This non-Catholic, whose name is Edwin Canonigo,
from Samboan, Cebu, has been engaged in spreading "fake news" about the Catholic Church’s images and has fallen into an erroneous interpretation of a specific verse in the Acts of the Apostles regarding miniature silver shrines of Artemis, which reads:
***The Riot of the Silversmiths***
23 About that time a serious disturbance broke out concerning the Way.
24 There was a silversmith named Demetrius who made "miniature silver shrines of Artemis" and provided no little work for the craftsmen.
25 He called a meeting of these and other workers in related crafts and said, “Men, you know well that our prosperity derives from this work.
26 As you can now see and hear, not only in Ephesus but throughout most of the province of Asia this Paul has persuaded and misled a great number of people by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.
27 The danger grows, not only that our business will be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be of no account, and that she whom the whole province of Asia and all the world worship will be stripped of her magnificence.”
28 When they heard this, they were filled with fury and began to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 The city was filled with confusion, and the people rushed with one accord into the theater, seizing Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians, Paul’s traveling companions.
30 Paul wanted to go before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him,
31 and even some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent word to him advising him not to venture into the theater.
32 Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, others something else; the assembly was in chaos, and most of the people had no idea why they had come together.
33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, as the Jews pushed him forward, and Alexander signaled with his hand that he wished to explain something to the gathering.
34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 Finally the town clerk restrained the crowd and said, “You Ephesians, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple* of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from the sky?
36 Since these things are undeniable, you must calm yourselves and not do anything rash.
37 The men you brought here are not temple robbers, nor have they insulted our goddess.
38 If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.
39 If you have anything further to investigate, let the matter be settled in the lawful assembly,
40 for, as it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today’s conduct. There is no cause for it. We shall [not]* be able to give a reason for this demonstration.” With these words he dismissed the assembly (Acts 19:22-41).
It is interesting to note that the miniature silver shrines of Artemis, specifically the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Artemis, originally the Olympian virgin hunter, moon goddess, and goddess of wild nature, was worshiped at Ephesus as an Asian mother goddess and goddess of fertility. She was one of the most widely worshiped female deities in the Hellenistic world (see Acts 18:27).
In short, Artemis never existed as a real human.
Artemis is a fictional figure from Greek mythology, revered by the ancient Greeks as the goddess of the hunt, wild animals, the wilderness, childbirth, and chastity. She was also associated with the Moon.
Primarily, these Saints' images, most specially the Blessed Virgin Mary, had been existent here on earth rather than fictional Greek gods and goddesses!
Posts
