Sacred Images

RayneBeau

RayneBeau

Well-known member
Those of us who grew up in the Roman Catholic Church are accustomed to 'sacred images'; they are a BIG part of the Roman Catholic Church's peculiar 'style of 'faith.' In the RCC churches and homes there were statues of the BVM, the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, crucifix's, Infant of Prague, St. Joseph, Holy Family, and St. Christopher carrying the infant Jesus on his shoulders (however, today's RCC now says that St. Christopher never existed).
Inside the RCC parish church was an endless display of holy pictures depicting events in the life of Jesus. In some Jesus was pointing to His sacred heart (unbiblical), in others the colors of the rainbow streamed from His heart (unbiblical). There were unscriptural pictures of angels being present at a child's first Communion, and of course there was always pictures of Mary "the refuge of sinners" (absolute heresy captured in RCC artwork).
Kneelers were always provided for a Roman Catholic to kneel in prayer before a specific plaster and paint saint to pray for that saint's intercession or for a personal favor. There would always be an array of votive candles to buy and light to burn before these graven images invoking their special intercession till the wick burned out. All of this of course is in outright disobedience to God who specifically told man that he was not to make or have access to - much less boldly kneel before and directly pray to graven images!
 
RayneBeau said:
Those of us who grew up in the Roman Catholic Church are accustomed to 'sacred images'; they are a BIG part of the Roman Catholic Church's peculiar 'style of 'faith.' In the RCC churches and homes there were statues of the BVM, the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, crucifix's, Infant of Prague, St. Joseph, Holy Family, and St. Christopher carrying the infant Jesus on his shoulders (however, today's RCC now says that St. Christopher never existed).
Inside the RCC parish church was an endless display of holy pictures depicting events in the life of Jesus. In some Jesus was pointing to His sacred heart (unbiblical), in others the colors of the rainbow streamed from His heart (unbiblical). There were unscriptural pictures of angels being present at a child's first Communion, and of course there was always pictures of Mary "the refuge of sinners" (absolute heresy captured in RCC artwork).
Kneelers were always provided for a Roman Catholic to kneel in prayer before a specific plaster and paint saint to pray for that saint's intercession or for a personal favor. There would always be an array of votive candles to buy and light to burn before these graven images invoking their special intercession till the wick burned out. All of this of course is in outright disobedience to God who specifically told man that he was not to make or have access to - much less boldly kneel before and directly pray to graven images!
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I remember seeing some old movies with Catholics in it, praying to images of saints. Of course, one would say it is just a movie, but it still made me gag. One old movie had John Wayne in it, as a downed pilot in France in WWII. A French woman was helping him. She prayed to a statue of St. Joan of Arc for help.

Another movie "An Affair to Remember", the remake with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, had them visiting Grant's character's grandmother. She was Catholic and had a shrine to the Virgin Mary, with Mary being fairly large, like about 2/3 life size. If memory serves, she did have a very small crucifix at the shrine, off to one side--more like an afterthought, I remember thinking.

Now, I have seen statues of Jesus in our churches, but they are not all over the place, nor are they venerated. They are just decoration. And not all our churches have them. No one ever prays to the statues.
 
Bonnie said:
Now, I have seen statues of Jesus in our churches, but they are not all over the place, nor are they venerated. They are just decoration. And not all our churches have them. No one ever prays to the statues.
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No graven images means no graven images!
 
Bonnie said:
I remember seeing some old movies with Catholics in it, praying to images of saints. Of course, one would say it is just a movie, but it still made me gag. One old movie had John Wayne in it, as a downed pilot in France in WWII. A French woman was helping him. She prayed to a statue of St. Joan of Arc for help.

Another movie "An Affair to Remember", the remake with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, had them visiting Grant's character's grandmother. She was Catholic and had a shrine to the Virgin Mary, with Mary being fairly large, like about 2/3 life size. If memory serves, she did have a very small crucifix at the shrine, off to one side--more like an afterthought, I remember thinking.

Now, I have seen statues of Jesus in our churches, but they are not all over the place, nor are they venerated. They are just decoration. And not all our churches have them. No one ever prays to the statues.
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As I grew up in a staunch RC family, my understanding of God was strictly fashioned by what I saw in sacred imagery at home and in church, and also in the "Legion of Decency" approved list of TV and movies acceptable for Roman Catholics to watch, which was published every week, and as children our viewing of anything on TV or at the movie theater had to meet with the approval of the Roman Catholic Church's "Legion of Decency" listings as to what was acceptable and what wasn't. It was VERY restrictive. This was one way that the RCC used to control the minds of RCC children and adults in their own homes, and for many RC children growing up in that unfortunate era of Roman Catholic control in the USA. And so, many RC children grew up with the understanding of God that was fashioned by what we saw in all of the creatively placed and used pagan and religious sacred imagery that overflowed within Roman Catholic churches and was often replicated in Roman Catholic homes.
 
RayneBeau said:
Those of us who grew up in the Roman Catholic Church are accustomed to 'sacred images'; they are a BIG part of the Roman Catholic Church's peculiar 'style of 'faith.' In the RCC churches and homes there were statues of the BVM, the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, crucifix's, Infant of Prague, St. Joseph, Holy Family, and St. Christopher carrying the infant Jesus on his shoulders (however, today's RCC now says that St. Christopher never existed).
Inside the RCC parish church was an endless display of holy pictures depicting events in the life of Jesus. In some Jesus was pointing to His sacred heart (unbiblical), in others the colors of the rainbow streamed from His heart (unbiblical). There were unscriptural pictures of angels being present at a child's first Communion, and of course there was always pictures of Mary "the refuge of sinners" (absolute heresy captured in RCC artwork).
Kneelers were always provided for a Roman Catholic to kneel in prayer before a specific plaster and paint saint to pray for that saint's intercession or for a personal favor. There would always be an array of votive candles to buy and light to burn before these graven images invoking their special intercession till the wick burned out. All of this of course is in outright disobedience to God who specifically told man that he was not to make or have access to - much less boldly kneel before and directly pray to graven images!
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Now St Christopher is no longer a saint. Whoops. Shows you what a waste of time all that bowing and scaping before him meant. Those medals were just a nice decoration and did nothing.
 
RayneBeau said:
As I grew up in a staunch RC family, my understanding of God was strictly fashioned by what I saw in sacred imagery at home and in church, and also in the "Legion of Decency" approved list of TV and movies acceptable for Roman Catholics to watch, which was published every week, and as children our viewing of anything on TV or at the movie theater had to meet with the approval of the Roman Catholic Church's "Legion of Decency" listings as to what was acceptable and what wasn't. It was VERY restrictive. This was one way that the RCC used to control the minds of RCC children and adults in their own homes, and for many RC children growing up in that unfortunate era of Roman Catholic control in the USA. And so, many RC children grew up with the understanding of God that was fashioned by what we saw in all of the creatively placed and used pagan and religious sacred imagery that overflowed within Roman Catholic churches and was often replicated in Roman Catholic homes.
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The Legion of Decency was a niche idea and never an approved Catholic authority. So don't attribute that to the Church.
 
Stella1000 said:
The Legion of Decency was a niche idea and never an approved Catholic authority. So don't attribute that to the Church.
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Excusing your ignorance, I will attribute it to the Roman Catholic Church. It was published in a an official weekly Roman Catholic newspaper, sold by subscription for home delivery, and was also sold weekly in the newstands. "The Tidings", was delivered and sold in the Los Angeles, Ca. diocese's every single week for at least 20 years and was promoted and applauded from the podium in the all the RC churches and schools in the LA dioceses. The Legion of Decency section was pinned up on the parish bulletin boards every single week and was highly encouraged to be used by all Roman Catholics before viewing anything on TV or in the theaters.
 
pilgrim said:
No graven images means no graven images!
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For the purpose of worshiping and serving them. God commanded golden graven images of angels on the Ark of the Covenant. They were not venerated or worshiped. God commanded the formation of the brass serpent, so that those who had been bitten by venomous snakes could look to it and be cured. It wasn't until it was worshiped, that Gideon destroyed it.

Venerating statues is wrong.
 
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RayneBeau said:
Excusing your ignorance, I will attribute it to the Roman Catholic Church. It was published in a an official weekly Roman Catholic newspaper, sold by subscription for home delivery, and was also sold weekly in the newstands. "The Tidings", was delivered and sold in the Los Angeles, Ca. diocese's every single week for at least 20 years and was promoted and applauded from the podium in the all the RC churches and schools in the LA dioceses. The Legion of Decency section was pinned up on the parish bulletin boards every single week and was highly encouraged to be used by all Roman Catholics before viewing anything on TV or in the theaters.
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I remember the L of D condemning some risque' movies in the 60's. It most definitely was important to the RCC. At least then.
 
RayneBeau said:
Those of us who grew up in the Roman Catholic Church are accustomed to 'sacred images'; they are a BIG part of the Roman Catholic Church's peculiar 'style of 'faith.' In the RCC churches and homes there were statues of the BVM, the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, crucifix's, Infant of Prague, St. Joseph, Holy Family, and St. Christopher carrying the infant Jesus on his shoulders (however, today's RCC now says that St. Christopher never existed).
Inside the RCC parish church was an endless display of holy pictures depicting events in the life of Jesus. In some Jesus was pointing to His sacred heart (unbiblical), in others the colors of the rainbow streamed from His heart (unbiblical). There were unscriptural pictures of angels being present at a child's first Communion, and of course there was always pictures of Mary "the refuge of sinners" (absolute heresy captured in RCC artwork).
Kneelers were always provided for a Roman Catholic to kneel in prayer before a specific plaster and paint saint to pray for that saint's intercession or for a personal favor. There would always be an array of votive candles to buy and light to burn before these graven images invoking their special intercession till the wick burned out. All of this of course is in outright disobedience to God who specifically told man that he was not to make or have access to - much less boldly kneel before and directly pray to graven images!
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Catholics and the E.O. love their icons. Not all of the ecfs held to that view.

Epiphanaius;

I came to a villa called Anablatha and, as I was passing, saw a lamp burning there. Asking what place it was, and learning it to be a church, I went in to pray, and found there a curtain hanging on the doors of the said church, dyed and embroidered. It bore an image either of Christ or of one of the saints; I do not rightly remember whose the image was. Seeing this, and being loth that an image of a man should be hung up in Christ’s church contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures, I tore it asunder and advised the custodians of the place to use it as a winding sheet for some poor person. They, however, murmured, and said that if I made up my mind to tear it, it was only fair that I should give them another curtain in its place. As soon as I heard this, I promised that I would give one, and said that I would send it at once. Since then there has been some little delay, due to the fact that I have been seeking a curtain of the best quality to give to them instead of the former one, and thought it right to send to Cyprus for one. I have now sent the best that I could find, and I beg that you will order the presbyter of the place to take the curtain which I have sent from the hands of the Reader, and that you will afterwards give directions that curtains of the other sort—opposed as they are to our religion—shall not be hung up in any church of Christ. A man of your uprightness should be careful to remove an occasion of offence
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He tore that curtain up on the spot, no discussion. Then called all such curtains, an occasion of offense. This is the late 4th century. Since the rcc loves its ecf's so much why isn't anyone imitating Epiphanaius?
 
RayneBeau said:
What does the Bible have to say about the making of sacred images and venerating the persons they represent?
What does the Roman Catholic Church have to say?
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"Venerating" is nothing more than the Roman Catholic PRACTICE of Worshiping whatever "Blessed Virgin" thing, or "Canonized Saint" thing that the deluded Catholic has been taught to believe will get them what they want from God. REMEMBER - one can't be "Canonized" without "proving" that he can arm-twist God to do miracles when they're prayed to.
 
RayneBeau said:
Excusing your ignorance, I will attribute it to the Roman Catholic Church. It was published in a an official weekly Roman Catholic newspaper, sold by subscription for home delivery, and was also sold weekly in the newstands. "The Tidings", was delivered and sold in the Los Angeles, Ca. diocese's every single week for at least 20 years and was promoted and applauded from the podium in the all the RC churches and schools in the LA dioceses. The Legion of Decency section was pinned up on the parish bulletin boards every single week and was highly encouraged to be used by all Roman Catholics before viewing anything on TV or in the theaters.
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USA Los Angeles is not the sum of the global Catholic Church.
 
PeanutGallery said:
How many of the Israelites prayed to the angels?
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I think that was Bonnie's point. ?
Anyway, the Ark with the cherubim was in the Holiest of Holies, where only the High Priest could go, and that but once a year. The Holiest of Holies was inside the Holy Place, where only Levitical priests were allowed. So the chance of a regular, non-Levitical Jew even seeing the cherubim was zip, zero, zilch, and nada.

--Rich
"Esse quam videri"
 
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