[metmom]

Back when I was a gentleman in training, we were taught to bow to the young ladies. Little did I know that I was an idolater!

Were those young ladies statues or carved images?

The commands are specific about bowing down TO and serving carved images.

It doesn't say you can't bow down to people as a sign of respect and it doesn't say you can't bow down in the vicinity of a statue for some other reason.

But to bow down to a statue of Mary like the pope and numerous Catholics do to pray to her, is just wrong. God's determination, not mine. HE put it in writing.

[D-fendr]

Do you know the difference between an icon and an idol? Can only a statue be an idol? What makes an idol an idol, and therefore an idolater an idolater?

You left off “thou shall not make a graven images” in your post, why?

Do you have any?

Thou shalt not make graven images is obviously connected to the worship of false gods. God cannot be contradicting himself when He commands the making of the image of a golden cherubim and the making of the bronze serpent. There are statues and images recorded for Solomons temple.

You cannot apply one part, bowing, and not the other, making graven images and be consistent.

What your post does is follow part of the letter and miss the point: worship of false gods.