Idolatry in Bali

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In planning for a trip to visit a cousin in Indonesia I suggested a sightseeing trip to Bali. She expressed reluctance on the grounds that idolatry is rampant there and thus not a safe place for a Catholic to go. Not physical safety but spiritual safety.

I never heard this before. Can there be anything to this? We are both strong in our faith and I don’t get it. Thanks.
 
SummitJim said:
In planning for a trip to visit a cousin in Indonesia I suggested a sightseeing trip to Bali. She expressed reluctance on the grounds that idolatry is rampant there and thus not a safe place for a Catholic to go. Not physical safety but spiritual safety.

I never heard this before. Can there be anything to this? We are both strong in our faith and I don’t get it. Thanks.
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If that were really a concern, you should move from America immediately! Idolatry involves more than gods carved of wood or stone, or molded out of precious metal.

Idolatry occurs anytime we place love or adoration on, or we work to serve, anything other than God. This includes money, sex, power, material possessions…a rampant reality in America (and to be fair, the world).

So, no, my own thoughts are that if you have not succumbed to temptation of idolatry right here, you are unlikely to fall prey to it in Bali.
 
I’ve been to Bali twice and was taken around the island by a Hindu priest.

The take away for me was how peaceful the society was because recognition of the spiritual was not forced out by secular government but lived and publicly expressed by its people.

I’m not any less Catholic due to my visits, but i am more anti-secular.
 
For crying out loud. She’s not going to lose her soul or religion by going to Bali. Should Catholics not travel to places where Christianity is not the primary religion? Should we not tour the temples of Japan? The Forbidden City in China? The Pyramids of Egypt?

Go to Bali and enjoy - it’s one of the most stunningly beautiful and friendly places in the world. You’ll love it.

Pax,
OA
 
While the world “idolatry” in connection with Westernism is IMNAAHO massively overused, there is a point. We are not to run and hide from places that it occurs. That is Pharisaism, not Christianity.

Our LORD was not loath to go to Peraea or Gerasa, nor to Tyre and Sidon, nor were Hus followers to visit every pagan city they knew of.

Bon Voyage and ICXC NIKA.
 
SummitJim said:
In planning for a trip to visit a cousin in Indonesia I suggested a sightseeing trip to Bali. She expressed reluctance on the grounds that idolatry is rampant there and thus not a safe place for a Catholic to go. Not physical safety but spiritual safety.

I never heard this before. Can there be anything to this? We are both strong in our faith and I don’t get it. Thanks.
Click to expand...
I have been to Bali many times. There is nothing spiritually unsafe about it. Your cousin is being ridiculous.The main religion there is Hinduism. If you were to avoid such places then you would never visit India.
There is a Catholic Church in Bali.
 
I live in a country where, by your cousin’s standards, 80% of the population are “idolaters”.

We call it Hinduism over here.

Not saying it’s perfect, but at least no one’s propositioned me for gay sex on the streets, as happened when I once visited a “Catholic” country. 😛
 
Thanks all. You confirmed what I thoought. When it comes to threats to our faith, I live just outside San Francisco and I’ve survived that. Maybe I should bring my cousin here and show her the Castro district. Nno, she might have a heart attack! So off to Bali I go.
 
I would also suggest that your friend could brig along a bit of blessed salt, holy water, or holy oil. While she’s visiting these pagan areas, she could sprinkle some blessed salt discreetly.

In my travel a couple of years ago, I visited a country that has several pagan temples. We got to visit a shrine. I brought along blessed salt, but I forgot to sprinkle them while there.

Anyway, I’m visiting again another in area in that country in a couple of months, and I’m bringing along my salt. 👍👍
 
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