Cha:

I don’t doubt your sincerity, but I asked you my question to flush you out into the open. I suspect that you have been influenced by the errors of the SDA or Watchtower, both Arian, both being anti-Catholic, and while claiming the importance of the Sacred Scriptures they along with Trinitarian Protestantism follow a callous disregard for Sacred Scripture.

Your first error is in isolating Sacred Scripture and not seeing it for what it is, what the Catholic Church treats it as. As Catholic we hold the Sacred Scriptures to be the Living Word of God. It is for this reason that the Scriptures are not simply used as a tool for confounding the truth but rather we incorporate it into our very being. A look at an authentic Catholic life would include the example of the Church in the daily Liturgy. The Liturgy of the Hours, or Breviary and daily Mass are composed primarily of prayers from Sacred Scripture.

Now to how you have erred in your lengthy posting. Regarding isolating Scripture. God over the course of centuries laid out his plan for our redemption. If we look at the chronology of Scripture you will note a major theme starting with the Creation and Fall. After the Fall of mankind and the expulsion from Eden, God put into place what will in the end be fulfilled by the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Christ Jesus. While the Covenant with Moses, and the entirety of Israel is a very important advancement it is only one step in bringing the fullness of the truth to mankind. Do not forget that prior to the Covenant with Moses, there where those with Noah and Abraham. God does not reveal His entire plan at once, or mankind would not have accepted it. His plan does not stop with Moses, but goes on to become clear only in the conyext of Christ.

If you accept the Torah, as the Word of God, you cannot simply post what you have posted and overlook the description of the Temple in Jerusalem. God orders that cherubs and Brazen Bulls other images that would have been forbidden in your reading of the Scripture you quote are commanded. Let’s not forget the Brazen Serpent and the angels over the Ark. So either God lied, or is inconsistant, or you are reading the Sciptures through the myopic eyes of Ellen G. White or some other self appointed “prophet” who takes the Bible out of context and who’s insights ignore what Christians have believed from the time of the Apostles.

Now God has not simply commanded as the average Protestant is taught, “You shall not create graven images.” where most Protestants stop reading or quoting, but He continues, “and bow down to them and worship them…” God, if we read Scripture honestly does not forbid the making of an image of Himself or Angels, or anything in heaven or on earth absolutely, but rather as something that is worshipped. If we are to follow your isolating of Scriptures to it’s logical extreme, then you must destroy any family photographs that you have, for they are images of something from heaven or on earth, and do not depict every aspect of the person in the photo. Even more to the point, any photo of someone who is now dead, as it does not represent their current state would be an abomination.

As to particular images, I don’t like modern art for the most part. I also don’t like some of the sugar sweet holy cards and poorly produced religious art. That however is a matter of taste, and looking at religious art as a window into heaven, (As the Eastern Rite Catholics and Eastern Orthodox refer to icons) they do inspire us to higher and holier lives, when we are disposed properly. In that I while I don’t really care for the above mentioned styles, I also realize that Art, Sacred or Secular is not created with me in mind. Now this being said, there is never any excuse for such vile depictions of our Lord as those which depict crucifixes in jars of urine, nor other

Well enough from me tonight. You will be added to my prayers.