>Blaine: the problem with graven images has always been that sooner or later, people get (got) around to worshipping them and ascribing living qualities and magical powers to them. This gave the priests of such images power to make up new rules, and doctrines such as sacrificing children, committing whoredomes, etc., which was the real problem, more than the image itself.
But, placing Moroni high a Spire high above the temple more or less elevates him above god, since the main purpose of the temple to the jews was to meet with God in the holy of holies. BTW, do LDS temples have a holy of holies where the high priest meets with God?
> <snip>>By the way, what about the crosses most Christian Churches have? Are these not "images" of things on earth? Yet you don't seem to worship them , although some people seem to ascribe magical powers to them, as they wear these symbols around their necks. Is this correct? Some beliefs even go so far as to assume the crosses themselves can ward off evil spirits??
First, the command ment says not to make any graven images of any living things. The cross itself is not a living thing, even though at one time it was a tree.
I guess there are superstitions even within all religious systems, but the cross is only a symbol, which, by the way, was used by Jesus himself, (e.g., Matthew 10:38; 16:24) as well as some of the apostles, as a symbol of the sacrifice that he made. ANd, i have never met anyone that worships the cross or gives it any mystical power.
However, while I do recognize the cross as a symbol of Christianity, I do not recognize it as a symbol left to us by Jesus in the form of a command...he only left two symbols with us, and both are acts to be performed, and both are commanded, one being the communion, and the other baptism.
I do have problems with the RCC crucifix, as it shows Jesus as still being on the cross...and since He is no longer on the cross, Christian crosses do not show Jesus on them.
If you want to talk symbols, we could discuss the symbols that adorn the LDS temples and look at their Masonic and their occultic meanings. But, that might prove boring fior the group since I have already covered this topic with DavidM, a while back, perhaps before you came back to TT.
Perry
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>----- Original Message ----- >From: "Charles Perry Locke" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 8:44 PM >Subject: [TruthTalk] Graven images > > > > Blaine and DavidM, > > > > Can help me to understand the following? > > > > Exodus 20:4 states the second of the commandments: " Thou shalt not make > > unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven > > above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the > > earth." > > > > Now, on every LDS temple I have seen there is a gold statue of Moroni on > > one of the spires. Doesn't this violate the "any graven image, or any > > likeness of any thing that is in heaven above" part of the second > > commandment? > > > > If not, why not. Isn't the statue a "graven image", or "likeness"? Isn't > > Moroni "in heaven above"? > > > > Thanks, > > Perry > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Get a FREE online computer virus scan from McAfee when you click here. > > http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 > > > > ---------- > > "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may >know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) >http://www.InnGlory.org > > > > If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a >friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed. > > > >---------- >"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org > >If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.Say �good-bye� to spam, viruses and pop-ups with MSN Premium -- free trial offer! ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
