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I see. Christians don't believe the man-made object hears or answers prayers. It's more a reminder that Christ lived in the real world with an actual body.
That is what it is supposed to be. But the problem arises that people take things on their own and it often becomes a worship of the object.
I do believe that the Catholics do a much better job at making people aware that the statues are reminers and not objects of worship. In spite of the criticism you get from non-Catholics most Catholics do see themas simple reminders. I personally believe the "Cross" people have a high inclination to worship the cross as with out the human figure they fail to see it as a reminder and slip over to worship.
Incense lighting is not a prerequisite; anything that is associated with worship of other than the one, true G-d is idolatry, as well as any 3-dimensional representation of people or animals, such as statues or busts.
Well, perhaps in later Judaism this was so. I have to remind myself that the religion of the Tanakh is entirely different from what it evolved into: Judaism, and the offshoots of Christianity and Islam.
A more detailed look at the actual prohibitions against graven images might reveal a more specific meaning than is being expanded here... not that I would ever encourage people to read the actual Mosaic code, rather than relying on later mishnaic, targumic and talmudic interpretations ....
I'm more interested in the original intent of the prohibitions - not the later rabbinic and christian interpretations. I'm not saying their not valid - just pointing out my area of primary interest when approaching a subject.
It's a wonder that David was able to be smuggled out of danger by his wife using their household idols to fool Saul's men. Not really a wonder, considering the prohibition was obviously not in force at that time. Shall I mention the theft of Laban's gods? I know later tradition interprets that into a great act of piety and lesson-teaching, but it's certainly not in the plain sense of the text. There's a reason the prophets screamed against false gods so vocally - they were quite popular, and only a 'stumbling block' quite late in the religion.
Nobody is deciding truth in this manner - it's simply democracy.
Again that is my point! Affording people respect is not a democratic issue. Which is why when you the suggestion was made that one religion should be respected and another not... solely on the basis of the number of subscribers.... my point could not have been made better for me if I had been given the password to write the posts myself!
One would hope we do not afford people respect on the basis of them conforming to the majority opinions and ways of life.
Incense lighting is not a prerequisite; anything that is associated with worship of other than the one, true G-d is idolatry, as well as any 3-dimensional representation of people or animals, such as statues or busts.
So Orthodox Jews can't make statues? I've heard something like this, but how does this jibe with the Ark of the Covenant having statues of cherubim?
17 "Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18 And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. 21 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. 22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites."
Exodus 25:17-22
Is it that cherubim are not people or animals and are "of the Lord"?
And does the prohibition on 3-D imagery mean a painted cross would be more acceptable?
Remaining neutral doesn't mean embracing Atheism. It simply means, in this case, not putting up a cross or any other religious symbol, as none of them represent the beliefs of everyone in town.
Because this prohibition applies to people not to the Almighty
Well, God did not make the Ark - so that doesn't really apply. He may have provided the blueprints, but he did not construct it.
According to The Anchor Bible Dictionary
"an idol is a physical representation of a deity, usually used as an object of worship, though idols and images were used in a variety of ways throughout the ANE [Ancient Near East]."
Under the section title Images In Israel, the very first sentence reveals what I mentioned in my earlier post - the difference between the religion of the Bible and Judaism and Christianity, along with a nice rundown of what the Biblical stance was:
"The position of official Israelite religion as defined in the Hebrew Bible stands in striking contrast to the thought and practice of their ANE neighbors. The Israelite view is clearly stated in Exodus 20:4-5a, "You shall not make for yourselves a graven image (pesel), or any likeness (temuna*) of what is in heaven above or on the earth below or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them: for I, YHWH your God am a jealous God." This prohibition of images is repeated in Exodus 20:23; 34:17; Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; Deuteronomy 4:15-19, 25; 5:8; and is probably presupposed in Joshua 24:18-23. The prohibition seems to underlie both the prophetic condemnation of Israel and Judah (e.g., Jeremiah 11:10-13) and the prophetic contempt for images in passages like Jeremiah 10:3-5."
(Anchor Bible Dictionary, Curtis, Vol. 3, p. 378)
An interesting note is that the Israelites imagined Yahweh sitting on top of the cherubim - they were his footstools. This might link to the Golden Calves (better, Bulls):
"It is not clear whether the calf was meant as an image of Yahweh or of another god (either Egyptian or Canaanite)....It is possible that the calf was meant as a pedestal on which Yahweh (perhaps conceived as invisible) was enthroned, since various Canaanite deities are often depicted standing on an animal typically associated with them." (p. 379)
If you have access to these Dictionaries - check them out. They are filled with information, and the section on idols is very illuminating.
However - from the definition, and Biblical references - the cross is clearly not an idol.
*Sorry- I can't make any diacritical marks for this word, though they are needed.
However - from the definition, and Biblical references - the cross is clearly not an idol.
The Christian Cross represents the Christian religion which is an idolatrous belief, a belief in other than the one, true G-d, and hence the Christian Cross is idolatrous.
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