What is the definition of Idolatry?

Question

From Merriam Webster Online Dictionary:
1 : the worship of a physical object as a god
2 : immoderate attachment or devotion to something


Hmmm...worship of physical object as a god? Jesus in a wafer cracker sound familiar?

Hmmm........immoderate attachment or devotion to something.....coughMARYWORSHIPcough.

Believers, what do you think? Is there any other way to look at this?

Jesus immediately points out to them that Moses did not give them that bread, but His Father did. In fact, that manna was a type of Christ. That is why Jesus says what He does in verses 32 and 33, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." The Jews entirely missed Jesus' point. But now He has the opportunity to compare and contrast that manna with Himself, the true bread of God from heaven. And that is what He does here in John 6.

It is not hard to grasp the basic meaning of this figure of speech. Jesus, of course, does not mean that He is literally a piece of bread. That would be to think in earthly and carnal terms. He is speaking of the spiritual truth under the figure of bread. Jesus is identifying Himself as the only spiritual food of man's soul.

Answer 1

Anything, (person place or thing) that you love more than God.

Answer 2

That's a hoot... the Mary thing.

Idolatry can also be the setting up of something to be on par with, or above God. The Jews of Jesus' time elevated the law to be on par with God. They worshiped the law.

When it came down to a miracle of healing a man born blind on the sabbath, they opted for the law over a miracle that could only be done by God.

They could not see how the law could be broken in the letter while being fulfilled in the Spirit.

This also exposed their sin: hatred; hatred for Jesus.

John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

Sabbatarians today make the same mistake. They put the law, esp. the sabbath above all else. They define Christianity by those who keep the sabbath. Faith is of no consequence if one doesn't keep the sabbath. The law and the sabbath are seen by them as eternal and holy, just like God.

.

Answer 3

First off, the bread wafer and the wine are symbols of the covenant, the new covenant in Jesus Christ. They are not meant to be objects of worship. They are reminders of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the acknowledgment of it.
As to the whole Mary thing? Agreed, The "Virgin Mary" was just a normal woman. Not a god and not an angel or any other form of being. Worship God and Jesus not the "Virgin Mary".
Oh, as an afterthought, she no longer is a virgin (they had kids after Jesus) so why call her "Virgin"?

Answer 4

To have any other God other then the Lord our God is idoltry.

It can be men, beast, objects. It can be anything organic or inorganic.

Also, there are those who worship the god of this world. Since he can not be concidered any of the above, then it can be said the enemy of God is worshiped.


So, basically, if a man loves anything more then God, he is in a sense comitting idoltry.

A television can be seen as idoltry. For instance. If a man pays more attention to the T.V., then he does to God, it can be said the T.V. is his God.



God should be the most important thing in the life of a man. The devil has brought about many replacements for God. He has deceived all mankind thinking this is alright and that is all right. Most are ignorant of his devices because they get their information from him rather then the author of all truth, God Almighty.

Answer 5

As an atheist, I find it amusing that you Christians do so much fighting amongst each other. It makes you weaker, and that makes me happy. Christians bashing Catholics is like a person bashing their grandfather. You guys "evolved" from Catholics, one might say.

By the way, Catholics don't worship the Eucharist, and they don't worship Mary, any more than Protestants "worship" the crucifix. The Eucharist is a symbol and it's taken in memory of Jesus' instructions at the Last Supper. Mary is revered for her role as the human mother of Jesus, and her goodness, but is by no means a goddess.

But if you want to be hate-filled and petty and call your "grandfather" an apostate, so much the better for those of us who don't care for Christian solidarity anyway.

Answer 6

Basically, idolatry does not mean the worship of idols (Score: word lovers 1 - Websters 0), but puting anything before worshiping the God you choose to worship, be it Shiva, Bhuuda, Allah, God, etc. For example, you text in church you friends rather than pay attention, or not going to church because your favorite TV show is on. Even money can be considered an idol (and don't go disposing of your cash because I said that). You put your religion before anything, else it could be called idolatry, intentional or not.

The thoughts that you added, the wafer cracker, yes; worshiping Mary, no, that could get in to polytheism, but not idolatry.

Answer 7

I dont worship the cracker...

Idolatry...(worship)

The face painting, tailgating football fanatics who forsake God for the Sunday game.

The girl who pours over trash mags and knows every detail of Britany Spears sad life.

The mother who disgustingly spoils her children.

The guy who suffers eye glaze from playing PS3 all weekend like a fiend....

Those are some 'sample' idolaters....

Answer 8

I don't know of anyone who worships wafer crackers. Communion is a public display of an inward belief that was given by Jesus to do in remembrance of Him.

I think your second definition would be more accurate if the word "false" was part of it.

edit: RVT, with all due respect, do you think anyone is going to read all of that?

Answer 9

NO! NO! NO! Just as you have pictures of Christ hanging in your home or pictures of your kids in your wallet, so does the Church put pictures (statues) of Christ, Mary, Joseph and other saints in the Church. They are just plaster, marble or wood and that's all they are, but they have a specific purpose. They are there to help us to visualize who they may have been and what they have done for Christianity or the Catholic Church in some special way. When we pray at the foot of the crucified Lord we do worship that Christ on the Cross, but that Christ who died for us by walking through His passion, death and resurrection. The image on the wall or in the alcove helps us call to mind their holiness and our need for it.

But as usual you won't believe me

Answer 10

Loving anything more than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Answer 11

as a believer what ever I put before God can be seen as Idolatry. God is to be number 1 in my life and above all.