"Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not." (Isaiah 2:8,9)

"The principle crime of the human race, the highest guilt charged upon the world, the whole procuring cause of judgment—is idolatry." (Tertullian, AD 200)

The trick of that old enemy, satan, in the minds of the simple is to bring the baseness of men to fallaciousness of vanity by idol worship. This is simply one of the many tactics of our adversary to turn ones attention away from worship of the true God.

Idol worship is the lowest of low and those that practice as such are dogs not fit either of the dunghill or the outhouse. Their minds have been so corrupted and mutilated in this vanity that this base form of filth has dulled their senses. However, God in His mercy can save such a one by His saving power through the grace of Christ, and the drawing power of the Holy Spirit. We pray God would grant them repentance.

In the beginning we were designed to have dominion over the creatures fish, fowl, cattle and creeping things not worship them. Once again this is a tactic of satan to discredit the gift of God's creation.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." (Genesis 1:26-18)

We read in Genesis 4:22 which could very well be the beginning of the ability to make idols of brass and iron.

"And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain [was] Naamah."

True worship of God was obedience to God (Genesis 2:15-25; 4:4; and 8:20)

"And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar."

In Genesis 10:8,9 there we see Nimrod the idol instigator.

"And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD."

Again true worship to God

"And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, [having] Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD." (Genesis 12:7,8)

The following are warnings from the Scriptures as to the nature and practice of idol worship.

Prohibition against Worshipping of Idols

"Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images." (Exodus 23:24)

Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; Deuteronomy 29:16; Exodus 20:3,23; Ezekiel 20:7; Acts 15:20,29; 21:25; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 2 Corinthians 6:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 John 5:21; Revelation 2:14; 20:20; 9:20; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Ephesians 5:5; 1 Peter 4:3; 1 Corinthians 10:14; Galatians 5:20; Colossians 3:5; Exodus 34:15-17; Leviticus 19:4; Deuteronomy 5:7; 6:14; 7:25; 8:19; 11:16,28; 28:14.

Judgment against Idols

"And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste." (Leviticus 26:30-33)

1 Kings 15:12; 2 Kings 23:24; 2 Chronicles 15:8; 24:18; 37:7; Isaiah 2:18,20; 10:11; 19:1,3; 31:7; Ezekiel 6:4,5,6,9,13; 14:7; 20:8; 23:49; 30:13; 36:18; 44:10,12; Hosea 8:4; 1 Samuel 15:23; Numbers 33:4; Deuteronomy 7:4; 12:2,3,30; 31:18,20; 32:16; Joshua 24:20; Judges 2:12; 10:13; 1 Kings 9:6,7.

Heathen's Worship Idols

"And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made." (1 Kings 15:12)

1 Samuel 31:9; 1 Kings 21:26; 2 Kings 17:11,12; 21:11,21; 1 Chronicles 10:9; 16:26; Psalms 96:5; 106:36,38; Isaiah 57:5; Ezekiel 8:10; 14:5; 18:16; 20:16,18; 23:39; Acts 17:16.

"Their idols [are] silver and gold, the work of men's hands." (Psalms 115:4)

Psalms 135:15; Isaiah 2:8;20; 45:16; Jeremiah 50:2,38; Ezekiel 20:31; 22:4; Habakkuk 2:18; Zechariah 10:2; 1 Chronicles 12:2; 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16; 33:7; Isaiah 48:5; Acts 7:41; Genesis 31:30; Exodus 32:31; Deuteronomy 4:28; Judges 18:24.

We are not to even mention other gods

"And in all [things] that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth." (Exodus 23:13)

Joshua 23:7

Idol worship is a snare to people

"They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee." (Exodus 23:33)

Deuteronomy 7:16; Judges 2:3; 1 Kings 11:4; Hosea 13:2-4.

Godly men keep themselves from idols

"But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood." (Acts 15:20)

Acts 15:29; 21:25; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 John 5:21.

The sick Catholic Vatican II documents state.

"The saints have been traditionally honored in the Church, and their authentic relics and images held in veneration. For the feasts of the saints proclaim the wonderful works of Christ in his servants and offer to the faithful fitting examples for their imitation." (THE CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY, 111)

Also it affirms.

"The practice of placing sacred images in churches so that they be venerated by the faithful is to be maintained. Nevertheless their number should be moderate and their relative positions should reflect right order. For otherwise the Christian people may find them incongruous and they may foster devotion of doubtful orthodoxy." (THE CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY, 125)

Do Catholics worship idols Yes! For their own teachings condemn them. Brethren, we are not able to physically see or touch God, but we know He is. Idols we may see and touch but we know they're not God at all. Men make gods, but no man made God. Brethren, you will do well to keep yourselves clean and flee from idolatry. Remember the warning from the apostle.

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness , which is idolatry." (Colossians 3:5)

May the grace of God be with you always.

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