[quote:nbxlaodd]The reproduction of the images of Christ were started when Christians in Rome were affected by Roman cultures, which used sculptrues to represent their pagan gods. I heard this from my catholic world religion teacher.[/quote:nbxlaodd]
St. Paul used the Pagan altar in Athens (Acts 17:22-34) as a teaching device to show the pagans the truth of Christ. So any adoption of Pagan images to teach Christian truths has a basis in Apostolic teaching. He did not condemn the use of statues per se, simply that none of the idols could compare with God. Trying to argue that the use, or reuse of formerly pagan statues by the Early Church is evidence that the Catholic Church abandoned God’s law just does not hold water. I could use your argument and simply state that as you cannot describe all the atributes of God, and His absolute perfection, you neigher know Him nor should speak of Him.

Your either heard your world religion teacher incorrectly or he did not get the story quite correctly. What did happen in the Early Church is as Chrisitanity was legalized and the old Temples and Basilicae (plural for Basilica) where converted into Christian Churches, the old statues where recycled, or re-named for Christian Saints, and God. But once again they where not worshiped as was the Golden Calf. I’ll get back to the Calf in a minute. Prior to the Christianization of pagan sculpture, we find in the ancient meeting places of the Early Christians depictions of Jesus as the Good Shepheard, and in other depictions of Him. We also see other depictions of God, but once again they are not themselves worshiped, but used to inspire the soul to higher concepts of God.

I’ll add this in a separate section because the evidence is still being examined in Rihab Jordan where a recently discovered Church dating from Circa 33-70 AD is being excavated. What the actual mosaics on the floors will reveal we have yet to see. The fact may be that even if the newly discovered Church has Christian roots from just after the Crucifixion and triumph over death by Jesus, the mosaics may be of later date, and would have little bearing in our discussion.

Back to the golden Calf. You are somewhat correct that in your statement about Aaron calling for a solemnity of the Lord. However you only come half way to the truth. Human Beings from the Fall in the garden have been fickle and half hearted when it comes to living up to our end of the various covenants made between Noah, Abraham, Moses and God. What Aaron did wrong was to have copied the practices of the pagans not simply in the crafting of a statue that was worshipped, but he also did as the Pagans did, he equated the One and Only God with the local pagan gods. Aaron led the Children of Israel into the error of accepting that one religion is as good as the next. It was not as your novel ideas suppose that the golden calf was an inaccurate depiction of the One True God, but that it was just as good, and any god was just as good as the One God.

[quote:nbxlaodd]Remember Michealongelo’s picture, where God the Father and Adam were discribed as two conversationers. How God the Father was described as riding some clouds, according to my memory. It was painted in the dome of a Roman Catholic Church.[/quote:nbxlaodd]
You are thinking of the ceiling of the Sixtine, (also called the Sistine) Chapel in the Vatican. The Bible also speaks of Adam “walking” with God. Images be they in word or art describe to us the various aspects of God. Until we see Him, “Face to Face” we will not know all His glory. To use that as an excuse to not inspire in our hearts and minds a greaterdesire to know Him is a very lame excuse to attack something that has come down to us from the days of the Apostles.

[quote:nbxlaodd]What we beget is identical to us.
What we creat is inferior to us.
We should never even indirectly encourage our fellow Chirstians to have the wrong conceptions of God, because of the imperfect images – and all Catholic images are too imperfect to point out to God, by their substances, alone.[/quote:nbxlaodd]
I find it hard to believe that you came up with this, strange and upsurd statement yourself. Please identify where it came from, as it has little bearing on what the Bible teaches us in the context of the whole.