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That's ridiculous to even compare.....Many Christians have never prayed before any plaster, wood, plastic or concrete image manufactured and built by mens hands. In fact the Bible is very clear not to do so. God said not to do as the pagans do.. and so it is not an option.

Your statement would have no meaning except to those who have a twisted need to pray before these idols. As I stated, these idols are for those who lack faith. Your comment appears to say they can't pray without them?

The early Christians did just that. Christian art around and above the site of the Holy Eucharist, adorning the areas of the very early Church worship space.

And you cannot possibly judge someone’s faith by where they are praying.

Is praying in a blank room showing more faith? Praying kneeling beside a bed, or at the bedside of a dying loved one? Praying in front of an open Bible? Praying in your home sanctuary adorned with Christian art?

How do you know which of these show more faith? How can any human presume to know the faith of a Christian in prayer?

I'm glad you, caww, do note that this is praying "before", not praying "to" --- we do not believe those man-made items are divine in any way -- no more than the Ark of the Old Covenant was divine. However, we believe that the Eucharist IS divine (but that's a different matter).

God said not to worship images, yet commissioned them for His Ark, which were not worshipped, yet the Jews prayed before it -- not because of those images themselves but of what it represented -- the Unseen God.

And, with Christ we now have an image of God -- not an Unseen God as is the Father, but a visible image, the Son. We worship the Son, not the wood or painting of Him. Just as we worship The Word, not the paper in the book, so that if someone sees us kneeling at our beds, with the Bible on our bed, it would be an error to think that we were praying TO the Bible, rather than using the Bible as tool to the reality that is God.