does anyone here really understand what an idol is?

Question

or are we limited to thinking that an idol can only be a material object, like a statue, or a big gold cross?

Answer 1

It's anything put in the place of God or put before God.And no it doesnt just have to be a material object.

Answer 2

Yes, I understand what an idol is. there are two different definitions of idol and one being an actual material object that represents a deity to which religious worship is addressed. Like a bible, cross, statue, etc. The other is a fantasy or a fallacy. So, when using this in the context of religion... what are you trying to say? religious idolatry has been around for eons.

Answer 3

An idol is anything that holds more influence in your life than God does. A statue or a big gold cross is very unlikely to be an idol because no-one in their right mind would worship such an object, or give it greater importance than God in their lives. On the other hand, career, money, prestige, power, and sex are frequently idols.

Answer 4

Idol - 1 : a representation or symbol of an object of worship; 4 : an object of extreme devotion

This means that an idol is anything that represents something that is worshiped and given extreme devotion. I can be ANYTHING an object, a person or an idea. I can be something physical that one can touch or something metaphysical that one can only imagine.

Answer 5

The "New Testament": Pagan revenge

Between G-d's own miracles and the Jewish teaching of His Word, the pagan priesthoods of Egypt, Greece, and Rome were steadily losing their power over the gentile populations. They decided to fight back by creating a new religion, one that would claim to be the fulfillment of the Hebrew "Old Testament," yet would bring back the pagan lies in a new disguise.

Thus the "New Testament" was written, in Greek rather than Hebrew, and attached to the original Hebrew scriptures to try to change their meaning back toward paganism.

The "New Testament" tried to change G-d from One, as in the Hebrew scriptures, into a "trinity" as in Egyptian cults or the eastern religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. It described Jesus as G-d in a human body, like the pagans always described Pharoah and other wicked kings. It declared G-d's Law to be a "curse" that no one can truly obey, announced that there must be a "mediator" between G-d and man, and pretended that salvation could now be achieved outside the Law.

To blind the gentile nations, the "New Testament" also warned people not to learn from the Jews, declaring that Israel no longer possessed the true, complete Word of G-d.

In the Bible, the book of Daniel warned of an evil power--a false religion--that would believe in the true "G-d of fortresses... plus a god its fathers did not know." This religion would "speak bizarre words about the Most High, wear out the holy ones (the Jews), and plan to change the festivals and the religious Law."7 The Christian Church has indeed replaced Passover with Easter (the pagan holiday of Astarte and Ishtar) and Hanukah with Christmas (the pagan winter holiday).


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Jewish Ruling concerning Christianity :

"...according to the known Jewish ruling that Christians are idol worshippers." (Likkutei Sichos 37:198)


http://www.noahide.com/infiltration/xmas.htm

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Answer 6

Does a statue of mary that gets prayed to, or a cross with a guy nailed to it qualify as an idol?

Answer 7

personally i don't see statue or pictures as idols unless someone things the picture or statue can actually DO something.

IMHO money is the world biggest idol of this time.

Answer 8

Ohh no we are not! We can demonize anything once we step outside the narrow definition of idol, in fact, the moment religious-man learned how to recast "idol", the death of milllions followed!

Keep up the good work.

Answer 9

I would say the false prophet leaders of anti-gay organizations have turned homophobia into an idol.

Answer 10

Are you asking if we understand what YOUR definition of an idol is? Or are you interested in OUR ideas?

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Answer 11

It is anything we put before God...our career,,,,our children, your church,,,yes it is possible to worship your place in the church and get all puffed up with pride..if you love anything more than God, you are putting it as an idol before him...