I have a statue of the Goddess and the God on my altar. A lot of people tell me that I am worshipping idols and breaking one of the commandments. I don't ever listen, because I'm not Christian anyway, so that doesn't apply to me. However, it makes me wonder why many churches have a crucifix if idol-worshipping is bad.
2006-07-20 05:46:37 · 37 answers · asked by Maria Isabel 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
To answer Daisykristina's question: I don't worship a particular Goddess and God. I worship all of Them. In my tradition, all Gods are One God. The statues are of the Lord and Lady sitting on Their thrones and the Lady has the crescent Moon on Her forehead and the Lord has His antlers.
2006-07-20 06:03:07 · update #1
It's a symbol. No different than the early Christians using the fish. God uses symbology all of the time in the Bible. The dove to symbolize the Holy Spirit, the Raven to symbolize the prophet who goes before the Holy Spirit. Jesus himslef was called the "Lion of Judah". It's symbology, not idoltary. We don't worship a cross. We worship the God who died on it.
2006-07-20 05:57:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is a difference between worshiping a thing and having a reminder of what your beliefs are about. I wear crucifixes to remind me of the words and life of Jesus. I don't "worship" the cross it is a symbol and a everday reminder. If you have a statue of a Goddess and a God to remind you of something you believe in, you are NOT worshipping an idol. However if you pray to the statues and lay food by it and sacrifice things for it (them), then you are worshiping an idol, but like you said , you're not Christian so you don't care, but I I think if you didn't care what others think, you wouldn't have wasted 5 points, that's how it looks to me
2006-07-20 06:01:15 · answer #2 · answered by magpie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question.. I am from a Christian religion that doesn't use the cross at all. We get all kinds of criticism from other Christian faiths for that. We worship Christ and try to keep symbols to a mininmum. Previous answerer DaisyKristina and I might be of the same faith.
When is something an idol or just a symbol? It's all in the eye of the beholder, I guess. Buddha did not want people making images of him or worshipping him, it's said.
2006-07-20 05:52:52 · answer #3 · answered by desert_sailor2003 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The crucifix is a focus, just like a picture you might have of a beloved family member. As such(since no one has a true portrayal of Jesus), it serves as a reminder of the gift he gave humankind--his own life. That is the simplest theological explanation I can give you.
Just as the statue of the Goddess and the God on your altar serves that purpose, so too other faiths use similar foci--the one exception being Islam, which forbids any representations of Mohammed, as God's prophet, or of God. Their focus is a niche toward Mecca, and their own hearts.
Those that speak of idols fail to take the very human need for a focus, something to pin eyes on, to center their thoughts upon whatever representations of the Creator(however we honor that Being); it helps in prayer, and to keep daily things from entering into the sacred space between the worshipper andthe worshipped.
I hope that this helps a bit.
2006-07-20 05:58:30 · answer #4 · answered by Tina L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are very naive! You need to study the bible and Christianity as a whole. You are worshiping false idols and is a sinner therefore it does apply to you whether you like or not! You know very well that Christians don't worship the cross or what you call a "crucifix". Christians worship not the Cross but the one who was crucified on it. Get a clue, little girl!
Praying 4 ya!
Bmw
2006-07-20 05:58:26 · answer #5 · answered by Pashur 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
only catholics have crucifix and lots of images.
If you are not christian then dont let it bother you.
There is a misconception that God prohibits to workship idols, but the importance of the message is that you should not worship things that are mundane such as people, places and ideas/theories because we are all imperfect. This is why God does not reveal to no one, the message implicates that like Socrates said once, you can only know and verify only when you experience that fact with facts by wonder and wisdom.
In other words, when your hearts seeks the truth it will liberate the mind and will find the truth even if it is not what you want it to be.
2006-07-20 05:55:41 · answer #6 · answered by resiste_lfc 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those who worship a crucifix are worshipping an idol as well. For most, a cross is just a reminder that Jesus is Lord of their lives.
You can either worship items that are made by men, or you can worship the one who made the men. It's up to you.
2006-07-20 05:54:23 · answer #7 · answered by foxray43 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here’s my take on the question at hand. (By the way I’m not a Christian either, I’m Jewish)
It’s one of the many “changes” that Constantine made in Rome to spread Christianity. As there were many pagan religions around his empire at the time. It was a comfort level to the people at the time.
As far as those who will say that those who have not, “accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior” are doomed to eternal damnation, I personally believe have been brainwashed by the church.
If you examine the Kabbalist’s tree of life, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sephirot_%28Kabbalah%29) you will note that the “Keter” (crown) at the top of the tree, symbolizing the divine at the top and the “Malchut” (kingdom) or Shechina (divine feminine) at the bottom representing the earth or earthly. You will see there is more than one pathway from the earthly to the divine. By this reasoning, I believe that there is more that one way, NOT JUST THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN WAY!
If by practicing the ancient, pre-biblical ways, you make yourself a better person, whether it is Wicca, Druidism, Buddhism, or whatever so be it. In my opinion those that condemn what they may not understand, are doomed not those that keep there eyes open. Incidentally, I have participated in Wiccan, Druid, and Thelemic rituals and found each of them to be a beautiful experience!
Not to mention, don't you Christians worship a TRINITY? NOT JUST ONE G-D?
2006-07-20 06:07:25 · answer #8 · answered by Stephen Newman 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're right. The crucifix is an idol. No where in the Bible does it tell us to worship what Jesus died upon. And that wasn't even a cross. It was just a stake. (Like a telephone pole.) We are suppose to worship ONLY GOD not anyone or anything else.
2006-07-20 05:53:46 · answer #9 · answered by Snow 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are right. Many churches worship the very thing they claim Jesus died on. If your family member was killed with a gun, would you worship the gun and make little guns and put them on necklaces and all over your house? No way! I agree with you 100%. I also don't believe that Jesus died on a cross, he died on a stake, like a tree. That's what the literal meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words mean, "A tree." Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to worship God with your whole heart, soul, and mind. Whole heart doesn't leave any room for worshipping anything else.
2006-07-20 05:51:37 · answer #10 · answered by 1big teddy graham 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋