• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Ancient and Modern Idolatry

AlonNaor

New Member
What is the difference between the Egyptian idolatry in the Pharaonic
period and that of Christianity in our days?

Let’s think it over carefully. What is the main difference? The human-
devised idols which the Egyptians worshipped and bowed down to are

also worshipped by the Christians in our times.
We can be more forgiving of the Pharaohs because they served
their idols in the cradle of history and culture, at a time when the
entire world served idols. However, now, thousands of years later,
the Christians continue the same adulation to idols and icons.
Their shame and disgrace should be sevenfold. The Rambam writes
explicitly the Thirteen Articles of Faith in paragraph 3:
“I believe with complete faith that the blessed Creator does not have a
body, and no physical qualities pertain to him. He can not be likened
to any image.”
Gentlemen, why are you continuing to mislead your believers? In
our world, there is only one way for non-Jews to merit the Next
World and enter Paradise and that is by worshipping in the way that
G-d commanded, i.e. by fulfilling and observing the Seven Noahide
commandments that He commanded you in the holy Torah, the Torah
of the Jewish people.
I am writing this as the son of a Jewish mother born to an illustrious
chassidic dynasty, and a British non-Jewish father (albeit a
Righteous of the Nations who saved my mother from the terror of the
Holocaust). The following are the 7 Noahide commandments as they
appear in Genesis and the Book of Jeremiah.
Great rabbis including Maimonides have formulated them, and
they appear in Jewish classics such as Me’am Lo’ez and the Book

Seven Commandments
of Chinuch (at the end), and in the Bible commentary of Rabeinu
Bechayai (Genesis 2):
1) Do not worship idols
2) Do not murder
3) Do not commit adultery
4) Do not steal
5) Appoint for yourselves judges and law enforcers
6) Do not blaspheme G-d
7) Do not eat a limb from a living animal.
N.B. All these commandments apply to all gentiles and if they
fulfill them out of obedience to G-d, they are called the Righteous
of the Nations and will merit Paradise. (Quote from Me’am Lo’ez).
 

Rival

se Dex me saut.
Staff member
Premium Member
The following are the 7 Noahide commandments as they
appear in Genesis and the Book of Jeremiah.
I think this is confusing to readers, because they do not appear as a list anywhere in Tanakh.
 

leov

Well-Known Member
What is the difference between the Egyptian idolatry in the Pharaonic
period and that of Christianity in our days?

Let’s think it over carefully. What is the main difference? The human-
devised idols which the Egyptians worshipped and bowed down to are

also worshipped by the Christians in our times.
We can be more forgiving of the Pharaohs because they served
their idols in the cradle of history and culture, at a time when the
entire world served idols. However, now, thousands of years later,
the Christians continue the same adulation to idols and icons.
Their shame and disgrace should be sevenfold. The Rambam writes
explicitly the Thirteen Articles of Faith in paragraph 3:
“I believe with complete faith that the blessed Creator does not have a
body, and no physical qualities pertain to him. He can not be likened
to any image.”
Gentlemen, why are you continuing to mislead your believers? In
our world, there is only one way for non-Jews to merit the Next
World and enter Paradise and that is by worshipping in the way that
G-d commanded, i.e. by fulfilling and observing the Seven Noahide
commandments that He commanded you in the holy Torah, the Torah
of the Jewish people.
I am writing this as the son of a Jewish mother born to an illustrious
chassidic dynasty, and a British non-Jewish father (albeit a
Righteous of the Nations who saved my mother from the terror of the
Holocaust). The following are the 7 Noahide commandments as they
appear in Genesis and the Book of Jeremiah.
Great rabbis including Maimonides have formulated them, and
they appear in Jewish classics such as Me’am Lo’ez and the Book

Seven Commandments
of Chinuch (at the end), and in the Bible commentary of Rabeinu
Bechayai (Genesis 2):
1) Do not worship idols
2) Do not murder
3) Do not commit adultery
4) Do not steal
5) Appoint for yourselves judges and law enforcers
6) Do not blaspheme G-d
7) Do not eat a limb from a living animal.
N.B. All these commandments apply to all gentiles and if they
fulfill them out of obedience to G-d, they are called the Righteous
of the Nations and will merit Paradise. (Quote from Me’am Lo’ez).
It goes deeper ,e.g. 42 principles of Maat. And still deeper to Sumer and deeper to tribal shaman, roots are in bicameral mind vs introspective and goal of ridding humans of bicameralism.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
What is the difference between the Egyptian idolatry in the Pharaonic
period and that of Christianity in our days?

Let’s think it over carefully. What is the main difference? The human-
devised idols which the Egyptians worshipped and bowed down to are

also worshipped by the Christians in our times.
We can be more forgiving of the Pharaohs because they served
their idols in the cradle of history and culture, at a time when the
entire world served idols. However, now, thousands of years later,
the Christians continue the same adulation to idols and icons.
Their shame and disgrace should be sevenfold. The Rambam writes
explicitly the Thirteen Articles of Faith in paragraph 3:
“I believe with complete faith that the blessed Creator does not have a
body, and no physical qualities pertain to him. He can not be likened
to any image.”
Gentlemen, why are you continuing to mislead your believers? In
our world, there is only one way for non-Jews to merit the Next
World and enter Paradise and that is by worshipping in the way that
G-d commanded, i.e. by fulfilling and observing the Seven Noahide
commandments that He commanded you in the holy Torah, the Torah
of the Jewish people.
I am writing this as the son of a Jewish mother born to an illustrious
chassidic dynasty, and a British non-Jewish father (albeit a
Righteous of the Nations who saved my mother from the terror of the
Holocaust). The following are the 7 Noahide commandments as they
appear in Genesis and the Book of Jeremiah.
Great rabbis including Maimonides have formulated them, and
they appear in Jewish classics such as Me’am Lo’ez and the Book

Seven Commandments
of Chinuch (at the end), and in the Bible commentary of Rabeinu
Bechayai (Genesis 2):
1) Do not worship idols
2) Do not murder
3) Do not commit adultery
4) Do not steal
5) Appoint for yourselves judges and law enforcers
6) Do not blaspheme G-d
7) Do not eat a limb from a living animal.
N.B. All these commandments apply to all gentiles and if they
fulfill them out of obedience to G-d, they are called the Righteous
of the Nations and will merit Paradise. (Quote from Me’am Lo’ez).

It dont take that much thought
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
If we expect to understand the strange concept of "idolatry" between two time periods, it is important to first understand the religions accused of so-called "idolatry" on their own terms, first. This, of course, is problematic because the very concept of idolatry makes certain theological and cultural assumptions that are inherently judgmental if not outright prejudiced.

At the very least, we should start with the fact that "idolatry" is a non-concept in polytheistic cultures because that this concept was invented by Abrahamics. As such, applying it at all to polytheistic religions does not make sense unless we're okay with permitting cultural prejudices to color our assessment. Presuming we are okay with blatant ethnocentric prejudice, we should at least acknowledge that
polytheists, from their perspective,
do not worship idols, they worship their gods. If your theology requires you to smear other traditions with pejoratives like "idol" so be it, but don't expect much in the way of a productive conversation with those who you besmirch.

Also, proselytizing isn't allowed here. Just an FYI.
 

Terry Sampson

Well-Known Member
  • What is the difference between the Egyptian idolatry in the Pharaonic period and that of Christianity in our days?
  • Let’s think it over carefully.
  • What is the main difference?
  • The human-devised idols which the Egyptians worshipped and bowed down to are also worshipped by the Christians in our times.
Admittedly, it's been a while since I've been to church and my memory is fading in my old age, but I'm certain that I've never seen idols or icons of these folk in any church that I've ever attended, nor have I ever worshiped any of them in my home.

Egyptian gods.jpg


So much, I say, for your attempt to think "this" over carefully.

Allow me to offer you a friendly recommendation here for your future consideration. Before making another a claim regarding "Christians", consider reading up on the fallacies of composition and division. All who call themselves "Christian" do not believe the same things and do not engage in identical worship activities.

As for your citation of the Rambam's 3rd article of faith, ... with all due respect to the Rambam, I wonder how he would have answered Benjamin Sommer:

 

RabbiO

הרב יונה בן זכריה
@AlonNaor -

If I'm going to object when non-Jews violate forum rules and proselytize, I am duty bound to do the same when a Jew violates those rules.

It might be a good idea for you to review those rules before you post again.
 

1213

Well-Known Member
...
“I believe with complete faith that the blessed Creator does not have a
body, and no physical qualities pertain to him. He can not be likened
to any image.”....

Yet the Bible tells God created human as His image.


God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them.

Gen. 1:27

But I agree, people should obey the ten commandments and not make images of God.
 

danieldemol

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
What is the difference between the Egyptian idolatry in the Pharaonic
period and that of Christianity in our days?

Let’s think it over carefully. What is the main difference? The human-
devised idols which the Egyptians worshipped and bowed down to are

also worshipped by the Christians in our times.
We can be more forgiving of the Pharaohs because they served
their idols in the cradle of history and culture, at a time when the
entire world served idols. However, now, thousands of years later,
the Christians continue the same adulation to idols and icons.
Their shame and disgrace should be sevenfold. The Rambam writes
explicitly the Thirteen Articles of Faith in paragraph 3:
“I believe with complete faith that the blessed Creator does not have a
body, and no physical qualities pertain to him. He can not be likened
to any image.”
Gentlemen, why are you continuing to mislead your believers? In
our world, there is only one way for non-Jews to merit the Next
World and enter Paradise and that is by worshipping in the way that
G-d commanded, i.e. by fulfilling and observing the Seven Noahide
commandments that He commanded you in the holy Torah, the Torah
of the Jewish people.
I am writing this as the son of a Jewish mother born to an illustrious
chassidic dynasty, and a British non-Jewish father (albeit a
Righteous of the Nations who saved my mother from the terror of the
Holocaust). The following are the 7 Noahide commandments as they
appear in Genesis and the Book of Jeremiah.
Great rabbis including Maimonides have formulated them, and
they appear in Jewish classics such as Me’am Lo’ez and the Book

Seven Commandments
of Chinuch (at the end), and in the Bible commentary of Rabeinu
Bechayai (Genesis 2):
1) Do not worship idols
2) Do not murder
3) Do not commit adultery
4) Do not steal
5) Appoint for yourselves judges and law enforcers
6) Do not blaspheme G-d
7) Do not eat a limb from a living animal.
N.B. All these commandments apply to all gentiles and if they
fulfill them out of obedience to G-d, they are called the Righteous
of the Nations and will merit Paradise. (Quote from Me’am Lo’ez).
As a liberal I believe God only cares about a life lived virtuously, whether or not people worship idols won’t affect their salvation.
 

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
What is the difference between the Egyptian idolatry in the Pharaonic
period and that of Christianity in our days?

Let’s think it over carefully. What is the main difference? The human-
devised idols which the Egyptians worshipped and bowed down to are

also worshipped by the Christians in our times.
We can be more forgiving of the Pharaohs because they served
their idols in the cradle of history and culture, at a time when the
entire world served idols. However, now, thousands of years later,
the Christians continue the same adulation to idols and icons.
Their shame and disgrace should be sevenfold. The Rambam writes
explicitly the Thirteen Articles of Faith in paragraph 3:
“I believe with complete faith that the blessed Creator does not have a
body, and no physical qualities pertain to him. He can not be likened
to any image.”
Gentlemen, why are you continuing to mislead your believers? In
our world, there is only one way for non-Jews to merit the Next
World and enter Paradise and that is by worshipping in the way that
G-d commanded, i.e. by fulfilling and observing the Seven Noahide
commandments that He commanded you in the holy Torah, the Torah
of the Jewish people.
I am writing this as the son of a Jewish mother born to an illustrious
chassidic dynasty, and a British non-Jewish father (albeit a
Righteous of the Nations who saved my mother from the terror of the
Holocaust). The following are the 7 Noahide commandments as they
appear in Genesis and the Book of Jeremiah.
Great rabbis including Maimonides have formulated them, and
they appear in Jewish classics such as Me’am Lo’ez and the Book

Seven Commandments
of Chinuch (at the end), and in the Bible commentary of Rabeinu
Bechayai (Genesis 2):
1) Do not worship idols
2) Do not murder
3) Do not commit adultery
4) Do not steal
5) Appoint for yourselves judges and law enforcers
6) Do not blaspheme G-d
7) Do not eat a limb from a living animal.
N.B. All these commandments apply to all gentiles and if they
fulfill them out of obedience to G-d, they are called the Righteous
of the Nations and will merit Paradise. (Quote from Me’am Lo’ez).
We await your revised and updated version of the Jewish Tanakh, Biblical Old Testament.
 
Top