Idolizing a statue?

[Nickieb03]

I have a Virgin Mary statue in my room which I have on a small piano and I kneel and pray to it every night, but my friend who is baptist said that's idolizing a statue and God said we shouldn't Idolize anything other than him...What are your thoughts on this? I don't see how this is considered idolizing but he says it is.

His reasoning : "You shall not make for yourself a graven 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" (Ex. 20:4–5);

 

[Gwendolyn]

You don't worship Mary as a goddess.

She is not a goddess.

I can kneel before my computer and that doesn't make my computer a god and it doesn't mean I'm idolising my computer.

Your friend is giving you a typical Protestant response. God gave Moses that commandment and then told Moses to make a statue of a snake so that the Israelites could look on it and be healed - that is something "on the earth". He also told the Israelites to carve cherubim onto the Ark of the Covenant - that is something "above the earth".

Your statue is not an idol because you do not think it is a goddess and you do not think Mary is a goddess, and you do not think that she is in any way on the same level as Christ.

 

[Nickieb03]

You don't worship Mary as a goddess.

She is not a goddess.

I can kneel before my computer and that doesn't make my computer a god and it doesn't mean I'm idolising my computer.

Your friend is giving you a typical Protestant response. God gave Moses that commandment and then told Moses to make a statue of a snake so that the Israelites could look on it and be healed - that is something "on the earth". He also told the Israelites to carve cherubim onto the Ark of the Covenant - that is something "above the earth".

Your statue is not an idol because you do not think it is a goddess and you do not think Mary is a goddess, and you do not think that she is in any way on the same level as Christ.

Thank you. I didn't think that praying to her statue would be considered Idolizing but he swears it is and it's not. I look at Mary as the virgin mother who brought our savor into this world..my mother as well. Not as a Goddess...

 

[ChristoEtEcclesiae]

It's not idolatry. Protestants always get their Catholic information from Chick Tracts, which are barely suited for use as toilet tissue.

 

[Rhamiel]

in exodus 25:18 God commands that statues of Cherubim be placed on the ark
so this proves God is not agianst good statues

in the ancient world idols were thought to be gods in a literal way,
so if we do not think they are gods or use them to honor gods then it is ok
you are honoring the Virgin Mary who bore Christ in her womb, she is not a pagan god so it is ok

 

[Rhamiel]

It's not idolatry. Protestants always get their Catholic information from Chick Tracts, which are barely suited for use as toilet tissue.

do not lumb all Protestants together like this

 

[Eucharisted]

The Catholic Church teaches that we honor God in the images of saints because we honor Him in Jesus Christ the Image of God in the flesh, and all the saints are living members of the Flesh of Christ, adopted sons of the God of the living after the only-begotten ever-living Son of the Father.

 

[Nickieb03]

My moms baptist too and she said the same thing about the situation. I don't get how they say it's "idolizing" when it's just praying to our blessed mother.

 

[Rhamiel]

I ment "lump" not "lumb"
lumb is not a word... i do not think it is a work


anyway, Our Lady is the Destroyer of Heresies

Luke 1:46-5446 And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. [47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. [48] Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. [49] Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. [50] And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. [51] He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. [52] He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. [53] He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. [54] He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy: [55] As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

 

[Rhamiel]

My moms baptist too and she said the same thing about the situation. I don't get how they say it's "idolizing" when it's just praying to our blessed mother.

it is a misplaced zeal for our Lord
it is a worry that the love and devotion we show the Saints and especially Mary will turn into worship that only belongs to God alone
but this concern is not logical, most people do not worry that love of family or patriotism which is in a simple form love for your nation, will take the place of the love of God
it in loving others, in giving of ourself for them, that we are drawn closer to Christ who gave all, even His life, for us

 

[Nickieb03]

it is a misplaced zeal for our Lord
it is a worry that the love and devotion we show the Saints and especially Mary will turn into worship that only belongs to God alone
but this concern is not logical, most people do not worry that love of family or patriotism which is in a simple form love for your nation, will take the place of the love of God
it in loving others, in giving of ourself for them, that we are drawn closer to Christ who gave all, even His life, for us

I don't think it's idolizing her. It's praying to her for help...I idolize my Lord God but the blessed mother is also my mother..I am her daughter and in times of need I'm sure she is willing to help as well as the saints. I think my mother and friend don't get it though..That we can pray to others for help in situations but know that God is the all mighty powerful one.

 

[SolomonVII]

There have been many great schisms in Church history over this kidn of thing. Byzantine Orthodoxy was almost torn asunder with their Iconoclastic controversy, and this is something that really animated the Muslims too in their rejection of Christianity.

Baptists and many Protestant likewise have great difficulty with statues, and even the Protestant cross is without the body in most cases.

Catholics have a different understanding of course. What would be wrong understanding though, would be to understand that the statue has some mystical or magical power on its own, as a kind of talisman or a good luck charm.
Statues are objects to focus our meditation and our prayers to heaven. They are not gods unto themselves, nor do they contain any kind of powers on their own, like a jewel that bestows great powers on the owner, or a cross that wards off vampires.
That would be idolatry and graven images, in my view.

But I am pretty sure that most Catholics pray to Mary, and not the statue of her. Reverence shown to the statue is reverence for the person of Mary, and not to the ceramics.
Baptists may be incapable of understanding this kind of nuance, but as long as Catholics understand that a statue is not a lucky rabbits foot, there should be no problem.

 

[Davidnic]

There is Dulia, which is veneration given to holy people and things. Hyperdulia, a special level given to Mary and Latria the worship and adoration given to God alone. The Early Church knew and defined this. It has been lost in distinction to many.

We give veneration (dulia) to the saints. We give (hyperdulia) veneration above all other saints to Mary. And to God alone we give Adoration and Worship (Latria).

Here is a fairly extensive response on the issue from a debate: link

 

[AMDG]

You don't worship Mary as a goddess.

She is not a goddess.

I can kneel before my computer and that doesn't make my computer a god and it doesn't mean I'm idolising my computer.

Your friend is giving you a typical Protestant response. God gave Moses that commandment and then told Moses to make a statue of a snake so that the Israelites could look on it and be healed - that is something "on the earth". He also told the Israelites to carve cherubim onto the Ark of the Covenant - that is something "above the earth".

Your statue is not an idol because you do not think it is a goddess and you do not think Mary is a goddess, and you do not think that she is in any way on the same level as Christ.

 

[Catherineanne]

I have a Virgin Mary statue in my room which I have on a small piano and I kneel and pray to it every night, but my friend who is baptist said that's idolizing a statue and God said we shouldn't Idolize anything other than him...What are your thoughts on this? I don't see how this is considered idolizing but he says it is.

His reasoning : "You shall not make for yourself a graven 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" (Ex. 20:4–5);

One answer to this one is to ask your friend if he has a photograph of someone he loves; his mother, brother or sister.

Then ask whether he ever confuses the photograph with the real thing when looking at it. Does he love the image in the photograph, or the person represented by it? Is the photograph his mother? Neither is your statue of Mary your mother.

In other words, we have a society that can understand what representational art is, in whatever form, and that knows that an image is not the same as its prototype. It is a reminder, for our sake, but it is not the image itself that we love, but the person being depicted. Same as with his photo.

I have three statues of Our Lady, and countless icons. Having these is not idolatry, but even if it were, there are worse things to idolise. Money. Stuff. Cars. Celebrity. You name it. I've even known some evangelicals get very carried away in idolising their ministers. Most bizarre.