I realize that, Mark. However, statues are icon-equivalents; they are holy images to which petitions are made. They are not works of art, which is not holy. As far as I know there are no statues of God the Father? Why would there be a Catholic icon?
Now, in all fairness, the Greeks and Russians have committed the same blasphemy circa 18. century in one famous icon whose name escapes me right now, depicting God the Father as a "grandfatherly" figure. I don't recall a repetition of the same.
I don't even understand the dove image representing the whole spirit (a bird!). How pagan is that? Yet it is straight out of the Bible!
***I realize that, Mark. However, statues are icon-equivalents; they are holy images to which petitions are made. They are not works of art, which is not holy. As far as I know there are no statues of God the Father? Why would there be a Catholic icon?***
Not of God the Father, no.
***I don’t even understand the dove image representing the whole spirit (a bird!). How pagan is that? Yet it is straight out of the Bible!***
Yup, Luke 3:
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9 10 After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened
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11 and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Much of what we know can be compared to pagan practices. The Monstrance, for instance has been compared to pagan sunburst vessels. The whole deal of sacrifice is pagan. The chanting and the robes come to us from the Jews and the pagans. I think that we have to distinguish between the necessary and the trimmings. Not that that matters overall - the trimmings are also necessary. But there is the difference between rigorous theology and church discipline.