What are the religious icon paintings?

Answer 1

Religious icon paintings are works of art created in the likeness of a holy figure in the Church (usually a saint). Some Christians believe it is blasphemous to possess these paintings because they think that it is idolatry; however, Catholics and several other Christian sects use them not to pray to the physical painting or to worship the saint as God, but as a mere visual. This works in the same way one keeps pictures of one's family or loved ones. They are certainly not to be worshiped, but one may pray to the saint it represents (as distinct from the painting itself).