-——Does something have to be intrinsically evil to be forbidden by God?——
No. In the OT, God forbids intrinsic evils (the 10 Commandments), but also issued pastoral, provisional prohibitions, such as the prohibition against eating pork.
But Jesus freed us from the latter form of Law. In this age, we must “listen to the church.” And Christ’s Church does not forbid praying before statues, icons or sunsets. Besides, it’s common sense.
-——What of something commanded by God simply as a test of obedience, for example when he commanded Abraham to kill Isaac?-——
Note that this is a direct, private revelation. I haven’t received a direct revelation from God forbidding me to pray while looking at a painting of Jesus, or a framed Bible verse. So why should I stop?
But even more importantly, why on earth would God not want me to pray, whether I’m inspired by a sunset, a statue, a painting, an icon, or a verse on a travel mug?
-——Had Abraham disobeyed because he believed the command to be evil, he would have been guilty of another, perhaps greater evil, by disobeying the commandment of God. How much more guilty might we be of disobeying a commandment for a much less compelling reason?-——
Again, this is a private revelation, so the analogy does not apply, since I haven’t received a private revelation from God forbidding me to pray before statues or paintings or sunsets.
“In the OT, God forbids intrinsic evils (the 10 Commandments)...”
Well, your previous post stated that God can’t command intrinsic evils, so because God commanded certain statues to be carved, such an act can’t be intrinsically evil. Now, you say that the 10 Commandments forbid intrinsic evils, and the 10 Commandments forbid the making of, the bowing down to, and the serving of graven images of anything in earth or in heaven. So, which is it? Is the 2nd Commandment forbidding an intrinsic evil or not?
Still, the answer to that is just a side issue. As you admit, God can forbid whatever He wants, whether it is intrinsically evil or not. You posit that we aren’t bound by the 10 Commandments anymore, but only by what the Church says. I’m sorry, but if the Church took it upon themselves to permit murder, or adultery, or theft, I doubt many would buy the argument that they had such authority. Why then should we accept that they have the authority to allow idolatry, especially when the New Testament tells us that it is still forbidden? Christ gives a vision to John that shows that idolators will not enter the Kingdom. Can the Church make Christ a liar by issuing a fiat?
The way I see it, there are only two ways that you can reasonably try to justify this stuff. You can try to assert that the practices aren’t idolatry, but the 2nd Commandment simply doesn’t provide any “wiggle room” in that regard. The New Testament definitions of idolatry provide even less! The other argument is what you seem to be saying, that the Church can just overrule clear and unambiguous pronouncements of God recorded in Scripture and tradition that predates the Church. If that is the argument that you are going to stand on, then I can’t see any point in arguing the matter further, since I don’t see any way to reason with someone taking such a position.