It never ceases to amaze me how in sync some versions of protestantism are with Mohammedanism. We last dealt with the Mohammedan inspired heresy of iconoclasm in 787 at the 7th Ecumenical Council. Most of the elites of the Empire had fallen into the heresy and the Patriarchs had either followed them or kept quiet for fear of reprisals. The Patriarchate of the West, Rome, held firm for Orthodoxy and supported the veneration of icons.
The council was held at Nicea. 367 bishops were present. Rome triumphed over the running dogs for the Mohammedans. Here is the declaration of the Fathers of the Council:
“We define that the holy icons, whether in color, mosaic, or some other material, should be exhibited in the holy churches of God, on the sacred vessels and liturgical vestments, on the walls, furnishings, and in houses and along the roads, namely the icons of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, that of our Lady the Theotokos, those of the venerable angels and those of all saintly people. Whenever these representations are contemplated, they will cause those who look at them to commemorate and love their prototype. We define also that they should be kissed and that they are an object of veneration and honor (timitiki proskynisis), but not of real worship (latreia), which is reserved for Him Who is the subject of our faith and is proper for the divine nature, ... which is in effect transmitted to the prototype; he who venerates the icon, venerated in it the reality for which it stands.”
This controversy was over hundreds of years before anyone had ever heard of the protestant heresy of iconoclasm!
Kolokotronis:
Thanks for the ping. Thanks for recognizing the Church of Rome and the Bishop of Rome (Pope) [you use Patriarch of the West] held firm.
What most don’t realize is the iconoclast heresy was ultimately rooted in the Muslim disdain for not only icons, but that Christ was incarnate.
Seven centuries removed from the apostles and SUDDENLY it is settled. Ha, ha, ha.
Even while the apostles were alive, they had to reprove error in the church and call the church to repentance.
All of these things were clearly added after the apostles were gone.
Nothing in the Bible provides for churches to meet in special buildings with special art.
What the apostles left for us to follow does not harmonize with “veneration” of icons and relics, regardless of how many clergy people say so today or seven centuries after the apostles were dead.
It was wrong to bow to the apostles when they were alive. It is wrong to bow to images of them now when they are dead.
You are to kiss these statues and bow before them and pray to them, but it is not 'real' worship...
Well of course it's real worship...That's how you worship...
They teach you to worship these idols and then tell you it's not really worship...
Clearly there's no difference between the way you guys worship these idols and the way you worship God...Apparently even tho the procedure is identical the difference is that the one is made of cement so you can't call that worship...
And it just as bad with the supposed Saints and Mary...There is no difference in the way you worship the idols, the Saints and God...But because the others are not God, you call the exact same procedure veneration...