2006-07-19 13:24:13 · 22 answers · asked by yahwhoon 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Hypocrisy
2006-07-19 13:28:00 · answer #1 · answered by djhawaii2002 1 · 9⤊ 4⤋
Um...my church meets in a school hall. Haven't seen any idols around there lately!
But, as for the churches that do have what you can 'idols', they are simply statements of what the church is about. They don't actually bow down and worship them, which is what idolatry is about.
While we're on the topic of idolatry, think about how people worship money.
Idolatry means to take the focus off God and place more importance on something else to get you through life, whether it be money, sex, cars, work etc
2006-07-19 22:24:30 · answer #2 · answered by wenjowade 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With all due respect, "Julia" s answer makes no sense to me as a Christian, neither do most of the responses here.
Most Protestants would agree that the second command, "make no carved image, nor bow down and worship it" seems perfectly clear. God "does not dwell in houses made by human hands".
And it is not just statues. Holy relics seem to be condemned too.
The Roman Catholic Church, and to some extent, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, all have idols in their houses of worship, because apparently that is what the people want.
It is not the statue itself that is idolatry, it is attributing scared power to a material object that is idoltary.
2006-07-19 21:02:36 · answer #3 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm only assuming that you meant all the decoratins like the crucifix and crosses and others of the sort. They really arent idols as much as they are symbols.
You see, an idol is something that is worshiped in itself. It isn't the decor that the curch worships, it is all that it represents.
Christianity, for example, mainly uses the cross to represents the wonderful fact that Christ is no longer on the cross, but risen again for the glory of God. The crucifix (cross with Christ on it) represents the sacrifice that was made, witch was Christ dyeing for humanity's sake.
So, you see, the symbols that are quite commonly mistaken for idols are really just simple reminders of the reason for their Faith. they are not the faith itself.
2006-07-19 20:37:14 · answer #4 · answered by TheMadHatter 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some claim that it's ok because it's not False Idols, being the images of the true faith. Many Orthodox (or Fundamental) Churches do not display any images because we aren't supposed to worship a graven image.
2006-07-19 20:28:06 · answer #5 · answered by Ananke402 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Idols are things that are worshiped.
I don't know of any Christian denomination that worships the statues and different things you call idols.
For instance in a Catholic Church you will find a crucifix with Christ on it to remind them He dies for their sins.
In a Baptist Church you will find the crucifix barren as we use it to remind us that He is risen.
2006-07-19 20:35:50 · answer #6 · answered by drg5609 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible says not to make idols -- but it doesn't say not to make objects that are used as aids in worship. That's different from an idol.
Exodus 25 and 26 are full of verses where God commands the Israelites to make all sorts of objects to be used as aids in worship.
God doesn't say not to make objects to be used as aids in worship. He tells us not to worship graven images. There's a difference.
Churches, especially Catholic ones, do engage in the using of objects as aids in worship. But they never worship the objects themselves. There's a difference, and it's quite easy to understand.
2006-07-19 20:29:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Re 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Re 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
2co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2006-07-19 20:29:06 · answer #8 · answered by His eyes are like flames 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because they are lost & also trying to lead the blind at the same time. Man wrote the Bible, which was an account of things that made no sense back then for us to figure out today but we are still trying to do so and hence you the more intepretations.
2006-07-19 20:29:37 · answer #9 · answered by Sean Batson 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't. A statue is not the same thing as an idol. I don't know of anyone who expects a statue to answer his prayers.
2006-07-19 20:29:17 · answer #10 · answered by kcchaplain 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Statues and whatnot are not "idols", which is in itself an object of worship - an idea abhorrent to most modern folk.
2006-07-19 20:29:33 · answer #11 · answered by badbear 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋