What's wrong with Idolatry?

Question

Isn't focusing on a symbol helpfull to directing prayer? Shouldn't all those who despise any kind of Idolatry worship in plain, unadorned buildings, like cattle sheds? Aren't hymn books a form of Idolatry, stained glass windows, even million dollar mega churches are a symbol of gaudy wealth, right? Who are you worshipping?

Answer 1

well once Billy Idol covered Mony Mony he started to suck

Answer 2

I am constantly amazed by the level of misinformation about other faiths.
For the first 1600 years of Christianity, most people couldn't read or write. Every stained glass window and statue in medieval Churches told a story. So not only were the statues and paintings beautiful and reverent, but they were also very functional. They told the Bible story and the priest could use them to illustrate his homilies. Statues and stained glass were, for them, teaching tools and reminders.
Today, these works of art are retained for their beauty, and because their creation was also to honour God. No one is worshipping the images; no one is committing idolatry.

"In the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high." 1 Kings 6:23

Answer 3

The things you have specified could CERTAINLY be idols. It's ALL what is in your heart!!! Exodus 20:1-5 says "And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. 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; 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." 2 Chronicles 2:5-6 says: "And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot containt Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?"

Answer 4

Idolatry is a sin of worshiping any thing besides God the father, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit who ONE GOD.

Exodus 20:3 - Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Exodus 34:14 - For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

Daniel 3:29 - Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

Answer 5

All of the things you listed were forms of idolatry except the songbooks. The songbooks are simply instructional on how to sing certain songs to praise God with. If songbooks are idolatry, then so is the bible, with your line of thinking.
What's wrong with idolatry is that first of all God declared it "illegal" and unacceptable to him. Second, your focus shouldn't be on a symbol to direct your prayer. Your focus should be on God alone and his holy spirit along with your faith is helping to direct the prayer.