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Originally Posted by Pergamum  When early Christians drew a fish, they were drawing a representation of Christ, even if abstract, rigth? Does this mean that a realistic painting cannot be done, but perhaps a Picasso type representation of Christ can be done?
What level of abstraction marks the difference between a picture and a symbol? Is a stick figure on a cross idolatry? |
I've never heard the fish symbol being used to symbolize Christ. I always thought is represented Christians.
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What about a Reformed children's book I saw. It drew a white outline in the shape of Jesus's body. Instead of picturing a man dividing fish's and loaves, a weird white outline was holding the fish. Isn't this also a representation?
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Yeah, I don't think that is an adequate solution to avoiding images of God. It might be better to have him totally obscured by someone or something or just frame the picture so he is out of it altogether. I mean Adam and Eve always have something strategic obscuring their genitals they aren't just airbrushed out.
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I agree with Edward's above that an essential part of imagination is mental imagery. Add this to the descriptions of Jesus's actions and even his white woolen hair and the Bible encourages this sin of mentally imagining Jesus.
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I suppose we can say that some passages might encourage lust. So what?
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It appears rather that the forbidding of idols (to bow down to) was the idea behind the 2nd commandment.
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Then it is only a republication of the first commandment.