It is important to kiss holy icons or images, as this is a sign of respect, in the same way that we kiss a picture of our mother, father, husband, wife or children, to show the respect that we have for our loved ones. When we kiss a photo or picture of a family member or loved one, we are not woshipping them and we are not kissing the paper or wood or glass of the photo or frame. In the same way, when we kiss an icon of the holy saints, we are not kissing the physical material of the icon, but rather, we are showing respect and honour towards the person who is represented in the icon. Orthodox Christians often kiss, respect, venerate and honour icons, but they do not woship icons. Orthodox Christians only worship God. The Bible has many examples of how holy icons were used as an aid to worshipping God, even in Old Testament times. For example, when God commanded Moses to make images of cherubim angels for the Temple "In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim..." (2Chronicles 3:10). So when we kiss an icon of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is as though we are kissing Christ Himself. Jesus does not condemn this practice, but rather sees it as an act of respect, just like He did with the sinful woman in the Bible: "You gave me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss my feet since the time I came in." (Luke 7:45)
Both Catholic & Orthodox Christians use icons.
I believe that you are referring to icons, as used in the Orthodox church.
A religious icon is a picture or an image of Jesus and the saints. The Byzantine Orthodox Church split after Christians disagreed over how religious icons should be used.
Only Catholic and Orthodox Churches use statues and pictures of Jesus or of the saints to help them pray. Protestant Churches do not, considering the use of icons akin to idolatory.
actually Christians do do not use icons
They are called Eastern Orthodox Christians or just Orthodox Christians.
There are thought to be about 300 million Orthodox Christians in the world.
Yes. All Orthodox churches use icons that are painted in the Byzantine style and are painted with an egg-based acrylic.
mosaics
mosaics
This image is called a holy icon. The Orthodox pray to God, not to icons. Icons are used to ask a saint to pray to God on our behalf. This is called venerating (or honouring). By venerating icons we ask for the saints to pray to God for us, because we know that God hears all prayers, but especially the prayers of his saints, as we read in Revelation 5:8 and in Revelation 8:3-4 "…the prayers of the saints, ascended before God…" Both Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics (and even some Protestants) accept icons as an important part of Christian life, as this was determined by the Seventh Ecumenical Council.
they are orthodox christians.