Joshua 7:6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the LORD, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. (NIV)
About the ark of the Lord:
Exodus 25 (KJV)
25:16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
25:17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
25:19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubim on the two ends thereof.
25:20 And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.
25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
Dalawang klase kasi ang mga Larawan ang binabang-git sa Bibliya.
Mayrong mga larawan na talagang ipinag babawal ng Dios. Like, baal, diana, astarot. Mga larawan na iniisip ng mga tao na dios nila. O mga bagay na ginagawa nilang dios. O sinasamba nila bilang dios. At sa aral ng Katoliko yan ay mali talaga. Sin of idolatry iyan sa aral ng Katoliko. Mga bagay na hindi totoong dios, na inisip at sinasambang dios.
Pero, mayroon namang mga larawan na hindi ipinagbabawal ng Dios. Mga larawan na hindi iniisip at sinasambang mga dios ng mga tao. Like, mga larawan ng mga Cherubin (Exodo 25:18-22). Mga larawan ng tao na hindi iniisip at sinasambang mga dios (Ezekiel 41:17-20).
Walang aral ang Katoliko na, iisiping dios, gagawing dios o sasambahing dios ang mga larawan. So hindi talaga nagtuturo ang katoliko ng Idolatria.
Kung makikita natin na ang mga katoliko ay lumoluhod sa mga larawan ng mga santo, hindi yan ibig sabihin na ginawang dios o iniisip at sinasambang dios ang mga larawan nila. Mayroon kasing luhod na hindi idolatry. Yong luhod o samba na ang ibig sabihin ay respect o veneration (Acts 16:29-30) (Daniel 2:46-47) (Joshua 7:6 ; Exodo 25:17-22)
May superlative degrees kasi ang worship o samba sa aral ng Katoliko.
Ang pinaka-mataas na samba ay para sa Dios lamang. Ang katawagan niyan sa grego ay Latria. Ang SAMBA na yan na pinaka-mataas, kung ibibigay ng tao sa iba, halimbawa, sa mga rebolto o mga larawan, yan ay maling-mali talaga. Yon ang dahilan, na nagagalit ang Dios sa mga tao, na yang samba na yan, na para sa KANYA LAMANG ay ibinigay nila sa iba.
Diba sabi ni Kristo, na ang para sa Dios, ay sa Dios. Ang sa Emperador naman, ay sa emperador din.
So kung ganyan, ang sa tao, ay sa tao rin, diba?
May worship o samba, na para sa tao. Secondary lang ito, at HINDI SAMBA NA PINAKA MATAAS. Ang katawagan nito sa grego ay Dulia. Nahahati ito sa dalawa. Hyper-Dulia at Dulia. Sa english, yan ay Special-veneration at Veneration lang.
Ang Hyper-Dulia o Special-veneration, ay samba para kay Mother Mary. Special, dahil, Mother siya sa ating pananampalataya (Genesis 3:15 ; Luke 1:48). At tandaan natin, na hindi ito samba na pinaka-mataas. Ang pinaka-mataas ay nananatiling para sa Dios lamang.
Ang Dulia o Veneration ay hindi rin pinaka-mataas. Ang samba na ito ay para sa ibang mga santo, o sa mga tao, o sa mga bagay na dapat mag-bigay tayo ng respect. DAHIL MGA GAWA SILANG LAHAT NG DIOS (Acts 16:29-30) (Daniel 2:46-47) (Joshua 7:6 ; Exodo 25:17-22) (Genesis 27:29 ; I-Samuel 28:14) (II-Hari 2:15 ; I-Chronicas 29:20) (II-Samuel 1:2 ; II-Kings 1:13).
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John 7:24 "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." (Objective not Subjective) Dapat alamin muna kung ano ang turo ng Simbahang Katoliko tungkol sa pagluhod, pagbubuhat at paghahalik sa mga Larawan at Rebulto ng mga Santo.... to derive an objective judgment....
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Sa totoo lang po sinunud po ng mga Katoliko ang citas ng Biblia na nagbabawal sa pagluluhod sa mga diyos-diyosan tulad nila ni:
-Astarte / Chemosh / Milcom (1 Har. 11:33) -Zeus / Hermes (Buh. 14:12)
-Dagon (1 Sam 5:5-7) Artemis (Buh. 19:27) -Mercury / Jupiter (Buh. 19:35)
-Baal (Roma 11:4 RSV)...ito ang tunay na mga dios-diosan
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ang pagsamba sa Dios sa espiritu ay hindi nangangahulogan na walang bagay na makikita sa harapan ng pagsamba sa kanya... malinaw.. na kahit na mga hindi katoliko ang sumasamba sa Dios sa kanilang mga simbahan... ay mayroong mga bagay na makikita sa harapan nila... katulad halimbawa sa ... mga Pastor at Ministro nila.... at ang dingding na makikita nila sa harapan sa loob ng mga simbahan nila...
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Hindi lahat na dasal ay asking to God alone, dahil ang dasal, ay pweding intindihin na asking favor or petition. Like in 2Cor5:20 si Pablo ay nag-dasal (asking favor) sa mga tao sa Corinto... ito: 2 Corinthians 5:20 "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we PRAY you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (KJV)
2 Kings 1:13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I PRAY thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. (KJV)
1 Kings 2:19 Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.
2:20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I PRAY thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay. (KJV)
At hindi lahat na pagluhod, ay para sa Dios lang:
Bowing down cannot be interpreted ALL THE TIME as worship of God (Latria). "When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor."(2 Samuel 9:6)
2 Samuel 1:2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor. (NIV)
2 Kings 1:13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. (KJV)
2 Kings 2:15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. (KJV)
Acts 16:27-30 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (KJV)
Hindi lahat na Samba o Worship ay samba na para sa Dios (Latria):
Genesis 37:7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance (shakah, worshiped) to my sheaf.
37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance (shakah, worshiped) to me. (KJV)
I Chronicles 29:20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king (David). (KJV)
Daniel 2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. (KJV)
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The various false gods and goddesses worshipped by the egyptians at the time of the exodus and ALL WERE ADDRESSED BY THE TEN PLAGUES to show the power pf YHWH above all of them: 1. Hapi was the god of the Nile and of fertility that was turned to blood in exodus 7. . .; 2. Heket was the frog goddess of fruitfulness destroyed by the plague of frogs that covered the land of egypt in exodus 8; 3.Kepher was the bettle god or symbol of the sun; 4. Shu was the egyptian god of the air destroyed by the plague of flies; 5. Apis, Hathar and Kanum are all gods of all livestock destroyed and diseased; 6. Sekhmet was the god of healing and relief destroyed by the plague of boils; 7.Nut was the sky goddess destroyed by the plague of thunder and hail in exodus 9. . .;8. Serapis was the god protector destroyed in the plague of locusts; 9.Ra was the sun-goddess destroyed by the plague of darkness; and 10. the pharoah himself was worshipped as a god and addressed by the Passover where EVERY firstborn son will die . . .thus we have the Passover meal where they have to SACRIFICE A LAMB . . .a typology. . .in the new covenant JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD in the PASSOVER MEAL which was the LAST SUPPER . . .. so much to read and know about the STORY OF ISRAEL for us to understand our CATHOLIC FAITH . . .
These were the statues/images that the egyptians made among many others . .. that is why these were IDOLS as they were made to represent particular false god/goddess and are being WORSHIPPED . . .. as compared to the statues/images of mary and the saints who are PERSONS and members of the BODY OF CHRIST who are ALIVE in heaven . . .and whom we love as god commanded us. . .to love god and to love our neighbor as well . . . (From-Ramon-Saguin)
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The real biblical meaning of idolatry is not prohibiting statues and paintings, but worshipping fake gods and committing sin as Paul says: “Put to death the parts of you that earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires and that lust that is idolatry” (Col 3:5).
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More: (links)
Cebuano Radio Shows about worshiping Images: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL25JYkcIXt9pPs_Ts3ROkgGfXHq6SPmAM
English Audio about Idolatry: http://youtu.be/aphATU2JHt4
Praying to Saints: http://youtu.be/8h0Gh5pCO98
Graven Images / Altering the Commandments: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/apologetics/catholic-doctrines-and-practices/graven-images-altering-the-commandments/