Idols of any kind are evil. The First Commandment is “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
What are idols?
Are Mount Rushmore and the Lincoln Memorial idols?
No, they only represent respected men whom we want to memorialize so we don’t forget them.
Idols represent false gods.
Are statues of Mary or Joseph or Jesus idols?
No, neither Mary nor Joseph are gods at all, and Jesus is the true God.
Do we worship wood, metal, or mortar? No. That would be stupid.
Do we worship Mary or Joseph? No, we honor them — not as we do secular leaders, but as important and holy figures in salvation history, prominent members of the family of God. Artwork, whether paintings or sculptures, indicates our communion with them, not our worship of them.
We worship God alone.