anyone saw God they would die.
When Jesus came, God chose to give himself a form; the form of a human being. That isn't to say that he stopped being God, but he chose to take on a form that we could relate to.

I think that possibly, in the OT, people were forbidden from making images of God, partly because they didn't know what he looked like, but also because no single image can possibly capture the awesomeness, majesty, dazzling beauty of God. In the NT however, we see God in different ways. Firstly in the cross - which is an image, or symbol, of God's grace and love; but Jesus has also taught us to see him in the faces of the poor, marginalised, etc. And if we are living with the Spirit in our hearts, people should be able to see Jesus in us.

So while we still do not know what God looks like - and none of us here saw Jesus either - there are some images we can have that will help us "see" him better. And if one of those is an artist's drawing; if someone is helped to grow closer to God and ponder his many attributes, through looking at a drawing, I, personally, don't think God will mind too much.

Strong in Him said:

You know, something occurred to me as I read through this thread the other day. In the OT, no one knew what God looked like. Even Moses only saw the "back" of God, and it was believed that if anyone saw God they would die.
When Jesus came, God chose to give himself a form; the form of a human being. That isn't to say that he stopped being God, but he chose to take on a form that we could relate to.

I think that possibly, in the OT, people were forbidden from making images of God, partly because they didn't know what he looked like, but also because no single image can possibly capture the awesomeness, majesty, dazzling beauty of God. In the NT however, we see God in different ways. Firstly in the cross - which is an image, or symbol, of God's grace and love; but Jesus has also taught us to see him in the faces of the poor, marginalised, etc. And if we are living with the Spirit in our hearts, people should be able to see Jesus in us.

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Really well said above here.

You said:

So while we still do not know what God looks like - and none of us here saw Jesus either - there are some images we can have that will help us "see" him better. And if one of those is an artist's drawing; if someone is helped to grow closer to God and ponder his many attributes, through looking at a drawing, I, personally, don't think God will mind too much.

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And this is where I totally disagree. While the cross is a symbol that reminds us of God, that does not mean it is a representation of God. Big difference. When you create an image of God not knowing what He looks like, it CAN lead people to worship God using that image in their mind whether you want that to happen or not. For how can you not revere or worship in some small way an image that you think is God? When you pray, will you not think He looks like that? But you would be praying to a false image that is a lie. Believers are not into worshiping in spirit and in lies. The Scriptures say we are to worship in spirit and in truth. So it is best not to create idols or images so as to tempt people to worship God with that image in their mind. In fact, the Scriptures warn against even making graven images and not just the bowing down to them, too. 1 Corinthians 10:14 says, "flee from idolatry." When a person flees, they are running away. In this case, 1 Corinthians 10:14 is telling you and all other people to run away in the opposite direction of having idol images.

"Joshua said, "destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."
(Joshua 24:23).

Basically what this boils down to is..... the truth. Do you care enough about worshiping God in spirit and in truth. Do you truly care what God thinks. I know that if somebody made a false image of me and talked about me using that false image, I would not be too happy because they are promoting a lie about me. It would be even more of a problem with God because God desires our worship. So when a person has reverance for a false idol image that is not true, they are worshiping that image in some small way. But our culture has been conditioned. From movies, to music, to the internet. The world says it is okay to have idols. But God's Word says .... "no." Don't do it. Worship God in spirit and in truth! For God wants our entire affections and He doesn't want it to go to any kind of false idol images.

HereIStand said:

It has been pointed out to me that my avatar is a violation of the second commandment against idolatry and images, based on the Presbyterian Westminster Catechism (Questions 108-110). This seems to be a misapplication of the Westminster standards and a misinterpretation of the second commandment. Am I wrong? If so, how?

Click to expand...

Your avatar is a lie (because it is not a picture of the real Jesus).
It is but wind and confusion. For it is written,


God destroys idols. For it is written...


Those who make idol images are vain and the things that they delight in will not profit them. For it is written...


Flee idolatry. For it is written...


How is one fleeing idolatry if they have an image or idol that they are promoting that CAN lead others to fall into idolatry? Are we not to love our neighbor? Are we are own masters looking to only please ourselves? Or are we looking to truly love others and protect them?

Do not even bring an idol into your own home unless one be as a cursed thing like it.
You shall detest such idols.
You shall abhor such idols.
For it is a cursed thing.
For it is written...

gordonhooker said:

LOL - Doh!!!!!!! now you're going to get him started on that again....

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