The Golden Calf and the not so Golden Isrealites

So I'm continuing my journey through Exodus and wondering how much more ridiculous the Isrealites can become. It seems with each page they are given food,water and provided for by God but the second something is uncomfortable or they have gone 30 minutes without some divine sign they are ready for a new God. While Moses is on the mountain talking to God and getting commandments the Isrealites are hanging around their tents bored and coming up with new Idols. They are like spoiled children. They are really kind of annoying to me.



God sees that they have made a Golden Calf as an Idol (a calf really?) and tells Moses he is going to show is wrath on those people and what does Moses do? He tells God...No don't do that. I'll go check it out and take the commandments with me. He gets to the bottom of the mountain where the Calf is and hears them singing about the calf, is furious, breaks the commandments (that GOD wrote....really Moses....you break those?......come on.....) and commands the followers of God to take their swords and kill those that do not follow God....
Really Moses??? Did you not read those commandments...Thall Shalt Not Kill....really? So you go command those to kill others. Ugh.
Then the Lord plagues whomever is left of the calf worshippers.

Exodus 34:17 - "You shall make no molded gods for yourselves"
So it is mentioned about 200 times that you shall not have any molded gods, no religious objects that you pray to. I'm curious if this stance will change as I progress through the bible. If not...I'm going to be very concerned about all those people that have crosses, figurines of Jesus, etc. It seems like (so far anyway) these items are a big No No. I know that God sent Jesus but still. Should the cross with Jesus on it or the cross be at the front of every church?