Good day, Mr. Steve Ray!
We have a concern regarding the many statues of Saints and Mama Mary and Jesus all over the Philippines. It seems the Filipinos are exaggerating with those statues and images. What is your say to this? Is this against the second commandment of God that we should not make any graven image of the heaven above (or on the earth or under the earth)?
Thanks for your questions and comments. I hope and expect that they’re coming from an honest heart seriously seeking the truth.
I have been to the Philippines six times doing large conferences, parish missions and talks with lots of evangelization, apologetics and Bible teaching.
One of the things that I learned about the wonderful Filipino people is that they are easily susceptible to Protestant groups (mainly from the United States) who come there and try to trick Catholics into leaving the Catholic Church. The whole issue of “idols“ is one of their trickiest methods. Read my Open Letter to the Filipino People.
Remember also, that it seems that God broke his own commandment when he sent his Son Jesus to the earth. St. Paul tells us in Colossians 1:15 that “Jesus is the ‘image’ of the invisible God.“
Thanks again for writing and if you want to read more on this matter, I suggest you read my article “Do Catholics Worship Mary.” Also, check out Catholic Answers tract “Do Catholics Worship Statues?“
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Dear Mr Ray, Im from the Philippines and Im happy to know you were able to visit our country 6 times already. Im a Catholic practicing physician and I do have a small statue of the Sacred Heart and several small laminated pictures of the Divine Mercy. I would like to emphasize to the readers who observed that the Filipino Catholics are keeping lots of statues of representations of Jesus, saints and etc., we do not worship them. It’s just like we are keeping photos of someone very much loved and dear to us…and when we see these statues…we are reminded of God’s love for us. We are consciously aware the the images are simple reminders that God is with us. People we get to understand us by researching the history of our Catholic faith in the Philippines in relation to our culture and it’s evolution. Thanks.
I’m from Philippines also. Well, I don’t understand why our brothers/sisters from other religions are scandalized if we have images/statues in our churches, homes, cars and offices (common in the Phil). What i found out those who criticize are normally former Catholics who left the faith without understanding the fundamentals of our faith. It’s so sad. Little knowledge is really dangerous as one will say anything and everything out of that little knowledge. God bless!
An idol can be anything one gives his whole heart to. It can be money, gadgets, or even your spouse. Anything that you give more time to, more than the time you give to God – is your idol. If you look at a saint and admire them, they will lead you to Jesus. If you look at an idol, this will lead you to be lost. Don't you think? Thank you for answering this important topic!
STEVE RAY HERE: Calej, you are correct. People in the biblical times had visible gods made with their own hands that they bowed to in worship. Jews and Christians were forbidden from making such idols or gods to bow down and worship.
We don’t have those kind of idol-gods in the moderner Western world (though Hindus do). We make other gods, like you said — money, sex, pleasure, drugs or alcohol, sports, etc. Anything that takes the place of God becomes a god.
“Trick Protestant groups” preach the fact that a believer in Christ can pray directly to God, can confess sins in the same way, not that the congregation must consider the priest as their only connection to him. Where in scriptures is there mention of pergatory? The answer, nowhere. Absent from the body, present with the Lord.
STEVE RAY HERE: Scott, I would suggest you rethink your use of 2 Cor 5:6-8 since first, you are misquoting Scripture – shame on you. Second, it supports Catholic teaching. You may also want to spell Purgatory correctly if you are presenting yourself as an expert on the matter.
To help you out a bit, my friend, you may want to read my article on 2 Cor 5:6-8. There is also a link there to my article on the biblical basis for purgatory. Happy reading.
https://catholicconvert.com/absent-from-the-body-present-with-the-lord-2/
Hello Steve,
Appreciated you visited my native country multiple times. Yes indeed Philippines is the fertile ground for the innocence souls trading St Peter with Judas. I am one of them but thanks for the Church more than 2000 years of answering the questions of the Salvation of our soul. Thanks also for your works and also Catholic answers resources which made me stand out and start engaging non Catholics for all the false charges they made in our Holy Mother Church. The nature of my work as Sr. Engineer surrounded with majority of Protestant with MS and PHD in engineering enable me to start throwing curve ball in their faith as a protestant. Given enough knowledge about why a Catholic is in defensive mode when we ask about bible verses that was cherry pick and appear to be in contradiction with our faith. When I learned that the Bible is indeed a Catholic books the engagement was now different. I am now in driving side asking a lot of questions regarding Bible alone idea until they running out of gas. My encounter was a triangle conversation between seventh-day adventist and saddleback church christian while watching my 4 kiddos on the park. Both of them are united to attack our Church using cherry pick bibles verses raining down on me but thanks to my logical approaches steering them to dropped bible verses for the mean time until foundational understanding of the Bible authority resolved. Both of them agreed that Bible alone is the sole source of authority in their respected church. I proposed to them to help me as Catholic using a bible alone to resolved the conflict of worship day between Saturday-seventh day and Sunday-christian. I am on driving seat leaving them to attend to my kiddos needs and promise to be back with them after 20-30 minutes. Bible verses is flying and then it appears stand-off is happening, time past and I check what is the verdict, they both answers verses was interpreted wrong in each sides. As a Catholic who love them I offer the TRUTH that one of them is wrong and bible alone can’t resolve it. We need the Catholic Church who gave us the Bible and the founder is Jesus Christ to speak and resolved the conflict. Parting ways I gave them my contact number if they have any question about our Catholic faith.
STEVE RAY HERE: Bravo. God bless you! I am going to share your e-mail with my friend in Manila to support you! Henry Siy: henrysiy@gmail.com
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