What is idolatry?

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Daniel_Marsh said:
Definition of Idolatry
Idol´atry
n. 1. The worship of idols, images, or anything which is not God; the worship of false gods.
His eye surveyed the dark idolatries
Of alienated Judah.
  • Milton.
    2.** Excessive attachment or veneration for anything; respect or love which borders on adoration. **
By this definition, Catholics do engage in idolatry, nice try.
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It is laughable to me that someone would ever believe that the veneration of a statue or picture even comes close to Catholic adoration. If, in your view, my attachment to my crucifix “borders on adoration” then maybe you better examine your idea of what adoration is. If you can even confuse the two, if they even look close, then I suggest you take a very hard look at the adoration you are offering. Because the adoration I offer from my heart cannot be confused with the honor I give to things that remind me of Christ. It is like comparing a drop of water to the ocean.

Worship comes from the heart, idolatry cannot be committed by accident. So basically, what you said above is a real slap in the face. There may be some Catholics who are guilty of idolatry. I do not know the heart of every single Catholic who has ever lived, but maybe there are some out there who worship their Divine Mercy plaques or Sacred Heart statues. As for me, I DO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

When I see a crucifix, I think of Him. Not the wood, metal or plaster that the crucifix is made of, but His suffering, His death on the cross for me. I do not believe that my crucifix has “magic” powers,though it is clear from Scripture that God uses objects to bestow grace. Catholics know that that Grace and Holiness come from God alone, not things.

I may kneel in front of a crucifix in humility to God, thanking Him for Jesus. How could anyone possibly think that I worship the crucifix when my entire mind, heart and soul is fixed on Jesus?? It is as baffling as it is insulting.
 
Daniel_Marsh said:
Definition of Idolatry
Idol´atry
n. 1. The worship of idols, images, or anything which is not God; the worship of false gods.
His eye surveyed the dark idolatries
Of alienated Judah.
  • Milton.
    2.** Excessive attachment or veneration for anything; respect or love which borders on adoration. **
By this definition, Catholics do engage in idolatry, nice try.
Click to expand...
I know a Jewish man who in his diningroom has portraits of his dead father and mother, and of his grandparents who were murdered in Aushwitz. He stands before them and gazes at them every day. They remind him of his loved ones. I am sure that if they were stolen he would pay a lot of money, to the point that many would consider excessive, to ransom these images. They are among his valuable treasures, because they remind him of those he loves. He has their graven images to look at, because they are not with him in person. He looks at the images and feels love for his family.

Is this idolatry?
 
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