I really don't know what part of,
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them;" (Exodus 20:4,5 from the 10 Commandments)
Rome does not understand...
Are you saying you know that man kneeling near a statue of Mary is worshiping her? How do you know that?
It is pretty self-righteous of you to say that another person is "worshiping" anything?
Then again, there is that "Bible Worship" Ask NanetteClaret about it.
She said, "It doesnt matter what you say or how you explain it. I still believe Protestants worship the Bible. Ive seen it with my own eyes! The open Bible is front and center on the table right below the pulpit. All worship centers around this collection of pieces of paper. Protestants always have one in their hands and never go to church without theirs. Its all-Bible, all-the-time, and the bigger, the better. Ive seen people put one hand on the Bible and stretch their other hand out in prayer. It sure looks to me like they think the Bible does possess intrinsic holiness, not unlike a relic. And it looks to me like they worship it"
But I don't know what's in people's hearts. And speaking of idolotry, how about that Protestant church on I-71 in Ohio?
Talk about looking like "worship"!
Is there a picture of a loved one in there? Do you sometimes kiss that picture?
Why - says the martian of your example, come down to observe us - do you worship that person? Or do you regard the substance of the photograph itself - the paper, the printing - as worshipful?
"Ah no my Martian friend", you stammer. "I was expressing love for my wife, my baby daughter, my girlfriend. I do not worship them. Nor do I worship paper and photographic ink. Why, the very idea is absurd!"
My point is: your viewpoint on the kissing of statues to express love and devotion approximates to that of the uncomprehending Martian.
You simply assume the statue is an idol, just as a poorly-educated martian might assume your photograph in your wallet is an idol. But it isn't.
The truth is very simple. An idol is a rock or stone or some other created thing that is worshiped - that is treated as a Deity.
Catholics do not regard Mary as a Deity, and still less do they regards statues of her as Deities.
Then we have her famous last words in the Bible. Do you follow them?
"Do whatever he tells you."
I have to wonder if you really follow the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary in doing exactly as He says. If you did, you would be a Catholic, receiving the body and blood of Christ in Holy Communion. John 6 -- Jesus tells everyone to eat his body and drink his blood six times! Sadly, not everyone then or everyone now gets that message!
Do men who kneel when asking for their girlfriend’s hand in marriage worship their girlfriend when they do so?
Does the soldier who kisses a picture of his wife while on the battlefield worship his wife?
Do you worship your friends when you ask them to pray for you?