Changes

According to what they have been taught, all honor and reverence shown to the representations and symbols of the saints of the Lord detracts in no way from the worship and honor of God who has honored them for their honor of Him <ref>"detracts in no way from the worship and honor of God". See [http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgies/cozby_honoring_God.html Honoring God's Work, by V. Rev. Fr. Dimitry Cozby, St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church, San Antonio, TX - Orthodox Research Institute (orthodoxresearchinstitute.org)].</ref>, and is referred by the unseen intention of the heart to the person of the saint who honors God and is in heaven praying and worshiping with the adoration of ''latria'' before Him.

According to what they have been taught, all honor and reverence shown to the representations and symbols of the saints of the Lord detracts in no way from the worship and honor of God who has honored them for their honor of Him <ref>"detracts in no way from the worship and honor of God". See [http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgies/cozby_honoring_God.html Honoring God's Work, by V. Rev. Fr. Dimitry Cozby, St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church, San Antonio, TX - Orthodox Research Institute (orthodoxresearchinstitute.org)].</ref>, and is referred by the unseen intention of the heart to the person of the saint who honors God and is in heaven praying and worshiping with the adoration of ''latria'' before Him.

:"''Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the L<small>ORD</small> looketh upon the heart''"<ref>From 1 Samuel 16:7.</ref>  

:"''Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the L<small>ORD</small> looketh upon the heart''"<ref>From 1 Samuel 16:7.</ref>  

They say that they are not [[Superstition|superstitiously]] worshiping the images themselves for their own sake as sacred objects ([[Idolatry|idols]]) to be stupidly and unthinkingly worshiped with the adoration of ''latria'', icons and mosaics and frescoes and paintings and glass windows and statues and "holy cards". The [[crucifix]] was shown to the Galatians by Paul to stimulate their reverence for Christ.<ref>See [http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-1.htm multiple versions of Galatians 3:1]</ref> And they have been taught to show devout reverence to the bodily remains of great saints who died for their testimony to Jesus.<ref>Revelation 6:9; 12:11.</ref>  They offer the [[analogy]] of a man or woman or child looking at a picture of their loved one. They do not love the piece of card stock on which it is printed for itself alone, they do not love the electronic device displaying the image as if it is alive, they love the person represented by these things. Yet they also treat with respect the picture they have because of their affection for what it represents, and are saddened if the picture is destroyed, damaged or lost. And there are people who go to a cemetery and sit or kneel next to the memorial marker and talk to their departed loved one as if they were able to hear them, even if only as symbolic act of love, and yet are not guilty of committing idolatry with the memorial marker.  

They say that they are not [[Superstition|superstitiously]] worshiping the images themselves for their own sake as sacred objects ([[Idolatry|idols]]) to be stupidly and unthinkingly worshiped with the adoration of ''latria'', icons and mosaics and frescoes and paintings and glass windows and statues and "holy cards". The [[crucifix]] was shown to the Galatians by Paul to stimulate their reverence for Christ.<ref>See [http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-1.htm multiple versions of Galatians 3:1]</ref> And they have been taught to show devout reverence to the bodily remains of great saints who died for their testimony to Jesus.<ref>Revelation 6:9; 12:11.</ref>  They offer the [[analogy]] of a man or woman or child looking at a picture of their loved one. They do not love the piece of card stock on which it is printed for itself alone, they do not love the electronic device displaying the image as if it is alive, they love the person represented by these things. Yet they also treat with respect the picture they have because of their affection for what it represents, and are saddened if the picture is destroyed, damaged or lost. And there are people who go to a cemetery and sit or kneel next to the memorial marker and talk to their departed loved one as if they were able to hear them, even if only as a [[symbol]]ic act of love, and yet are not guilty of committing idolatry with the memorial marker.  

Some Catholic apologists go so far as to point out as an illustration the fact that if Protestants kneel down in their bedrooms to pray to God, they are not praying toward the object that happens to be in front of them as they pray, even if it is a Bible held in the hands, a cross on the wall, a picture of Jesus, and they would strongly object if someone accused them of committing idolatry by the very act of kneeling down to pray with bowed head in front of anything at all, which might happen to be the bedpost <ref>"Praying to the bedpost". An analogy used to illustrate the importance of the intention of the heart, in the fictional dialogue of a priest answering objections by a Protestant, in the catechetical book ''Father Smith Instructs Jackson'', published by Our Sunday Visitor, copyright 1913, 1963, 1975, 1981, chapter "Prayer" pp. 257-262. ISBN 0-87973-864-2.</ref>, a chair, table, desk, telephone, including the carpet on the floor, the window, the ceiling or the wall of the room. This is regarded by most observers, including Catholics, as a ridiculously offensive [[analogy]], since most of these things are not examples of the problematic issue of direct representations of saints and angels in human form, and Protestants do not bow to them. (See [[Mockery]].)

Some Catholic apologists go so far as to point out as an illustration the fact that if Protestants kneel down in their bedrooms to pray to God, they are not praying toward the object that happens to be in front of them as they pray, even if it is a Bible held in the hands, a cross on the wall, a picture of Jesus, and they would strongly object if someone accused them of committing idolatry by the very act of kneeling down to pray with bowed head in front of anything at all, which might happen to be the bedpost <ref>"Praying to the bedpost". An analogy used to illustrate the importance of the intention of the heart, in the fictional dialogue of a priest answering objections by a Protestant, in the catechetical book ''Father Smith Instructs Jackson'', published by Our Sunday Visitor, copyright 1913, 1963, 1975, 1981, chapter "Prayer" pp. 257-262. ISBN 0-87973-864-2.</ref>, a chair, table, desk, telephone, including the carpet on the floor, the window, the ceiling or the wall of the room. This is regarded by most observers, including Catholics, as a ridiculously offensive [[analogy]], since most of these things are not examples of the problematic issue of direct representations of saints and angels in human form, and Protestants do not bow to them. (See [[Mockery]].)