THE BIBLE SUPPORTS CATHOLIC USE OF IMAGES AND
STATUES
A very good explanation of why Catholics use images and
statues of Saints, and the biblical support for this practice is
given by Rev. Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri OSJ. Enjoy this
explanation below:

QUESTION: WHY DO CATHOLICS MAKE USE OF IMAGES
WHEN GOD COMMANDED IN EXODUS CHAPTER 20 NOT TO
MAKE IMAGES?”

RESPONSE:
Over and over again, many non-Catholics keep criticizing our
use of images in the Catholic Church. They see it as a major
problem with us (Catholics) and as such, they often refer us to
the book of Exodus chapter 20; consequently condemning or
charging us with idolatry. Personally, I see this as an act of
ignorance; if only they (i.e those who accuse the Catholic
Church of idolatry), had read the bible properly, they would
have understood better and stop their criticisms.
Now let us examine their claims…

PROTESTANTS’ CLAIMS
The non Catholics often refer us to the Commandments;
which according to the first commandment, God said: “I am
the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods
before me. 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. 20:2–5).

OUR RESPONSE:
God does not prohibit statues or images; he prohibits the
adoration of them. If God truly meant that we were not to
possess any statues at all, then he would later contradict
himself. Just five chapters after this commandment in Exodus
20, God commanded Moses to build the ARK of the Covenant,
which would contain the presence of God and was to be
venerated as the holiest place in all of Israel.

Here is what God
commanded Moses concerning the statues on it: “AND YOU
SHALL MAKE TWO CHERUBIM OF GOLD; OF HAMMERED
WORK SHALL YOU MAKE THEM, ON THE TWO ENDS OF THE
MERCY SEAT. MAKE ONE CHERUB ON THE ONE END, AND
ONE CHERUB ON THE OTHER END; OF ONE PIECE WITH THE
MERCY SEAT SHALL YOU MAKE THE CHERUBIM ON ITS TWO
ENDS.” (Ex. 25:18–19).

In Numbers 21:8–9, not only did our Lord order Moses to
make another statue in the form of a bronze serpent, he
commanded the children of Israel to look to it in order to be
healed. The context of the passage is one where Israel had
rebelled against God, and a plague of deadly snakes was sent
as a just punishment. This statue of a snake had no power of
itself—we know from John 3:14 it was merely a type of Christ
—but God used this image of a snake as an instrument to
effect healing in his people.

Further, in 1 Kings 6, Solomon built a temple for the glory of
God, described as follows: “In the inner sanctuary he made
two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. . . . He put
the IMAGE of the cherubim in the innermost part of the house.
. . . He carved all the walls of the house roundabout with
carved figures of cherubim and palm trees, and open flowers,
in the inner and outer rooms. . . . For the entrance to the inner
sanctuary he made doors of olivewood. . . . He covered the
two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees,
and open flowers; he overlaid them with gold (1 Kgs. 6:23, 27,
29, 31, 32). King Solomon ordered the construction of multiple
images of things both “in heaven above” (angels) and “in the
earth beneath” (palm trees and open flowers). And then, after
the completion of the temple, GOD DECLARED HE WAS
PLEASED WITH ITS CONSTRUCTION (1 KGS. 9:3).
Now for those who criticize the catholic Church; didn’t God
know what King Solomon had done? It becomes apparent,
given the above evidence, that a strictly literal interpretation of
Exodus 20:2–5 is erroneous. Otherwise, we would have to
conclude that God prohibits something in Exodus 20 and he
commands the same thing elsewhere.
Why would God use these images of serpents, angels, palm
trees, and open flowers? Why didn’t he heal the people
directly rather than use a “graven image”? Why didn’t he
command Moses and Solomon to build an ark and a temple
void of any images at all?
I hope the fact is becoming clear now…

ANOTHER OBJECTION BY PROTESTANTS
Many Protestants will claim that, while Catholics may say they
do not adore statues, their actions prove otherwise… Catholics
kiss statues, bow down before them, and pray in front of
them. According to the protestants, that represents the
adoration that is due God alone.

OUR RESPONSE:
The problem was not with the bowing; it was with the
adoration. Bowing does not necessarily entail adoration. For
example, Jacob bowed to the ground on his knees seven times
to his elder brother Esau (Gen. 33:3), Bathsheba bowed to her
husband David (1 Kgs. 1:16), and Solomon bowed to his
mother Bathsheba (1 Kgs. 2:19). In fact, in Revelation 3:9,
John records the words of Jesus: “Behold, I will make those
of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are
not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down
before your feet, and learn that I have loved you.” This simply
indicates that there are different categories of “bow” or
“worship” as clearly seen in the examples above. We have the
LATRIA which is the adoration due to God alone; this is clearly
different from the relational worship or we give to ourselves to
indicate respect. This is very clear with the Yoruba culture of
Nigeria, where a child prostrates or lies down to greet an
elder. This does not mean that he is rendering the elder a
Latria worship or guilty of idolatry, however, it is just a
relational worship which indicates respect. HENCE, WE MUST
KNOW THAT THE IDEA OF “WORSHIP” IS VERY BROAD AND
ITS USAGE MUST FLOW WITH THE PROPER SENTIMENT
WHICH INDICATES WHAT IT REALLY MEANS.
My humble recommendation remains that the Catholic Church
does not believe any statue or image has any power in and of
itself, it is God who heals and blesses us. The beauty of statues and icons move us to the
contemplation of the Word of God as he is himself or as he
works in his saints. And, according to the Scripture, as well as
the testimony of the centuries, God even uses them at times
to impart blessings (e.g., healings) according to his
providential plan.

CONCLUSION
I suppose the message we should send to those outside of
the Catholic Church who don’t get why we bow down before,
kiss, put flowers in front of, etc. statues and icons, is that we
Catholics take very seriously the biblical injunctions to praise
and honor great members of God’s family.Besides, it is however, surprising that the critics of the Catholic Church take photographs, hang it at home and often times kiss them.

Hence, following the command not to make
any image at all, 99% of them equally guilty of idolatry, if we
are to take that portion of the Scripture so literarily.
For us, having statues or images is just as natural as—you
guessed it—having your pictures or those of your loves ones,
especially those that have departed from us. Most times we
keep these images or pictures of our relations in our wallets or
at homes or even in our electronic devices, which remind us of
the ones we love here on earth.
Hence, our use of images in the Church which reminds us of
the heavenly beings is a far cry from idolatry.

Also, in John 3:14-15 Jesus himself said; As Moses lifted up the the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man **MUST** be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. Now does it mean that the serpent which they gazed on is their God? CAPITAL NO. But they followed God's instruction and were healed....they were not praying to the serpent but to God.

Are you more Christian than Christ? or even more Christian than St. Peter the first Pope or even more Christian than St. Paul, or even St Ignatius who worked with the last apostles and Disciples. and who named the Church Catholic, meaning Universal church for the whole world. He named the Church Catholic hundred years after the death of Christ. YOU CANT BE MORE CATHOLIC THAN THE POPE.
As we gaze upon the crucifix of Christ John 3:14-15, may we be healed and receive our blessings from God as we pray, amen.

No matter how you tried to twist the Bible it not biblical to worship any graven image it may interest you to know that the greatest alter of worship in man is the heart , be remembered that those image are molded by man. I detest the Catholic Church for this reason

you adopt graven images to please God, the same things a proper spiritual Herbalist will do to please it own god, you have proven that by heart the Catholic are heathen