Why is Idol Worship considered a sin?

[Deukal]

Id like to ask another question in the curious exploration of Christianity, and that question is on the regard of the worship of "idols" or graven images to be a sin.

 

[katautumn]

Because the Bible is clear no god is to come before Father God. It's one of the ten commandments. It is a command that is repeated throughout the old and new testament. A person cannot give 100% of their heart and their life over to God if they are worshiping something else. We have to be careful to not put our hope and our faith in material possessions or man-made concepts.

 

[98cwitr]

because you cannot serve two masters with all your heart, then your heart is divided.

 

[Deukal]

Hmm, so is the sin the worship of the idols, or the use of them in worship? or both? If you are simply using it, you arent neccesarily worshipping the idol.

 

[98cwitr]

example?

 

[Deukal]

example?

Like in my own belief, We use statues of The Gods in our home altars, but we hardly worship and sacrifice to the idols, we sacrifice to our believed Gods.

 

[Van]

Hi Deukal, for any activity or thought to be a sin, it must not be in accord with the will of God. A graven image is something carved. To worship something other than God is wrong, according to the Bible, so to worship an image of God would be wrong. And if the image is of another god, rather than the God of the Bible, doubly so.

So how do we say that we worship God, when our image of God, though not made with hands, is made with our mental processes. Are we not using symbols (like a "g" an "o" and a "d" to God in song and and other communicated words. So since God communicated His thought to us using symbols, the use of symbols for God that actually reflect His nature would seem ok to me.

So what about using the sign of the fish or a cross, not as an object of worship, but only as a symbol of God's outreach in love. Seems ok to me. What we are not to do is worship things either in addition to God or in opposition to God. We are not to worship them or serve them.

 

[98cwitr]

Like in my own belief, We use statues of The Gods in our home altars, but we hardly worship and sacrifice to the idols, we sacrifice to our believed Gods.

you're polytheistic? Assuming so, God does not wish us to give any attention to an engraved symbols of that which represents anything other than Him, any symbols that might which represent Him could never encompass his greatness, therefore symbols such as the Cross, for example, is only recognized as the symbol of Christ's death; that of which is a representation of a singular event and we recognize it as Christians in remembrance and thanks. Going against such wishes is an inherent sin.

What purpose do these statues serve for you?

 

[katautumn]

Like in my own belief, We use statues of The Gods in our home altars, but we hardly worship and sacrifice to the idols, we sacrifice to our believed Gods.

That's different. Using a statue as a tangible reminder of your faith is one thing. Putting your faith in said object is idolizing it. The Catholics pray the rosary, because it is a tangible item they can use as a reminder, but they aren't praying to the rosary. They are simply using it as a tool. Their faith is not in a strand of beads, just as someone else's faith is not in a golden pendant of a cross.

 

[Deukal]

you're polytheistic? Assuming so, God does not wish us to give any attention to an engraved symbols of that which represents anything other than Him, any symbols that might which represent Him could never encompass his greatness, therefore symbols such as the Cross, for example, is only recognized as the symbol of Christ's death; that of which is a representation of a singular event and we recognize it as Christians in remembrance and thanks. Going against such wishes is an inherent sin.

What purpose do these statues serve for you?

The Statues in my belief serve as decorations on the altars, And as items to symbolize the spiritual awe of the god being worshipped.

Though to other Hellenic Polytheists, they could serve different purposes as "Hellenic Polytheist" is an umbrella term.

 

[ebia]

Id like to ask another question in the curious exploration of Christianity, and that question is on the regard of the worship of "idols" or graven images to be a sin.

We reflect that which we worship. We are made to be in the image of God -that's our main purpose in creation, and to worship something else - whether an idol, and imagined God, money, power, whatever, is to reflect that and ultimately to become less than human.

 

[salida]

Its against the 10 Commandments. God wants 100% of your heart not less than this. Jesus gave 100% of his heart to you when he died for your sins. These idols didn't die for your sins and have no power.