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Why Is Idolatry a Sin to Abrahamic Religions?
- Thread starter Terese
- Start date
osgart
Nothing my eye, Something for sure
I suppose the eternal truth of life is the highest authority, and freedom, and is God itself.
To hold anything above that truth at heart is idolatry; Especially to the point of worship, and runs contrary to God.
Idolatry is making Gods in your heart that are false, or run contrary to the God of life. Anything or anyone can be an idol.
It's all man made religion, but I get the point of it.
Anything that is not worthy of praise or worship and gets praise and worship is an idol.
I personally don't see any point in worship and praise. I suppose someone of superior justice deserves praise and admiration.
To hold anything above that truth at heart is idolatry; Especially to the point of worship, and runs contrary to God.
Idolatry is making Gods in your heart that are false, or run contrary to the God of life. Anything or anyone can be an idol.
It's all man made religion, but I get the point of it.
Anything that is not worthy of praise or worship and gets praise and worship is an idol.
I personally don't see any point in worship and praise. I suppose someone of superior justice deserves praise and admiration.
sandy whitelinger
Veteran Member
It's so odd. The question and topic if the thread is about/to Abrahamic religions. Yet people from other religions feel the need to insert theirself/their religion in to justify their own idolatry. This is very non-sequitur. The commandment to not worship graven imaged/idolatry is for the followers of that religion. Why do others feel because we have rules against it that you have to inject/defend your own non-related religion? I find this odd as I don't feel inclined to defend Christianity when a question is asked of another religion.
Everyone is free to express their opinion on their religion and other religions in the debate section. If this makes sense, the concept of idolatry affects all cultures that have been in contact with it.
Sure it's just odd is all.
As the title says. I've never gotten why it is reprehensible to worship a physical object as an image/manifestation of God or gods. While this is a debate, i am not denouncing people who see idolatry as a sin. I would only like to understand why
I look at it this way...God is a spirit so he has no physical form. Any kind of image is therefore not an image of him. And because we are not to worship anything or anyone but the true God alone, there can be no image that even represents him. He warns us not to "make" them, let alone give devotion to them.
It would be like someone asking you for a photograph of your father and you whip a picture out of your wallet and say..."here he is....but I actually never met him so someone took this picture of another person to show me what they think he might have looked like"....is this what your father would want you to do? Now if you got too attached to that photo and started giving your devotion to it, kissing it and revering it, praying to it.....would that be OK?
Psalm 115:4-8 describes it this way....
"Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of the hands of earthling man.
5 A mouth they have, but they cannot speak;
Eyes they have, but they cannot see;
6 Ears they have, but they cannot hear.
A nose they have, but they cannot smell.
7 Hands are theirs, but they cannot feel.
Feet are theirs, but they cannot walk;
They utter no sound with their throat.
8 Those making them will become just like them,
All those who are trusting in them."
So we feel that God considers idols to be fake representations of what people want their gods to be....not what he is.
We are to love God, but it is his personality that we are drawn to, not his image. The face we adore could well be an image of the devil himself......how would we know?
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The Kilted Heathen
Crow FreyjasmaðR
Depends on if you're there or not. If a child talks to a photo of their dead parent - speaking to the parent through the photo - how is that not okay?
I believe it's human nature to want to have these kind of connections. Even those that know better are still guilty of it sometimes (myself included). It's just a very hard part of ourselves to get away from. While we may do this, while knowing better, as long as we do not actually worship the image it's not as bad I think.
InChrist
Free4ever
Those things are just objects. They may have significance to the person, but in themselves they have no power.
socharlie
Active Member
it was given to Children of Israel. Concern was for them not to follow practice of people of Canaan which was objectionable including human sacrifices and cannibalism. God ordered complete destruction of some inhabitants of Canaan which most likely is not historical fact but the way to show God's displeasure of Canaan practices to the future generations of Israelis.As the title says. I've never gotten why it is reprehensible to worship a physical object as an image/manifestation of God or gods. While this is a debate, i am not denouncing people who see idolatry as a sin. I would only like to understand why
The Kilted Heathen
Crow FreyjasmaðR
I don't think I've ever heard of any claim that the Canaanites practiced cannibalism. Human sacrifice, perhaps, but I myself have never seen that.
74x12
Well-Known Member
God wants people to seek Him rather than something they made up. Even if we made an idol and said it represents God; that would still be something we made up. God is the Creator so it's backwards when we make a god to worship it. Or even if we worship anything it's robbery to the Creator. If I worshiped the stars then I would rob the One who made the stars.As the title says. I've never gotten why it is reprehensible to worship a physical object as an image/manifestation of God or gods. While this is a debate, i am not denouncing people who see idolatry as a sin. I would only like to understand why
whirlingmerc
Well-Known Member
As the title says. I've never gotten why it is reprehensible to worship a physical object as an image/manifestation of God or gods. While this is a debate, i am not denouncing people who see idolatry as a sin. I would only like to understand why
The Bible claims the name of God which represents God's character is important to Him
but an idol misrepresents God and caricatures Him
Micah - Who is a God like You?
As the title says. I've never gotten why it is reprehensible to worship a physical object as an image/manifestation of God or gods. While this is a debate, i am not denouncing people who see idolatry as a sin. I would only like to understand why
According to some, idolatry actually refers to adoration of body-mind as true self. Body is an idol.
ॐ ātmā na deho'smi viṣṇu-śeṣo-parigraha
Obviously not. I'm not attacking your freedom to pursue any religion you wish. Although as an ex Orthodox Christian (unless I have you confused with someone else) you no doubt already understand the Christian doctrine regarding other religions and their lack of salvific value.
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Grandliseur
Well-Known Member
The very primary and truly only important thing is that the Almighty God forbade this. That is the end of things.As the title says. I've never gotten why it is reprehensible to worship a physical object as an image/manifestation of God or gods. While this is a debate, i am not denouncing people who see idolatry as a sin. I would only like to understand why
However, why - we might ask ourselves?
The answer becomes one of assumption, one of guesswork. In this then, the simple answer is that this God we are taught about knows the thoughts of every human being, and perhaps animal also. He knows all things that happen in the now and the past.
OK - with this? If then you make an image of him, which clearly cannot be done correctly, and compare this being to a stone, an artwork of some kind, don't you think he is incredibly insulted?! To be compared to a dead stone that can do nothing, to a dead artwork in wood that is impotent in all ways that matter - there is probably nothing more insulting to him than this.
What of a painting of Jesus? Is that insulting?The very primary and truly only important thing is that the Almighty God forbade this. That is the end of things.
However, why - we might ask ourselves?
The answer becomes one of assumption, one of guesswork. In this then, the simple answer is that this God we are taught about knows the thoughts of every human being, and perhaps animal also. He knows all things that happen in the now and the past.
OK - with this? If then you make an image of him, which clearly cannot be done correctly, and compare this being to a stone, an artwork of some kind, don't you think he is incredibly insulted?! To be compared to a dead stone that can do nothing, to a dead artwork in wood that is impotent in all ways that matter - there is probably nothing more insulting to him than this.
Grandliseur
Well-Known Member
I was unaware he had himself painted so that we knew how he looked!
In a city long from where I am now, there is a beautiful church. I think the name is Christ's church' in the local dialect. Inside is a beautiful very large statue of Christ not at the back, nor on the sides, but in front so that all who see it cannot but have it in their minds when they pray.
Though I wanted to go to that church since its location was convenient at the time, I couldn't. It felt like idolatry to me, even though I pray to both God and his son Christ. I will not pray to an image, no matter if it is in stone, wood, or on a portrait.
Frater Sisyphus
Contradiction, irrationality and disorder
This is one of those things that has always bothered me. IMO, it seems to imply (taking the position of a Jew, Christian or Catholic), that there ARE other Gods? As to say that Christianity is poly-theistic in a literal way (outside of the controversial trinity).