If God forbids the carving of an IMAGE WHETHER IN THE FORM OF ANYTHING THAT IS IN HEAVEN, does it mean that He disobey His own commandment by creating YOU AND I in HIS IMAGE and LIKENESS?

Time and again, when non-Catholics witness people in rivalry for their handkerchief touching Jesus' image AS SEEN IN THIS VIDEO, the immediate reaction would be like, "Terrible, here they are again, the worshiper of images!"

Catholics "never worship" statues nor idols.  Nor does the Church disobey and oppose God’s Commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a graven image” (Exodus 20:3).

The habitual misconception by these non-Catholics' argument emanates from the LITERAL INTERPRETATION of some parts the following Old Testament quotes:

Deuteronomy 4:15- 18 "You SAW NO FORM AT ALL  on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire. Be strictly on your guard, therefore, NOT TO DEGRADE YOURSELVES BY FASHIONING AN IDOL TO REPRESENT ANY FIGURE, whether it be the form of a man or a woman, of any animal on the earth or of any bird that flies in the sky, of anything that crawls on the ground or of any fish in the waters under the earth.

DeutEronomy 5:6-10'I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You SHALL NOT CARVE IDOLS FOR YOUSERLVES IN THE SHAPE OF ANYTHING in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you SHALL NOT BOW DOWN BEFORE THEM OR WORSHIP THEM. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishments for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation but bestowing mercy, down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Exodus 20:3-6 You shall not have other gods besides me. You SHALL NOT CARVE IDOLS for yourselves IN THE SHAPE OF ANYTHING in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.

There is only ONE TRUE GOD and there is no other god aside from Him.

Anyone who puts SOMETHING OR SOMEONE before the ONE TRUE GOD, and WORSHIPS IT, CONSTITUTES AS THE SIN of IDOLATRY.

IDOLATRY is a STRONG DIVINE PROHIBITION and along with the DIVINE FORBIDDING OF THE FABRICATION AND ADORATION OF IMAGES OR STATUES OF THESE IDOLS RECOGNIZED ED AS GOD HIMSELF.

WHAT ARE THE HISTORICAL, RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS OF THE PROHIBITIONS IN THE TEXT"YOU SHALL NOT MAKE GRAVEN IMAGES?

1). "The Hebrew people at that time together with the neighboring peoples adored images and states of different deities, brought by widespread POLYTHEISM of that era.

2). THE UNIVERSAL IGNORANCE CONFUSED THE SCULPTURAL AND PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION WITH THE DIVINITY ITSELF. This is the reason why God forbid any representation and adoration of images be it ANTHROPOMORPHIC (gods  of human form) - Deuteronomy. 4:15-16), ZOOMORPHIC (gods of animal form) - Deuteronomy 4:17-18 or ASTROLOGICAL (gods of celestial form (Deuteronomy 4:19), very common in Babylonia and other areas of the Orient.

3). By these divine prohibitions, God desired to protect the Hebrew people from being influenced by the religions of their neighbors and highlight that HE IS AN IMMATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL GOD.

GOD NEVER FORBIDS ANY IMAGE OR REPRESENTATION OF THE Divine​

This is where the literal translation of “YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF AN IDOL” is intolerable. Why? GOD permits THE SCULPTING OF IMAGES PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE NOT IDENTIFIED WITH GOD HIMSELF AND NOT WORSHIPED AS SUCH.

This can be seen in many parts of the Old Testament where GOD COMMANDED MOSES AND SOLOMON TO CARVE IMAGES AND STATUES FOR HIS GLORY and which FIGURATIVELY pointed to the SALVIFIC MYSTERY ACCOMPLISHED  BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ASIDE FROM ORNAMENTATION PURPOSES.

That is why, there was the bronze serpent, the ark of the covenant, the Temple of Solomon with the golden cherubims, palm trees and flowers; the twelve bulls/oxen on which the sea stands; the 12 stones which are signet-like engravings (Numbers 21:4-9; Wisdom 16:5-14; John 3:14-15; Exodus 25:10-22; 1 Kings 6:23-28; 7:23-26.

Aside from which, IF THIS PARTICULAR SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE BE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT,  IT MUST BE RECALLED THAT GOD HIMSELF THAT GOD HIMSELF MADE MAN ACCORDING TO HIS OWN IMAGE AND LIKENESS (Genesis 1:26)! If this is to be based with the literal comprehension of the non-Catholics, then the Lord thus violated His own commandment on idolatry by this act? Definitely not! It just shows through the above-mentioned how a mere literal comprehension of an isolated text from its context is inaccurate and would make God oppose Himself, which is undeniably unbearable!

THEREFORE, THE DIVINE PROHIBITION IS NOT IN THE CARVING OF THE STATUES, IMAGES OR ICONS BUT IN THE ADORATION OF SUCH AND THE IDENTIFICATION WITH THE GOD HIMSELF WHO IS MYSTICAL AND IMMATERIAL.

BY JESUS' INCARNATION , WHO IS BOTH PERFECT GOD-PERFECT MAN, A NEW COMPREHENSION OF THE USE OF SACRED IMAGES HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.

JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD IS ONE IN BEING WITH GOD THE FATHER, SUCH THAT HE WHO SEES HIM SEES THE FATHER (John 14:9). Thus the very first people like His disciples could give a description on how Jesus looks like?

HE IS AT THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD (Colossians 2:15) AND THE FINAL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE LAW (Luke 4:21; 22:37).

By itself, Jesus Himself is the image of God Invisible and Transcendent.

As a result, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, UPON REPRESENTING OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THROUGH THE SACRED IMAGES, ICONS, PICTURES AND STATUES, never contradicts THE FIRST COMMANDMENT, FOR THE ADORATION IS DIRECTED TO THE ONE REPRESENTED BY THE SACRED IMAGES, TO GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT, if comprehension of such a Scriptural verse is conscientiously taken.

THE SIGNIFICANT IDEA IS THAT A SACRED IMAGE IS A REPRESENTATION. THE VENERATION IS DIRECTED TO WHOM THE SACRED IMAGE REPRESENTS AND NOT TO THE IMAGE ITSELF.

For Catholics, having images, pictures, icons assist in REMEMBERING and DIRECTING to the LOVING and MERCIFUL GOD, in the same manner as having pictures of loved ones in favorite mobile phoned, desks or wallets, reminds us of them.

The same application as to the sacred images of the VIRGIN MARY, ANGELS AND THE SAINTS are concerned, plus the fact that THE HONOR AND VENERATION MADE TO THEM CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO GOD HIMSELF, BEING GLORIFIED TOGETHER WITH THE HEIRS OF GOD (Romans 8:17). Catholics DO NOT ADORE the saints, obviously because they are not God. Adoration and worship are attributable to God and only to Him. Catholics HONOR and VENERATE saints because they have glorified God in their lives. They are wonderful models of God’s triumph in man’s life.

VIDEO: The procession (commemorated every 9th of January) of the Black Nazarene (Jesus' image entrusted to Recollect friars who arrived in the Philippines in 1606, which turned dark after it survived a burning ship on its arrival from