thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image

If it is an angel, one might say they have entered Socrates’ “ideal realm,” where true abstractions are developed from a spiritual perception in which they see their soul and evidence of the souls of others. If it is a human, they are bound by a material perception in which all ideas in the mind can be traced to sense experience, with no true abstraction. And you must specify if it is a human thinking these concepts, or an angel. Jc: This is correct but the reason is not elucidated. Wy: My further question: If the 'image' is understood in a metaphorical way, then isn't it a violation, if we assign to God attributes like beginningless, spaceless, immaterial, timeless, unchanging, omnipotent, benevolent, rational, reasonable, just, jealous, simple, complex or personal being? There are no clues from the creaturely essence as to what the Creator is like. form right ideas about the Deity, without meeting and getting to know the Lord, but that is just not possible. Here the Bible stumbles, by presuming men or angels can come to the Invisible God, i.e. that Jesus shared any properties with men or angels. The trouble is the presumption the Presence behind the face is another creature, i.e. Jc: The Lord is the Image or Face of the Invisible God, so viewing or keeping such images is not necessarily evil. Wy: My question is: Isn't praying to the cross and the statue of Jesus a (quite obvious) violation of the second commandment? Both these are false, and they make God in their own image. Christians believe they contact God through prayer, and that they hear God’s voice inwardly. Christians interpret this weakly, as a recommendation, but instead it is an absolute. Jesus finally mentioned this, saying no one comes to the Father but through Himself. Ultimately the request is not trivial, as it emerges no human or angel can form a right idea about the Invisible God, apart from meeting the Lord or Incarnation of God. Asking for there to be no carved images is a trivial request, where the authority fails to inculcate true principles of creaturely harmony, such as taking joy at the joy of another or making oneself into a good companion.

This commandment, if from the Lord or one of His agents, is a proof the Bible is devious, intending to lead men in the ways they can be led, as cattle can only understand prods. It also does not set up a reasonable standard for reward. Jc: The commandment violates the separation of the souls as “God” threatens to visit vengeance on the generations. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.' The whole commandment reads to: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Wy: This is the second commandment in the Old Testament. My further question: If the 'image' is understood in a metaphorical way, then isn't it a violation, if we assign to God attributes like beginningless, spaceless, immaterial, timeless, unchanging, omnipotent, benevolent, rational, reasonable, just, jealous, simple, complex or personal being? Or thinking of him to be masculine or a father? My question is: Isn't praying to the cross and the statue of Jesus a (quite obvious) violation of the second commandment?

This is the second commandment in the Old Testament.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image