explain catholic beleifs to me

[Francie]

I am a baptist and I would like to learn m0ore about the catholic beleifs. Not in any way am I trying to mock or look down on your beleifs, but I have a question? Do you beleive that the ten commandments are from God?And what about the commandment where God says thou shall not make any graven image or to worship idols, when you pray to differnt saints isnt that breaking that commandment!Thank you ! God Bless!

 

[seebs]

Well, I'm not Catholic, but the interpretation of "no graven images" is fairly variable among people who follow the Old Testament. Muslims take it to mean that representational art in general is forbidden, which is why most Islamic decorations are geometric, rather than representational. When I was a kid, we were taught that this was part of the "other gods" thing, and referred to the practice of making images and worshipping the images. Primitive peoples often believed that the image itself was the "god"; when they worshipped a golden calf, it wasn't as a "representation", it was the calf itself.

However, if you read the whole passage, it's clear that it refers to *worshipping* images, not to *making* them. So, for instance, the Mona Lisa isn't a violation of the 1st commandment; it's just art.

I have no reason to believe that Catholics worship graven images. Catholics may use graven images to help create a worshipful mood, but when I was a kid, in a Lutheran church, we had stained glass windows depicting all sorts of Biblical things, and this was considered perfectly normal.

I guess you're getting back to the whole "icon" debate, which started quite some time ago. It seems, frankly, like a pretty stupid debate to me. No one is worshipping graven images; people are worshipping God, and praising His glory, and it helps them to have images of God, angels, and saints, to help focus their thoughts. This strikes me as no different than the beautiful multi-panel stained glass image of Jesus leading a flock of sheep we had in my church when I was a kid.

 

[jukesk9]

First you have to understand why the Church has statues in the Sanctuary and around the church building. In the beginning, the vast majority of people couldn't read or write. These statues, stained glass windows, paintings, etc. told bible stories. They also remind us of our heavenly family and inspire religious fervor, much like the Ark of the Covenant did in the Old Testament days, a "graven image" if you will. What the forbidding of making graven images means is that we aren't to worship them, like the Jews did the Golden Calf for example.

I have been in a few Baptist churches answering alarm calls (I'm a cop) though I've never attended a service at one. However, I have noticed rather large wooden crosses. Now, that's an image but in no way shape or form do I think the Baptists are worshipping a graven image.

We actually don't pray to saints. We ask them to pray for us. The word pray means to ask. We, along with the Orthodox Christians (and Br. Max ) don't believe death defeats a Christian. We believe from the Church's interpretation of Scripture, they are alive in Christ and can hear our requests for prayer and therefore they pray for us much like your pastor prays for you and your congregation. Since Heaven has no concept of space and time, the Virgin Mary or any of the Apostles or other saints can hear millions of prayers from the faithful and take these to Christ, the one mediator. We believe there is Scriptural support for this (In Revelations where the Lamb is presented with bowls of prayers from the faithful by His Angels).

 

[Angelus00]

Wow Seebs!

Very nicely stated. Can I use it sometime?

 

[Wolseley]

One thing you might want to do when you have some time is to go back to the first page of this forum, work your way forward, and scan through the thread titles, and if you see one that deals with a topic you're interested in, read through the thread.

I think you might find that 99% of these topics have been covered, time and again, in this forum.

Then, if you still have questions, by all means ask them. Any of we Catholics here will be more than delighted to help you with them at any time.

 

[Annabel Lee]

Today at 11:51 AM Francie said this in Post #1

I am a baptist and I would like to learn m0ore about the catholic beleifs. Not in any way am I trying to mock or look down on your beleifs, but I have a question?

 

[seebs]

Today at 02:20 PM Angelus00 said this in Post #4

Wow Seebs!

Very nicely stated. Can I use it sometime?

Sure. In general, anything I write without asking for money first is free for the taking.

 

[CopticOrthodox]

"And what about the commandment where God says thou shall not make any graven image or to worship idols, when you pray to differnt saints isnt that breaking that commandment!"

If you're refering to the use of statues and icons in the veneration of saints, these are not graven images. Notice that immediatly after God gave Israel the commandments, He ordered them to make the Ark, with statues of Cherubim on it, and these statues of angels were not considered graven images, or in opposition to the Commandments.

 

[Francie]

Annabelle I apologized for that remark I had no right to take my anger out on you at that time! That is why I am trying to find out more information!

 

[Francie]

Annabelle I sent an apology by pm. but for the record so others can know I said I was sorry for what I said, Sometimes I let my anger overcome common sense. I have been through so much in my life that I had a very hard time forgiving anyone. I hated everybody and every thing. You see I was sexually abused, mentally and physacally abused for years and that nearly destroyed me !Until I excepted Christ as my savior! So yes I am sorry for that remark to Annabelle, and I am honestly trying to laern more about other beleifs.

 

[Hoonbaba]

Today at 07:30 PM Francie said this in Post #10

Annabelle I sent an apology by pm. but for the record so others can know I said I was sorry for what I said, Sometimes I let my anger overcome common sense. I have been through so much in my life that I had a very hard time forgiving anyone. I hated everybody and every thing. You see I was sexually abused, mentally and physacally abused for years and that nearly destroyed me !Until I excepted Christ as my savior! So yes I am sorry for that remark to Annabelle, and I am honestly trying to laern more about other beleifs.

Praise God! =)

May God's blessings continually be upon you! =)

-Jason

 

[chelcb]

What that commandment means is that we can not make an image of 'a god' and worship it. We are not making an image of God and worshipping it, we are making a representation of what has been revealed in the incarnation and the same thing for Mary and the saints. They have an image they were real, we are only venerating pictures of them.