Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunth0807
Seeing as this is one of the Commandments, how can you consider tats not a sin?
Good question, and one I know we disagree on.
A graven image is not supposed to be made if it is going to be worshiped - the next line (Exodus 20:5 'You shall not bow down to them or worship them".
It is absolutely against the commandment to make an idol and worship it, or a craven image and worship it. However I believe it is not against God's law to prevent us from making any image of anything, but to not worship those images.
You believe that Catholics worship these images, but I can assure you we do not. I'm not saying that all of us don't as I'm sure some bad Catholics might, but that's not the official teachings and certainly that's not the way I do it. When I look at the cross I meditate on it and it helps me focus my prayer and have my mind not wander off.
Around 700-800AD in Church history there was the iconoclasms, where there are a lot of destruction of icons. Eventually it was decided that it was okay to make images because it helps people pray and is beneficial in the way I described above.