Aineo i'm sure that catholics are no other christians then you or me...
just because they see more crosses or last supper representasions doesn't mean their is a rise of amount in paganness... whatever that may mean. I don't think any catholic thinks that God lives in the coloured glass windows, or that an angel lives in the angel faces above the church door. Neither do they think that saints are trapped in those statues... they bring remembrance to the saints like a gravestone on a graveyard (or should we ban those as well) and just like on a graveyard people ten to pray for others or even ask departed family members to watch over them(doesn't mean on a higher level then the lord)
again i live in a country wich is 80% catholic and i've been to certain protestant churches as well... and they are no less or more different then any other christian that i know.
I see myself as a bit of christian of all trades, despite the little differences in the christian denominations (excl. sects and cults) catholics, eastern orthodox and protestants i agree with all three of them since they all preach the gospel and all bow down to christ, making Christ the head of all these churches... in so much that in revelations when Satan will enter the church it will enter all christian churches and not just one(catholics)... remember first to look at yourself before you judge others same goes for denominations.
And it's fairly easy to point at conflicting standpoints of others and disregarding their explenations for it, in order for your 'truth' to reign supreme... i don't claim that all christians should have a cross or a statue, i just say that their is no harm in them... when i see a church i think as much about the Christ as when i see a cross or a statue. Therefore should we ban all churches as well?
and as one person quoted, wich was very nice btw... taking away statues is like stating God didn't have a carnal represantion of himself... think about it... get deuteronomy out of your head for one second, and think what progressive revelation is all about again... then try and remember for what accusation that Jesus was crucified? "He cannot be the son of God, therefore we crucify him"... shall we claim "The Son of God doesn't have an image, therefore we will destroy it" and i'm not talking about worshipping the image, but the son the father and the holy spirit as any good catholic does.
And mary has been adopted in the RCC because of early christian tradition glorified her alot, as is she described as the mother of the church in some early church father letters... but these are petty theological differences, in wich i have no problem that you disagree with the RCC or any other denomination, it's nothing wich alters the bible in so much that salvation will be unaitanable as long as the gospel is the same.