“God can’t command anything that’s intrinsically evil, so statues aren’t intrinsically evil. Why would using statues as a prayer aid be intrinsically evil?”
Does something have to be intrinsically evil to be forbidden by God? What of something commanded by God simply as a test of obedience, for example when he commanded Abraham to kill Isaac? Had Abraham disobeyed because he believed the command to be evil, he would have been guilty of another, perhaps greater evil, by disobeying the commandment of God. How much more guilty might we be of disobeying a commandment for a much less compelling reason?
-——Does something have to be intrinsically evil to be forbidden by God?——
No. In the OT, God forbids intrinsic evils (the 10 Commandments), but also issued pastoral, provisional prohibitions, such as the prohibition against eating pork.
But Jesus freed us from the latter form of Law. In this age, we must “listen to the church.” And Christ’s Church does not forbid praying before statues, icons or sunsets. Besides, it’s common sense.
-——What of something commanded by God simply as a test of obedience, for example when he commanded Abraham to kill Isaac?-——
Note that this is a direct, private revelation. I haven’t received a direct revelation from God forbidding me to pray while looking at a painting of Jesus, or a framed Bible verse. So why should I stop?
But even more importantly, why on earth would God not want me to pray, whether I’m inspired by a sunset, a statue, a painting, an icon, or a verse on a travel mug?
-——Had Abraham disobeyed because he believed the command to be evil, he would have been guilty of another, perhaps greater evil, by disobeying the commandment of God. How much more guilty might we be of disobeying a commandment for a much less compelling reason?-——
Again, this is a private revelation, so the analogy does not apply, since I haven’t received a private revelation from God forbidding me to pray before statues or paintings or sunsets.