Paige Dwyer-Image and Pilgrimage (3)

I had never heard the term iconoclast until I read it in Turner's Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture. According to Turner, iconoclasts regard signans as unnecessary, even obstructive. Iconoclastic religions are associated with radical reform and they seek to purify "underlying meaning". They do this by erasing symbol vehicles, the iconic symbols. Iconoclasts regard them as idols interposed between individual believers and the truths for themselves. There has always been much controversy over the use of idols and images, and there still are disputes today. Many Christians believed that the excess of public devotion to the images at pilgrimage shrines was an abuse of the Church's directives. The Second Council of Nicaea decreed that "the venerated and holy images" were to be placed in the holy churches of God and were to receive "veneration, not adoration". Many iconoclasts argue against the abuse of images and the mistake of considered them to be realistic representations. They should be taken as conventional signs. In my opinion ,I believe the Hispanic population focuses too much attention on images and idols of the Virgin of Guadeloupe. They rely heavily on tangible objects representing the Virgin, taking away the underlying meaning of these "signs". People need to remember these objects should not be worshiped or praised, but merely a reminder of what is.