How is it possible to worship a false God?

[Rusticus]

..... I wish more people could grasp this basic idea. Even an uneducated villager in india knows that when he bows down his head in front of a red statue of Lord Hanuman that he is not actually worshipping the stone...he is using his mind to focus on God. But somehow this simple fact escapes the western religious leaders.....

To be fair one has to state also that, as far as the "representation" aspect is concerned, about half of the world's Christians (if not more) belong to churches which actually embrace this very same basic idea.

 

[Saraswati-Devi]

To be fair one has to state also that, as far as the "representation" aspect is concerned, about half of the world's Christians (if not more) belong to churches which actually embrace this very same basic idea.

So why is it soo hard for them to understand?...

 

[arunma]

So why is it soo hard for them to understand?...

Because neither Roman nor Orthodox Catholics make images of false gods in order to worship them. A statue of Mary or Peter, as objectionable as I may find it, is a far cry from a shiva linga.

 

[Rusticus]

So why is it soo hard for them to understand?...

They understand it very well.
It is the other 50% or so that don't get it.

Christianity is a very diverse religion. There are sections amongst the more fundamentalist protestants that do not even consider orthodox christians or catholic christians as christians at all.

 

[Nymphalidae]

How is it possible to worship a false God?

Apparently it's extremely easy, since most people are theists.

 

[BuddhistGuy]

vedickings makes a good point. You continually throw around Christian in-words, that are a sort of jargon, but have not really confronted his question head on.

An additional question I would add is: why does the Christian God have such a pride issue? If he is indeed all-loving, he should see each human as a person striving for happiness. Why should it make a difference to him what they believe? Does he require re-assurance, or what?

 

[BuddhistGuy]

Because neither Roman nor Orthodox Catholics make images of false gods in order to worship them. A statue of Mary or Peter, as objectionable as I may find it, is a far cry from a shiva linga.

Actually, I am not sure in this case that you know what you are talking about. I cannot speak for Hinduism per se, but I would guess that it is the same as Buddhism in thsi respect. We do not make images so that we can worship them. We do not worship our statues or lumps of clay. The statue represents something. The Buddha was fully enlightened, and we keep a statue of him to remind us of these characteristics, which are admirable. When we make offerings to the statue, we are not saying "there is a spirit in this statue that will save me," we are saying "I respect the qualities this statue represents, and am willing to give of myself to attain them.

An icon of Mary is not there to worship the icon, but to remind us of the higher human qualities it represents.

In this sense, the two are indistinguishable.

 

[Rusticus]

... why does the Christian God have such a pride issue? If he is indeed all-loving, he should see each human as a person striving for happiness. Why should it make a difference to him what they believe? Does he require re-assurance, or what?

I don't think it is God who has these issues. But some Christians probably do.

 

[Kris_J]

If you were to:
Grab a pencil.
Convince yourself that it is god.
Worship it.

You would be worshipping a false god.


They are taught to worship a god. If they are taught to worship your pencil - they are worshipping a false god even though they can not see or hear it.

At what point would the God being worshipped be "false"?

If I believe God is the one & only God of the universe, in the form of the Trinity, & is the same God as Vedicking's God (which might in a form of a pencil), am I worshipping a false God?

Or if the Christian God I worship, I believe in is not the same as the God of the Jews, am I (or the Jews) worshipping a false God?

 

[arunma]

vedickings makes a good point. You continually throw around Christian in-words, that are a sort of jargon, but have not really confronted his question head on.

An additional question I would add is: why does the Christian God have such a pride issue? If he is indeed all-loving, he should see each human as a person striving for happiness. Why should it make a difference to him what they believe? Does he require re-assurance, or what?

That God asks us not to worship idols doesn't mean that he has any "pride issue." When the glory cloud covered Mount Sinai, the congregation heard the voice of God, but did not see any physical representation of God. That is why we don't make images of God the Father. In fact, we Baptists don't even make images of God the Son.

Jesus says that the greatest command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. When people worship false gods, they violate God's Law. That is why we think it's wrong to worship false gods.

 

[Ram]

That God asks us not to worship idols doesn't mean that he has any "pride issue." When the glory cloud covered Mount Sinai, the congregation heard the voice of God, but did not see any physical representation of God. That is why we don't make images of God the Father. In fact, we Baptists don't even make images of God the Son.

What about the millions of images and drawings of Jesus you see on every wall in South India? If you travel by bus anywhere in Kerala or Tamil Nadu, you can see virtually every christian home having the picture of Jesus on thier walls along with a verse from bible. So most of the christians are also idolators - that is some consolation.

Jesus says that the greatest command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. When people worship false gods, they violate God's Law. That is why we think it's wrong to worship false gods.

But what or who is the Lord? Have you seen him or spoken to him? How did you know your Lord is the true one - just based on some hearsay?

 

[satay]

To be fair one has to state also that, as far as the "representation" aspect is concerned, about half of the world's Christians (if not more) belong to churches which actually embrace this very same basic idea.

I am not sure about half and I will take your word for it but I am sure about my wife. She is a roman catholic and in her church there are at least 10 statues/idols of Mary and jesus etc. So I never understood the bickering of some christians about idol worship.

satay

 

[satay]

is a far cry from a shiva linga.

Obviously, as usual you have no idea of what a shiva lingum represents.

Ignorance is bliss indeed.



satay

 

[satay]

Actually, I am not sure in this case that you know what you are talking about. I cannot speak for Hinduism per se, but I would guess that it is the same as Buddhism in thsi respect. We do not make images so that we can worship them. We do not worship our statues or lumps of clay. The statue represents something. The Buddha was fully enlightened, and we keep a statue of him to remind us of these characteristics, which are admirable. When we make offerings to the statue, we are not saying "there is a spirit in this statue that will save me," we are saying "I respect the qualities this statue represents, and am willing to give of myself to attain them.

An icon of Mary is not there to worship the icon, but to remind us of the higher human qualities it represents.

In this sense, the two are indistinguishable.

Namaste Buddhist Guy,

In India an uneducated villager that works with cow dung all day long knows this fact. But obviously for some this simple truth is hard to understand.

satay

 

[Ram]

Namaste Buddhist Guy,

In India an uneducated villager that works with cow dung all day long knows this fact. But obviously for some this simple truth is hard to understand.

satay

Namaste Satay, missed you guys for a while. How are you doing?

Hmm, with 2000+ denominations and many of them liberals, still many of them call us as idolators? Funny!

 

[satay]

Namaste Satay, missed you guys for a while. How are you doing?

Hmm, with 2000+ denominations and many of them liberals, still many of them call us as idolators? Funny!

Jai Shri Ram!

How is my friend? It's been a while indeed. Of course, You haven't missed much just some propaganda by some (you know who I mean).

satay

 

[philips]

I am not sure about half and I will take your word for it but I am sure about my wife. She is a roman catholic and in her church there are at least 10 statues/idols of Mary and jesus etc. So I never understood the bickering of some christians about idol worship.

If they are praying to those figures of Mary and Jesus then they are 'idol worshipping'. You need to distinguish between Christianity and what Christians do. You'll also find that most Christians would condemn the praying to figures, whether it is literal or just used as a symbol.

 

[satay]

If they are praying to those figures of Mary and Jesus then they are 'idol worshipping'. You need to distinguish between Christianity and what Christians do. You'll also find that most Christians would condemn the praying to figures, whether it is literal or just used as a symbol.

Yes, please read my message about an indian uneducated villager.

satay

 

[philips]

Yes, please read my message about an indian uneducated villager.

Was there something profound you said that I missed?

 

[satay]

Was there something profound you said that I missed?

I don't think I have said anything "profound" in my life. Have you? If you have, I would like to hear it.

satay