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Following your line of reasoning you would have to concur that:...

Are you prepared to use identical arguments to justify anything? Or just this?

Didn't God say "to the Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up...'"? Please, explain to us all how God planning things - assuming, of course, that God planned all that you claim in Michelangelo's life - explain how God planning and arranging things justifies rebellion against Him.

No, my FRiend, that which proves too much proves nothing at all.

In fact, in your post, you typed the word "God." In doing so, YOU rendered a graphic representation of the Deity using visual symbols

That's about the silliest argument I've ever heard in favor of making graven images! Surely you know the difference between "verbal" and "graphic", between an object's NAME and a PICTURE of that object. If not, go ask a 4-year-old if you can borrow her copy of "My First Reader".

Good grief. What utter silliness.

"That's about the silliest argument I've ever heard in favor of making graven images! Surely you know the difference between "verbal" and "graphic", between an object's NAME and a PICTURE of that object. If not, go ask a 4-year-old if you can borrow her copy of "My First Reader". "

LOL...written letters and words are visual symbols. Insisting all you want that it is otherwise does not make it so...in fact, most of our letters all started out as visual symbols for animals, tools, objects etc. When you type or write the letters "G-O-D" (or any other word) you are graphically representing a thought or concept. Specifically, when you type the letters "G-O-D" you are forming a "symbol" or icon that all persons literate in your language understand to represent the Divine. No matter how strenuously you object to that, that's exactly what you are doing. Again, I'm not saying you worship the letters "GOD" but am pretty sure you worship the Being to whom those letters refer. Similarly, I'm saying that few people if any actually worship a painting or sculpture of Christ (and I would concur with you that those who do are commiting idolotry) but rather the Being they represent.

You seem to approve of how you visually communicate that thought while objecting to and demeaning the manner in which others do. If you believe that an artist or poet or songwriter's gifts come from God, but their use of their blessings to celebrate Him and compel others to venerate Him should be "hidden under a bushel basket" you might want to see Matthew 5:16.