The Sin of Idolatry

I'm sure he would be glad to.  He has a beautiful one of the Maris Stella.  "Mary, Star of the Sea"

He's rather swamped right now, and has many to complete, but drop me a PM and we'll talk.

Angel wrote: Patty, Is that one of your husband's pictures ?

It's a copy of one of my husband's pictures.  This is how he paints icons. 

I find Catholics to be very iconoclastic in regards to religious figures. Patty popular consensus tells a much different story than how you're explaining it. Perhaps you are speaking for yourself and not Catholicism. You say that you do not venerate the images in the churches but respect them, however your late Pope John II (whom I respect) constantly kissed the crucifix stick that he is always seen with. Although I'm sure his intentions are purely different then what I'm presenting here the point is regardless what you call it it is still a veneration of an image. Mexican Catholics constantly worship Mary and many of them portray her in their churches and kiss at the feet of these statues and actually talk with these statues. I see them cry and bow before these statues.

Catholic history as I learned in Art class had some beautiful painting and sculptures but we know historically that the Catholic empire in Europe was very iconoclastic which is also became apart of the Catholic faith itself. The Jews have no image of Moses except through the images of late Jewish artist. Also when I see painting of Jesus on the walls it sickens me. Maybe because I know the history why Jesus is portrayed as a light skinned figure with long flowing hair......

The bad part about all religion is that ther eis too much cultural influence in them.....This is why portraying images even if its for pure intent is still bad. We cannot avoid being biased because we see things according to our own perspective.

DavidC wrote: I imagine when the Pope gets off stage his crucifix stick gets parked in a broom closet or umbrella stand.  It's not like he is waving the thing around a'la Harry Potter. Now can we discuss idolatry as it relates to that Dutch cartoon?  Or the way some Muslims venerate their physical copy of the Qu'ran?

I know you are being sarcastic, but seriously, this is why the Prophet forbade drawing religious symbols and emblems. People have a very real need to visualise and texturalise things. They want to be able to see and feel for themselves.

It is not much of a leap from drawing a picture of a Prophet, to visualising that Prophet when you pray, to praying to that vision. In order to avoid this all together, it was just forbidden.

To me, the Quran is a book. It is the Word of God in print, so it should be treated with respect, but it is a book. It is not a holy object.

As for the cartoons of the Prophet, come on. They were meant to be as offensive as they could possibly be, then reprinted to cause further offense. That really has nothing to do with idolatry. It has to do with purposefully denigrating a religion.

BTW, I have heard the the Pope soft-shoes it with his stick: a la Fred Astaire...