Are all believers in God automatically idol worshipers?

Discussion in 'Religion' started by Greatest I am, Jul 9, 2016.

  1. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    18,960
    No, it seems to have a lot to do with telepathy.
     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. Yazata Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,909
    If your point is:

    "...acting toward that object, person or concept as though it is worthy of worship"
    This refers to things that are NOT otherwise worthy of worship. Worshipping a god is the definition of worshipping the thing that is worthy of the worship. i.e. not some substitute.

    "... treating as God that which is not God, and in particular acting toward a representation of God as if it is God. .."
    i.e the worship is directed at something other than the god.

    "..worshippers are well aware that the signpost is not to be confused with that which is signified."
    i.e. the idol is not the god. The god is not the idol.[/QUOTE]

    Then I fully agree.

    If your point is:

    Then I don't.

    I think that idols in the broader theological sense can be ideas or concepts. They don't have to be physical objects like statues.

    That's my point.
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    18,960
    Such as?


    It would require an abstraction of the god, so that one finds onesself worshipping some construct that is, itself, a substitute for the god.
    How does one worship an idea that is an abstraction of another thing?
     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. billvon Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    21,646
    That's fine. Many Christian's and Muslim's view of God do not conform to the conventional descriptions in their respective religions, either.
     
  8. Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    13,938
    Well, this thread seems to be quite off the rails... entertaining as it is though, I'm curious if there is a point (beyond attempting to claim that any sort of worship is false idol worship, despite quite clear language in virtually every text of major religions)
     
  9. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

    Messages:
    39,426
    It's gone off the rails because the original intent - riling up religious people - was executed in the opening post.
     
  10. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    7,057
    Any image of God is as close to truth as the mind can make it.

    Why doesn't it show up in clear outermost thinking?
     
  11. Yazata Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,909
    That assumes that you know your true self.

    And obviously if you aren't God, then your belief that you are would be idolatry, in the sense of putting something that isn't God in the position that should be occupied only by God.
     
  12. billvon Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    21,646
    Most likely.
     

Share This Page