What does it mean to “commit Idolatry”

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dustdev14

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Idolatry is defined as, “the worship of an idol” or, “extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone.“ yet I hear many people mention that doing certain things can be considered idolatry. To use a specific example, I’ve seen posts that say “video games are not a sinful activity, but you have to be careful not to commit idolatry.” Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t know a single person who worships video games, or television, or any other of the things that may result in someone “committing idolatry” BUT I also know that for numerous people to consistently agree that these things not only CAN be examples of idolatry, but feel that idolatry is so common that they have to warn against it, then there must be something I’m missing. So, I’ll pose the question to the forums from a new convert. What do these people mean when they say that TV, video games, books, sports, etc…are examples of idolatry?
 
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I think when you place them above God, essentially. For example, doing them when you have a grave obligation to do something in spiritual matters eg playing video games over going to the only Sunday Mass available

I’m not sure if “idolatry” is the correct term to use though.
 
When you devote too much of your time in these games to exclusion of everything else…Yes that is idolatry.
Replacing GOD with material things, TV, vices, etc.
When we do not place proper value to what is really important we commit idolatry. It can take many forms.
 
Some things have a way of taking over our lives in a way that is unhealthy. For example with games, you may intend to relax for a few minutes and find yourself still playing two hours later. There were other things you intended to do or even were obligated to do, but you ignored them in favor of the game. That’s the sort of thing you need to be aware of.

Even worse would be putting God in second place to other activities. Maybe you should be praying or heading out the door to get to Mass on time and you’re playing the game instead… That’s a real problem!

And feel free to substitute any other activity for the game. Just keep an eye on what you’re doing.
 
Zynxensar said:
I’m not sure if “idolatry” is the correct term to use though
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Yeah it doesn’t really seem like the word fits. The definition and use in the church seem almost completely separated. In fact, the synonyms for idolatry are fetishism (as in the religious belief, not in a sexual way) but also heresy and sacrilege. 🤔 oh well. It means whatever we want it to I guess
 
Idolatry is elevating anything or anyone to a place of worship. The greatest form of idolatry in our world today is racism, particularly white supremacy. The very idea that the color of your skin, nationality, or ethnicity makes you superior to other people has destroyed countless lives. Many people have gone to hell over this sin. Nations and generations have been lost. You cannot love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and your neighbor as yourself with racism. The worship of self supercedes honoring God. Racists make themselves into God. They despise God’s creation, calling him a liar. He looked upon his creation and declared it good. They look upon creation and find it lacking. Those that make an idol of race will not gain eternal life. Their unearned privileges is the only reward they’ll receive. Like the rich man they are loathe to humble themselves and take the lower place.
 
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I posit that idolatry is actually quite rampant today.
People generally don’t make idol-statues and bow down to them (although there is a neo-Pagan subculture currently).
However, I hear things all time along the lines of “I think God is sorta like this…” or, “my God doesn’t condemn that…”
And they worship a God of their own making.
 
If someone misses mass there is no need for it to be a violation of the commandment against idols, because it’s already a violation of the commandment about the sabbath.

To me if it’s not a literal golden calf situation then people are just playing word games when they call something idolatry
 
I also think idolatry is rampant today… half the world does ‘other’ things on Sundays and nothing to do with God. And not only that. The first commandment says Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. So anything less is idolatry. We are meant to put God before everything and everyone. Even your wife/husband/child etc. and most certainly before that big fat shiny car you want (yes and the iPhone and new computer game). Materialism and commercialism is idolatry. I think it starts well before it becoming to the exclusion of all else. We are to talk of God when we get up, to our children, (within the family too) and when we lie down, so he is to be a bigger part of our life than ‘just’ mass on Sunday and the odd grace we remember. We are to talk about him and incorporate him in our lives, otherwise we are sliding down that slippery slope. I’d say if you talk about your computer games (tv/car/iPhone whatever) more than God then idolatry is slipping in there…
We Catholics are blessed as the church has ‘the obligation’ of Sunday mass and many feasts and devotions to help us and we luckily put some images around our houses which might trigger our memories, but basically follow the first commandment more closely! (Deuteronomy 6:5)
 
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Replacing God with tv,books and other things is idolatry.
 
You may want to rephrase? Only God knows who has actually gone to Hell. But put themselves in danger of Hell? Definitely…
 
The New Testament defines idolatry exclusively as the sins of the earthly nature.

Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

It reflects the God we now know through Christ as being in us. We are temples of the Holy Spirit through Christ and it is our obligation to keep that temple pure of personal sins.
 
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