Idol Worship

Something I've seen Catholic's get accused of by our non-Catholic brothers and sisters is our supposed "worship" of statues and pictures. They accuse us of idolatry. I'll see comments like "they bow down to statues... they worship statues...etc."

I used to hear about Catholics being accused of this but I thought maybe it was just paranoia on our part. But no, it's really true, we still get accused of this stuff to the point that the accusers have made such a caricature of themselves by caricaturing us. If you want to see some examples go to the combox discussions here and here and this forum thread here.

Take a "bow" everyone or don't because that must mean you worship whatever it is that you bow at. I suppose the next time I go to a concert or play then I'm to assume that I'm being worshipped when the performers "bow down" to me. I think Shameless Popery does an excellent job of debunking this myth of "statue" worship that Catholics are accused of. So I suggest reading his post on the subject. First of all it's not bowing, it's kneeling and kneeling does not automatically mean "worship." If I kneel before a statue that doesn't mean I'm worshiping. People kneel before the Queen of England. People kneel before a grave of someone they love or respect. Kneeling is a sign of respect. Signs of respect don't equal worship. Worship is what's in your heart. It's when you put something, (hopefully God,) above all else and it is done in your heart and mind. I only worship God. If I worshipped anything other than God, I would be in grave sin according to the Catholic Church.

Now, I'm going to let our accusers in on a little secret. Yes, we Catholics can be guilty of idol worship... BUT, it's not the statues you should be concerned with. In fact, I'd be willing to bet our accusers are guilty too.

Let's be honest here, I have a statue of Mary in my house. I have some pictures of Mary and Jesus. What would I gain in worshiping these objects? The objects in it of themselves are not all that exciting and in fact, I should probably go dust them off. In Exodus the objects the Israelites worshipped were made of gold and sparkly. You know, GOLD, a very valuable metal that can be used to get things and show off one's status in the world. Kind of like money. Hmm. money. Ah yes, money. Paper and not so precious metal coins that get us STUFF. Things like IPads, cars, jewelry, designer handbags. A statue of Mary on the other hand, hmm not so much. I love Mary like I love my own mother. I don't worship either. Other than being a reminder of the wonderful creature God chose to come into this world I don't find a statue of Mary particularly exciting. Certainly not enough to distract me from God. An IPad on the other hand, well that's definitely flashy and exciting. And it's definitely something that could distract me from God.

IPad- potential idol.

Statue of Mary- Meh.

Somehow, I doubt Catholics are the only ones that get distracted with things like IPads, Nintendo Wii, designer handbags, their favorite football team, Nike shoes, etc. I have a hunch many protestants, Jews, Budhists, Atheists and secularist are lured by these material things which ultimately lead us further away from God if we let them or if we even care that they can. And these material things never fill our hunger that we ultimately have for God. Which is why God tells us not have false gods. They are bad for us. They don't satisfy. They lead to other sins which damage us and those around us.

Bottom line, if it leads you AWAY from God, it's an idol. It's a false god. If it leads you TO God, it's not an idol. Mary leads me to Jesus. The saints lead me to Jesus. The Bible leads me to Jesus,(although, the Bible can become an idol when it is used as a weapon for pride.)  And sometimes I may avoid these things because they're not as fun and sparkly. Instead, they are sobering and instructive. But they ultimately bring me closer to God and then I experience the joy of being in communion with God.

The treasures of the world in it of themselves aren't idols. They can be good things that bring temporary enjoyment as the fruits of labor. But when they come before God, they become idols. This is why many religious orders take a vow of poverty. They don't want anything to get in the way of their service and relationship to God. It's ironic because Catholics are accused of letting statues of Mary and the saints as a barrier to our relationship with Christ and yet there's the Joel Osteens preaching "name it and claim it" on some car or house. Material "blessings" as he calls it. And then you have St. Francis who unloaded all his wealth and belongings to the poor. He got rid of everything, even the clothes on his back. He saw material things as a impediment to his relationship and mission to God. Of the two, who's really guilty of idol worship? St. Francis or Joel Osteen?

So, please, if you're railing against Catholics because we have statues of Jesus, Mary and the saints, shift your focus elsewhere. Worry about your own idols and false gods. I know what mine are and they're not in statue form. My false gods and idols are like many in this western industrial world. Gadgets and toys, money, the computer, the tv. All are brimming with potential for idol worship.