Collection & Storage of Historical Evil Artifacts

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It is written in the OT, that any type of object that has been used for any evil purpose, must be destroyed. Precious metals cannot be melted down and recast for any purpose. Once used for an evil purpose (such as idolatry), they are defiled, and must be destroyed.

Our museums, treasure hunters, etc. do not heed this warning, and yet, I have never heard one single sermon in my life covering this topic. Why the silence on this topic?
 

It is written in the OT, that any type of object that has been used for any evil purpose, must be destroyed. Precious metals cannot be melted down and recast for any purpose. Once used for an evil purpose (such as idolatry), they are defiled, and must be destroyed.

Our museums, treasure hunters, etc. do not heed this warning, and yet, I have never heard one single sermon in my life covering this topic. Why the silence on this topic?
I guess this begs the question… was this one of the things that changed when Christ fulfilled the OT?
 
Absolutely not. These artifacts break one of the 10 commandments.
Okay, I guess what I’m asking then, is what determines if something is definitifely evil? If someone used a knife to kill someone else? Or to defend themselves and kills someone accidentally? An antique gun from a war? Money from an illegal scam? A music video with foul language and sex scenes? Pieces of debris from the World Trade Center?

Many common things can be “considered” either evil or originally used for evil today and yet no one would dream of destroying them. Or is that your point?

Regardless, I’m not sure why we don’t destroy them. Perhaps by not being used anymore for evil they are not considered as such. But can you point me to anywhere in the NT where Jesus or the apostles has anyone destroy evil things ie. idols, or metals cast from them?
 
Okay, I guess what I’m asking then, is what determines if something is definitifely evil? If someone used a knife to kill someone else? Or to defend themselves and kills someone accidentally? An antique gun from a war? Money from an illegal scam? A music video with foul language and sex scenes? Pieces of debris from the World Trade Center?

Many common things can be “considered” either evil or originally used for evil today and yet no one would dream of destroying them. Or is that your point?

Regardless, I’m not sure why we don’t destroy them. Perhaps by not being used anymore for evil they are not considered as such. But can you point me to anywhere in the NT where Jesus or the apostles has anyone destroy evil things ie. idols, or metals cast from them?
🙂 Any object that has been worshiped instead of worshiping God, is evil. The Bible tells us that we are not to make any object that resembles anything in heaven or earth, and then bow down to it.

Treasures of the earth are often worshiped by individuals (ie. stored up wealth), but this type of worship is the opposite of charity, and is a different kind of evil. Those that store up wealth, and refuse to help others less fortunate, are in the same kind of danger of losing their soul, as idolaters (It is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to enter heaven.).

I suppose that any decision that we make that breaks the commandment given unto us by Jesus, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” implies some other form of worship other than the Word. A physical object is not always necessary. 🙂
 
🙂 Any object that has been worshiped instead of worshiping God, is evil. The Bible tells us that we are not to make any object that resembles anything in heaven or earth, and then bow down to it.

Treasures of the earth are often worshiped by individuals (ie. stored up wealth), but this type of worship is the opposite of charity, and is a different kind of evil. Those that store up wealth, and refuse to help others less fortunate, are in the same kind of danger of losing their soul, as idolaters (It is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to enter heaven.).

I suppose that any decision that we make that breaks the commandment given unto us by Jesus, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” implies some other form of worship other than the Word. A physical object is not always necessary. 🙂
I believe that Snerticus was right, this is OT stuff. Today we know that an object in and of itself is not evil, it is the use it was put to that is evil. Back in the OT many actually believed the object itself had life. Even in the NT most had given up on that belief as I believe Paul pointed out when he said that “we all know that there is no life in an idol”. Today any of those objects are preserved as museum pieces. As far as making a object of anything of heaven or earth, the importance there is not to worship it. If we weren’t to make an image of anything God did a poor job of following his own commandment when he had cherubim put on top of the Ark and he ordered idols of bulls and images of palm trees for the temple.
 
I believe that Snerticus was right, this is OT stuff. Today we know that an object in and of itself is not evil, it is the use it was put to that is evil. Back in the OT many actually believed the object itself had life. Even in the NT most had given up on that belief as I believe Paul pointed out when he said that “we all know that there is no life in an idol”. Today any of those objects are preserved as museum pieces. As far as making a object of anything of heaven or earth, the importance there is not to worship it. If we weren’t to make an image of anything God did a poor job of following his own commandment when he had cherubim put on top of the Ark and he ordered idols of bulls and images of palm trees for the temple.
🙂 God does not sin. What He commands, is righteous, and is for His glorification. Idolatry refers to the assumption that objects have life, or represent another being, that has power equal to or greater than God Himself. In the case of the Ark and temple, these objects were decorations, rather than something to be worshiped instead of God Himself.

I refuse to believe that God has changed His Word concerning the destuction of idols (and any other objects used in the worship of idols). These objects are defiled. His commandments are at the centre of Christian beliefs. 🙂
 
🙂 God does not sin. What He commands, is righteous, and is for His glorification. Idolatry refers to the assumption that objects have life, or represent another being, that has power equal to or greater than God Himself. In the case of the Ark and temple, these objects were decorations, rather than something to be worshiped instead of God Himself.

I refuse to believe that God has changed His Word concerning the destuction of idols (and any other objects used in the worship of idols). These objects are defiled. His commandments are at the centre of Christian beliefs. 🙂
Well that’s fine if that’s what you want to believe. But remember, if your going to put yourself under the law of the OT you cannot pick and choose. You will be under the entire OT law. So you will be forbidden to eat certain animals, certainly no pork, do animal sacrifices, circumcise your young, your wife after childbirth will be unclean for seven days if a boy and 14 days if a girl, well you get the picture. We are under the New Covenant not the Old. If you want to live under the Old that’s your choice but don’t be a hypocrite and obey one or two laws, you must obey all of them. Sure you want to do that?
 
Well that’s fine if that’s what you want to believe. But remember, if your going to put yourself under the law of the OT you cannot pick and choose. You will be under the entire OT law. So you will be forbidden to eat certain animals, certainly no pork, do animal sacrifices, circumcise your young, your wife after childbirth will be unclean for seven days if a boy and 14 days if a girl, well you get the picture. We are under the New Covenant not the Old. If you want to live under the Old that’s your choice but don’t be a hypocrite and obey one or two laws, you must obey all of them. Sure you want to do that?
🙂 What has this got to do with the 10 commandments? The above items that you mentioned, are specifically changed, per the NT scripture. 🙂
 
It is written in the OT, that any type of object that has been used for any evil purpose, must be destroyed. Precious metals cannot be melted down and recast for any purpose. Once used for an evil purpose (such as idolatry), they are defiled, and must be destroyed.

Our museums, treasure hunters, etc. do not heed this warning, and yet, I have never heard one single sermon in my life covering this topic. Why the silence on this topic?

Because what you are describing was put “under the ban”, it was herem, anathema - “devoted/accursed”; & this was part of the ideology of “holy war”. What we see in museums are not herem, & they are not taken during a holy war; they are unearthed in archaeological expeditions - which is not a mode of waging holy war 🙂 So that passage is inapplicable to them.​

There is no “silence” - people don’t preach on this, because Christians are not Jews, are not bound by the regulations governing holy war, don’t wage war of that kind, & are not waging war of any kind when they visit museums. Just as they do not preach against the sin of admitting eunuchs into the congregation of the Lord (it’s forbidden in Deut. 23.1 - no eunuchs & no bastards are allowed, & neither are certain non-Israelites. They don’t preach against the doing of these things, because Christians are not bound by these laws.

If we were still bound by them, we would have to search out & exterminate the Amalekites.
 
🙂 Any object that has been worshiped instead of worshiping God, is evil. The Bible tells us that we are not to make any object that resembles anything in heaven or earth, and then bow down to it.

Treasures of the earth are often worshiped by individuals (ie. stored up wealth), but this type of worship is the opposite of charity, and is a different kind of evil. Those that store up wealth, and refuse to help others less fortunate, are in the same kind of danger of losing their soul, as idolaters (It is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to enter heaven.).

I suppose that any decision that we make that breaks the commandment given unto us by Jesus, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” implies some other form of worship other than the Word. A physical object is not always necessary. 🙂

Are you thinking of raiding Fort Knox ? Money is stamped with the likeness of “things on the the earth”, so it qualifies for destruction.​

 
In the early days of archaeology, many feared the temptation to worship or use for occult purposes items from digs. However, the way they’re handled now makes that very unlikely. Unlike soldiers seizing idols from an enemy people, who may see all spoils as theirs to use for their intended purposes, archaeologists are trianed to use objects for study and then to get them into the hands of universities and museums, where they are displayed for study.
When Jesus fulfilled he law He separated rules that are binding no matter what from rules that are now remembered as symbolic or that depend on intent. The rule against worshipping other gods i binding no matter what. The rule to destroy artifacts depends on intent now. It’s like being grown up; some things that were off-limits when we were three or four, like getting under the sink, now depend on our reason for doing it and how well we know what we’re doing.
 

It is written in the OT, that any type of object that has been used for any evil purpose, must be destroyed. Precious metals cannot be melted down and recast for any purpose. Once used for an evil purpose (such as idolatry), they are defiled, and must be destroyed.

Our museums, treasure hunters, etc. do not heed this warning, and yet, I have never heard one single sermon in my life covering this topic. Why the silence on this topic?
Then you should destroy your currency:
http://www.munic.state.ct.us/BURLIN...us/BURLINGTON/us_one_dollar_bill/image007.jpg
United States One Dollar Bill - Interesting Facts
 
This discussion chills me to my bones. The very idea of destroying any artifact is akin to burning books - something which has been done with great regularity in the past.

Were not the carved Buddha statues in Afghanistan that stood for centuries blown up recently on the orders of Islamic mullahs for exactly that reason? What about the destruction of our Catholic cathedrals in Europe by the protestants using the same justification? Priceless artifacts lost for the sake of religious fundamentalism.

I also resent the use of the words “treasure hunter”. I am an archaeologist. I try to preserve the past not plunder it for profit. Yes, there are “treasure hunters” out there but even they adhere to standard archaeological practices. Did you not read in the news this week that HMS Victory has been discovered? Oh, those guys will make a profit but you can bet that they will make every effort to properly excavate the site according to standard archaeological practices. Archaeology is not “Indiana Jones”.

Archaeology is also not religion Do you think that archaeologists in the Middle East destroy every statue of Ba’al they come across?

The very idea of destroying an artifact as “evil” is anathema to me. That the Nazi’s did evil is historic fact. Does that mean we should raze Auschwitz to the ground because it was used for an evil purpose? NO! It should stand as a reminder for all times of the evil humankind is capable.
 
Bravo Brotherhrolf! Well spoken. Now for Mr. Thorwald. We are not under the OT. As a matter of record you say that God’s laws do not change. In the OT you were allowed to divorce yet Jesus says this is no longer true. “Therefore let no man separate what God has joined”. Matt 19:6.
Below is part of an article from CA with a link to the full article. Read it and maybe you will understand why we are now children of the NT and not the OT.

Old Testament law, as such, is not binding on Christians. It never has been. In fact, it was only ever binding on those to whom it was delivered—the Jews (Israelites).

catholic.com/thisrock/2008/0812btb.asp
 
The concept of destroying any historical or modern artifact used in a different faith i.e. Buddhists, Hinduism, animism etc. seems ridiculous at best and irresponsible at worst.

I can see a Catholic destroying satanic paraphenalia though or certainly not wanting to own any kind of wiccan stuff. I would think it would be cool to have some small statuette oa]f hindu god or a Buddha.
 
The concept of destroying any historical or modern artifact used in a different faith i.e. Buddhists, Hinduism, animism etc. seems ridiculous at best and irresponsible at worst.

I can see a Catholic destroying satanic paraphenalia though or certainly not wanting to own any kind of wiccan stuff. I would think it would be cool to have some small statuette oa]f hindu god or a Buddha.
I agree. Just because one person has taken a liking to a religious object’s aesthetic qualities does not mean he worships the object itself. He just has a taste for art and likes how the object looks. 😉

Unless of course there really is such a thing as a cursed artifact. 🤷
 
On my R&R from Vietnam I went to Taiwan and purchased several Buddist hand carved wooden statues. Beautiful work of art. The one of Budda is called “the Happy Budda” and has a big tummy that you rub for good luck. I love em and would never destroy them. Works of art, that’s all they are.
 
This discussion chills me to my bones. The very idea of destroying any artifact is akin to burning books - something which has been done with great regularity in the past.

Were not the carved Buddha statues in Afghanistan that stood for centuries blown up recently on the orders of Islamic mullahs for exactly that reason? What about the destruction of our Catholic cathedrals in Europe by the protestants using the same justification? Priceless artifacts lost for the sake of religious fundamentalism.

I also resent the use of the words “treasure hunter”. I am an archaeologist. I try to preserve the past not plunder it for profit. Yes, there are “treasure hunters” out there but even they adhere to standard archaeological practices. Did you not read in the news this week that HMS Victory has been discovered? Oh, those guys will make a profit but you can bet that they will make every effort to properly excavate the site according to standard archaeological practices. Archaeology is not “Indiana Jones”.

Archaeology is also not religion Do you think that archaeologists in the Middle East destroy every statue of Ba’al they come across?

The very idea of destroying an artifact as “evil” is anathema to me. That the Nazi’s did evil is historic fact. Does that mean we should raze Auschwitz to the ground because it was used for an evil purpose? NO! It should stand as a reminder for all times of the evil humankind is capable.

The news of the damage to Babylon was extremely upsetting 😦 :mad: 😦 😦 😦 - not forgetting all the other sites that have been damaged since 2003 😦 I don’t understand how people can be so insensitive to the remote past, I really do not.​

 

Are you thinking of raiding Fort Knox ? Money is stamped with the likeness of “things on the the earth”, so it qualifies for destruction.​

🙂 Who worships the image of a person engraved on money? People may worship ‘money’ though. (It also comes to mind, “Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s”…LOL). 🙂
 
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