The reasons why Christians are accused of idolatry

[PureX]

The Baha'is don't place limits on God, God is infinite and unknowable.

Many theists of all sorts understand this. Unfortunately, there are a great many more that do not. And so there are a lot of religious groups that promote false 'god-knowledge' and the phony sense of righteousness that goes with it like a dope pusher peddling a drug.

 

[Sleeppy]

Autolatry/idolatry stems from the illusion of free will. As @PureX points out.

 

[Willamena]

I would like to discuss with non-Christians the reasons why Christianity is associated with idolatry, which , I think, is an understandable but unsubstantiated stereotype.
Idolatry is condemned by Christians too...so I tend to think people of other faiths don't understand our vision of God.

Idolatry is holding that an idea is greater than a thing. Some hold that God as an idea is greater than an actual god.

 

[Willamena]

Autolatry/idolatry stems from the illusion of free will. As @PureX points out.

I suspect it is more from the illusion of ego, i.e. permanence.

 

[Fool]

I would like to discuss with non-Christians the reasons why Christianity is associated with idolatry, which , I think, is an understandable but unsubstantiated stereotype.
Idolatry is condemned by Christians too...so I tend to think people of other faiths don't understand our vision of God.

because the scripture that christians follow doesn't advocate the worship of a human. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man,


many have used the image of a man to justify the difference between jesus and another, christian and another, priest and another. jesus called all to serve all. love is not a respecter of persons


those who worship a man are practicing a cult of personality.

anthropolatry

the worship of a beast

love is not a respecter of persons.




send me an angel


22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Anyone who also accepts the tenet that "God is literally in everything" need not worry about idol worship in the slightest. Under that umbrella, you could worship a stone and be worshiping God, couldn't you? If anyone considers God "omnipresent", then in what moment could you ever be "worshiping an intercessor" or "worshiping by proxy?"

I would posit that, in order to be able to worship something as a "false idol," you must believe that God is an entity unto Himself, separate from all of the matter of the universe. Otherwise all you are doing is arbitrarily calling things that you believe are God, "not God," which is foolishness.

 

[RedDragon94]

Arbitrary decision that something or someone should be regarded as a deity of some sort and therefore deserves some form of deference or exalted respect.

Sometimes we think of ourselves too highly. We're in idolatry no matter what, it's all a matter of choosing the correct idol.

 

[Thermos aquaticus]

As others have mentioned, the one type of idolatry I see on a regular basis is when the words of men are presented as the words of God which is so often done with the Bible.

 

[LuisDantas]

Sometimes we think of ourselves too highly. We're in idolatry no matter what, it's all a matter of choosing the correct idol.

Assuming that there is any, you mean?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

That would be nice for a anti-catholic to give me an insight to catholicism and idolotry. I dont know about eastern othorodox, but going by the CCC, the roman catholics dont worhip them.

Catholicism was the christian of that day until protestantism.

Not an anti-Catholic, nor an expert on Orthodoxy.
That said, discussions and decisions around what constituted idolatry were both common and almost populist in Byzantium.

I don't have a recommended web link handy, as my source is a couple of books on Byzantine history I have at home, but it's actually pretty fascinating as a topic.

Anyway, a link that might give some basic facts, but reading more in detail colours this period pretty interesting in terms of public discourse and interest in the topic.


Idolatry - New World Encyclopedia

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Not an anti-Catholic, nor an expert on Orthodoxy.
That said, discussions and decisions around what constituted idolatry were both common and almost populist in Byzantium.

I don't have a recommended web link handy, as my source is a couple of books on Byzantine history I have at home, but it's actually pretty fascinating as a topic.

Anyway, a link that might give some basic facts, but reading more in detail colours this period pretty interesting in terms of public discourse and interest in the topic.

Idolatry - New World Encyclopedia

Yes. We just got off the byzatine in college art class couple weeks ago. After that period, when the emperior died, I think charlegmane (charles the great) took over since the fall of rome. He tried to rebuild the empire but did not like people worshiping statues. They changed the art to prevent people from worshiping statues. People were killed if they didnt comply.

I cant remember where we are now since I had a bad dream and woke up extremely early. I can see why people think catholics worship statues. If we followed from charles the great that probably died out. I think a pope way after started with the statues but there were rules governing the use of religious items. They idea is not to worship gods like the greeks and I think ephesians before them.

Your link info is what we learned. Why do you think others believe catholics worship statues today?

 

[Aamer]

From someone who is not a Christian but believes in the Almighty and scripture...

Here's why Christians are accused of idolatry:

1) Nimrod, Semiramis & Tammuz: Known by many other names in many other pagan religions & cultures, tell a similar story to the virgin birth of Jesus. What most don't realize though is that this prophecy of a virgin birth has been around since Adam and Eve. Satan stole the story to cast doubt. Even most Christians have never looked into this

2) Pagan Symbolism in Churchianity: Christians follow and give reverence to Luciferian symbolism instead of following their scripture.
Christmas = Luciferian
Easter = Luciferian
The Cross = Luciferian
Depictions of Jesus & Mary (especially with the Pagan Sun God symbol around their heads) = Luciferian

None of it comes from the Bible. ZERO!

3) Trinity = Luciferian: Show me evidence from your scripture that validates the trinity.

The problem is that MOST Christians ignore the scriptures and follow a fake Luciferian version of Christianity. If Yallz took your scripture seriously... No one could accuse you of idolatry.

Peace and may the Almighty help us all seek the truth.

Aamer.

 

[outlawState]

3) Trinity = Luciferian: Show me evidence from your scripture that validates the trinity.

It is necessary to distinguish a God-given trinity of revelation from a trinity of man-made composition. What God gives to men by way of revelation, he gave in three forms Father (the one who owns the throne of God), Word (who also sits on the Father's throne), and Holy Spirit (who stands before the throne), Mat 28:19, but man has sought to create his own trinitarian god-composition from those forms, mutated into individually living hypostases (Heb 1 knows of only one hypostasis of God). It is the sophistry of composition (i.e. so as to create God the Son, God the Holy Spirit alongside God the Father), wherein lies the idolatry of the Trinity, but not in the trinitarian nature of the revelation.

That's not to invoke modalism. Jesus the man was separate from the Father, but the risen Jesus is both God and with God.

 

[Muffled]

I agree. For many the Bible is called "The Word of God" which is why its called a Holy book. The worship of the Bible (idolatry) is rampant amongst fundamentalists, who have been duped into believing it was written by God and should be interpreted literally. However if that's what you believe and its working for you then fine, as long as you aren't seeking to convert others because we are all wrong and deluded.

I believe you are all wrong and deluded and need to be converted to right thinking.

 

[Muffled]

From someone who is not a Christian but believes in the Almighty and scripture...

Here's why Christians are accused of idolatry:

1) Nimrod, Semiramis & Tammuz: Known by many other names in many other pagan religions & cultures, tell a similar story to the virgin birth of Jesus. What most don't realize though is that this prophecy of a virgin birth has been around since Adam and Eve. Satan stole the story to cast doubt. Even most Christians have never looked into this

2) Pagan Symbolism in Churchianity: Christians follow and give reverence to Luciferian symbolism instead of following their scripture.
Christmas = Luciferian
Easter = Luciferian
The Cross = Luciferian
Depictions of Jesus & Mary (especially with the Pagan Sun God symbol around their heads) = Luciferian

None of it comes from the Bible. ZERO!

3) Trinity = Luciferian: Show me evidence from your scripture that validates the trinity.

The problem is that MOST Christians ignore the scriptures and follow a fake Luciferian version of Christianity. If Yallz took your scripture seriously... No one could accuse you of idolatry.

Peace and may the Almighty help us all seek the truth.

Aamer.

I believe one may not reason that things are connected simply because they are similar.

I believe this attribution has no basis.

I believe you will find the birth of Jesus in the Bible, also you will find the resurrection and the crucifixion. I believe you should know that depictions are simply artists conceptions and not theology.

I believe I have done this over and over. There are many Trinity threads on RF. The Trinity is God's plan of salvation. A person speaking against it is speaking against God.

 

[Muffled]

Strictly coming from the Biblical prospective there are Christian sects that erect images of the divine and/or important Biblical figures. The problem arises from several issues:

1) The creation of idols as intercessors is forbidden.

2) The creation and/or likeness of any Biblical figure as a ”true” representation is in danger of being historically inaccurate.

3) The idea that animate objects other than God have agency.

4) The idea that there is multiplicity within the divine meaning a variation of essence (father, son, holy spirit).

I believe you are talking about Roman Catholicism not Christianity.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

I believe you are talking about Roman Catholicism not Christianity.

Catholics are christian

 

[RedDragon94]

Assuming that there is any, you mean?

Doesn't the fact that we search for idols mean that we were made for them?

 

[LuisDantas]

Doesn't the fact that we search for idols mean that we were made for them?

Short answer: no, it does not mean that.

I guess it may mean that after all. I just don't think that it is at all a given. It is certainly not self-evident to me.

 

[Glaurung]

Idolatry is condemned by Christians too...so I tend to think people of other faiths don't understand our vision of God.

Catholicism is overtly idolatrous if one defines idolatry to include any act of veneration given to a religious image. Whether or not this is a problem for you entirely depends upon the degree you accept the validity of such a definition.