To Christians, What is the biblical def of idolatry. Remember greed is considered a from of it.?

Question

I'm trying to understand if pledging alegence to a peice of colored cloth is a form of Idolatry.
So far I'm guessing it is.

People keep saying that an idol is anything that you put ahead of god.
But what about a shrine to apllo the sun god? If I remade the greek panthon and put the sovern lord at the top, He would still be greatly offended. For he is the jellous god.
Any worship of other gods, ahead or after him is idolatry.

Answer 1

First of all, you aren't making the cloth something sacred--it is merely a symbol and symbols are used all the time in the Bible. For example, at the baptism of Christ, the Holy Ghost appeared in the form of a dove. This was a symbol the Jews understood from the time of Noah.

When you pledge allegiance to a flag, you are pledging allegiance to your country in your duty as a citizen. Remember Christ distinctly taught the Jews to "render unto Caesar" and did not form a political uprising.

As for many things being idols, yes, it is anything you are totally love and are totally obsessed with so it takes precedence over your other duties. It could be anything from the most extreme football fan forgetting the Lord to your guess. I don't know anyone that Patriotic!

BIBLE DICTIONARY
Idol
There are some ten different Hebrew words so translated in the KJV, representing the various kinds of objects of worship among heathen nations. Idolatry generally meant nature worship in one form or another; e.g., in Egypt the chief objects of worship were the sun and other heavenly bodies, the Nile, and sacred animals, especially the bull. Ra, the sun god, was the active power in creation and giver of life. Among the nations of Canaan and W. Syria Baal was the sun god or source of life, and Ashtoreth was the corresponding female deity. In addition each nation had its own peculiar god to whom it ascribed its prosperity and misfortunes (e.g., see Chemosh; Molech). The idolatry into which the Israelites so often fell consisted either in making images that stood for Jehovah, e.g., the calves of Jeroboam (1 Kgs. 12: 28); or in worshipping, in addition to Jehovah, one of the gods of the heathen nations around them (1 Kgs. 11: 7, 33; 2 Kgs. 21: 3-6; 2 Kgs. 23: 10; Jer. 7: 31; Ezek. 20: 26-49), such idolatry being some form of nature worship, which encouraged as a rule immoral practices.
During the Captivity the temptation of idolatrous worship was overcome. After the Return, the besetting sin of the Jews seems to have been covetousness, “which is idolatry” (Col. 3: 5; cf. Eph. 5: 5; Philip. 3: 19).

Answer 2

An idol is an image, a representation of anything, or a symbol that is an object of passionate devotion, whether material or imagined. Generally speaking, idolatry is the veneration, love, worship, or adoration of an idol.
So to sum up I would say "anything you put in your life before God."

Answer 3

An idol is an image, a representation of anything, or a symbol that is an object of passionate devotion, whether material or imagined. Generally speaking, idolatry is the veneration, love, worship, or adoration of an idol. It is usually practiced toward a real or supposed higher power, whether such power is believed to have animate existence (as a human, an animal, or an organization) or is inanimate (as a force or lifeless object of nature). Idolatry generally involves some form, ceremony, or ritual.

The Hebrew terms used to refer to idols often highlighted the origin and inherent worthlessness of idols, or they were derogatory terms of contempt. Among these are words rendered “carved or graven image” (literally, something carved out); “molten statue, image, or idol” (literally, something cast or poured out); “horrible idol”; “vain idol” (literally, vanity); and “dungy idol.”

Acts of idolatry referred to in the Bible included such revolting practices as ceremonial prostitution, child sacrifice, drunkenness, and self-laceration to the point of causing blood to flow. (1Ki 14:24; 18:28; Jer 19:3-5; Ho 4:13, 14; Am 2:8) Idols were venerated by partaking of food and drink in festivals or ceremonies in their honor (Ex 32:6; 1Co 8:10), by bowing and sacrificing to them, by song and dance before them, and even by a kiss. (Ex 32:8, 18, 19; 1Ki 19:18; Ho 13:2) Idolatry was also committed by arranging a table of food and drink for false gods (Isa 65:11), by making drink offerings, sacrificial cakes, and sacrificial smoke (Jer 7:18; 44:17), and by weeping in religious ceremony (Eze 8:14). Certain actions, such as tattooing the flesh, making cuttings upon the flesh, imposing baldness on the forehead, cutting the sidelocks, and destroying the extremity of the beard, were prohibited by the Law, possibly, at least in part, because of being linked with prevailing idolatrous practices of neighboring peoples.—Le 19:26-28; De 14:1.

Then there are the more subtle forms of idolatry. Covetousness is idolatry (Col 3:5), since the object of an individual’s cravings diverts affection from the Creator and thus, in effect, becomes an idol. Instead of serving Jehovah God in faithfulness, a person can become a slave to his belly, that is, to fleshly desire or appetite, and make this his god. (Ro 16:18; Php 3:18, 19) Since love for the Creator is demonstrated by obedience (1Jo 5:3), rebellion and pushing ahead presumptuously are comparable to acts of idolatry.—1Sa 15:22, 23.

The book A History of Civilization, by Brinton, Christopher and Wolff, says: “To hold this motley collection of peoples [in the Roman Empire] in a common allegiance, to give them something like a national flag as a symbol of this unity, the emperor was deified. . . . [But] the true Christian . . . could not bring himself to make what to an outsider was merely a decent gesture, like raising one’s hat today when the flag goes by in a parade.”

Answer 4

From the 10 Commandments:

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

Basically, any object or person that you value higher than your relationship with God. You're correct, greed is idolatry.

Peace.

Answer 5

Fantasy Footbal is a false idol...

They worship and get together on every Sunday for 20 weeks...

They praise their "Saints" like Terrell Owens and John Madden..

They tithe to gods such as direct T.V. and sattleite dishes...






that being said GO CHARGERS!











yes I am a sinner

Answer 6

No it particularly is in no way a sin or considered an idolatory for a christian to love something or somebody. it particularly is barely a sin or considered idolatory while a christian or each and every physique worships something different than the main severe GOD who's residing in Heaven.

Answer 7

Most of the answers are correct, but here's another twist. Do you smoke? The act of smoking is the worship of it.
What's that about Catholics? I have personally seen priests smoking...........so much for a clean body.
Most people place money on a higher level than that of God, thus making money their God.

Answer 8

Worship of anything other than the living God.

We are all wired for worship and we all worship something. If it's not the living God, it's an idol.

Follow the trail of your time and money and you will find what you worship. Could be...career, money, sex, video games, TV...

Answer 9

Mammon I believe is what you are speaking of when you mention money ; however, idolatry is the worship of something or someone other than God.

Answer 10

worshipping anything other than God. Yes, greed is a form of it. Remember not all Christians are Roman Catholics.