Idolatry In The Name Of Culture

Some months back I was shopping in an Indian grocery.. They were selling many idols.. It was some hindu festival time.. An American family walked into the shopped, fascinated by the idols and bought one. They thought it was some decorative item. They really did not understand that it is used for idol worship. I was reading the history of Israel and how they mingled with Canaan.. God gave them very clear instructions.. Nothing to do with Canaanites.. But Israelites slowly allowed them, got into marriages with them and started to worship their gods..

I wonder is USA is allowing the same thing. I can speak on behalf of Indian population influx. I am not saying immigration should be stopped. I am just saying Americans should be aware of difference between culture and idolatry. In the name of tolerance of culture, there are so many things being introduced in America. The nation is being filled with hindu temples. Is it a good sign? Certainly not!!

Another thing that fascinates me is Bindhi.. Google it.. It is some red sticker kind of thing which women wear in South India. It is becoming more like a fashion symbol. Western people have no problem wearing it when they go to India or some Indian friends introduce it to them. But there is a spiritual meaning behind that..

This is a message for me also. How many Indians have been preached the gospel and are taken to Church? And how many Indians have successfully got idols into American houses? The latter is way higher than the first.. I am not saying there should be no freedom or etc. That is not my point at all. I think Christians are being passive in evangelizing people which is resulting in a generation going towards idolatry.

Just thought of rambling :D
 
If I may take this one step further, Exodus 20:4 says:

4"You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.

Most people miss the part that says, "...any likeness of what is in heaven above...". For this reason, I do not display Christian symbols, buy jewelry with crosses, etc. Many people use these symbols to advertise to others that they are Christians. We should let our actions and our words be the advertisements. Having the "Jesus Fish" on the back of a car when the driver is being aggressive toward another person does not instil confidence.
 
Some months back I was shopping in an Indian grocery.. They were selling many idols.. It was some hindu festival time.. An American family walked into the shopped, fascinated by the idols and bought one. They thought it was some decorative item. They really did not understand that it is used for idol worship. I was reading the history of Israel and how they mingled with Canaan.. God gave them very clear instructions.. Nothing to do with Canaanites.. But Israelites slowly allowed them, got into marriages with them and started to worship their gods..

I wonder is USA is allowing the same thing. I can speak on behalf of Indian population influx. I am not saying immigration should be stopped. I am just saying Americans should be aware of difference between culture and idolatry. In the name of tolerance of culture, there are so many things being introduced in America. The nation is being filled with hindu temples. Is it a good sign? Certainly not!!

Another thing that fascinates me is Bindhi.. Google it.. It is some red sticker kind of thing which women wear in South India. It is becoming more like a fashion symbol. Western people have no problem wearing it when they go to India or some Indian friends introduce it to them. But there is a spiritual meaning behind that..

This is a message for me also. How many Indians have been preached the gospel and are taken to Church? And how many Indians have successfully got idols into American houses? The latter is way higher than the first.. I am not saying there should be no freedom or etc. That is not my point at all. I think Christians are being passive in evangelizing people which is resulting in a generation going towards idolatry.

Just thought of rambling :D

Christians have been incorporating heretical things since The King departed.

The holidays of heretics and the naming of days and months are the earliest and biggest ones.

But Christmas trees, jack-o-lanterns, easter bunny and eggs, etc.

They are all heretical. But Christians take them into their lives.

But what can you do?
 
Idols come in so many different forms these days, and most of them, it seems, aren't even material, which makes it even sneakier.
Which is true.. But my post was simply on physical objects and literal idols.. People are turning blind even to that.. Makes the work of enemy a lot more easier
 
Jesus' sheep hear his voice. I think people who cleave to idols are desperate to fill the empty places inside themselves. And so they buy something , or even create it themselves as materialists, thinking that shall fill their void.

Soul thirst. That's what it is. Being so embedded in this world as to think all this is all there is. And yet feeling something is missing, something more is needed.

When I see people buying idols, because there is a pagan shop here and the idols they sell are in the front window, I thank God for showing me how paths diverge. Those who hear the voice of God wander to the church up the street. Or feel secure and not threatened by trinkets that are pressed out by machines. While those who cling to those things are like unto someone grabbing hold of the rope tied to an empty raft in a perilous sea. They're drowning spiritually and they're clinging to anything that helps them to feel safe is rough waters.

Pray for them. When the voice of God calls from the darkness may they heed the pull of their heart and let go.
praying.gif
 
Which is true.. But my post was simply on physical objects and literal idols.. People are turning blind even to that.. Makes the work of enemy a lot more easier
Does it? An item only has the power we give it. Unless it is something like an Ouija board or Buddha statue, I see little wrong. We must not get too pedantic.
 
KingJ. Are you serious?
Of course, I guess you disagree. Then I guess the next question is, where do you draw the line? If we had to spot the devil / idolatry in everything we would all be amish.

My house is full of African totems. They are works of art. My helper doesn't think so :whistle:.
 
Of course, I guess you disagree. Then I guess the next question is, where do you draw the line? If we had to spot the devil / idolatry in everything we would all be amish.

My house is full of African totems. They are works of art. My helper doesn't think so :whistle:.
You are absolutely right.. It is so hard to draw the line.. That is exactly why we should not push ourselves to the boundary.. Because we simply do not know the boundary! I would look at it this way.. We always think we can master over things.. That is, we will never become obsessed or addicted to it.. I am just checking or whatever.. But we never know what the tripping point is.. That is how every addiction starts.. No one starts out as a blatant drunkard.. No one starts out as a porn addict.. No one starts out as a chain smoker.. No one starts out as an idolater!!
 
You are absolutely right.. It is so hard to draw the line.. That is exactly why we should not push ourselves to the boundary.. Because we simply do not know the boundary! I would look at it this way.. We always think we can master over things.. That is, we will never become obsessed or addicted to it.. I am just checking or whatever.. But we never know what the tripping point is.. That is how every addiction starts.. No one starts out as a blatant drunkard.. No one starts out as a porn addict.. No one starts out as a chain smoker.. No one starts out as an idolater!!
Agreed. This is why I always try remind people of 1 Cor 11:31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.

I judge myself on those totems and laugh at the control they don't have over me. Or the power I don't give them.

I like the Catholic idea of giving something up for lent. I think we just need to do it more often.
 
If you do just a little research you will find evidence that Christianity is an amalgam of pagan religions.
 
If you do just a little research you will find evidence that Christianity is an amalgam of pagan religions.
Yes, that's a myth that pagans and atheists have invoked for quite awhile.
If they did a little research that false teaching would stop.
 

Proverbs 22:7
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.



ROFL

Only the greatest men of God do not idolize money.
I'm female and I do not idolize money.
Ecclesiastes 5:10

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

And with regard to American currency, it is counterfeit. It is not true money at all but is a Federal Reserve note that has no gold standard backing its value. And makes the holders of it debtors due to the rate of inflation fluctuation as pertains to the value of the dollar.
Mammon worshipers in that case are worshiping the equivalent of monopoly money. Talk about your false god.:ROFLMAO:
 
If I may take this one step further, Exodus 20:4 says:

4"You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.

Most people miss the part that says, "...any likeness of what is in heaven above...". For this reason, I do not display Christian symbols, buy jewelry with crosses, etc. Many people use these symbols to advertise to others that they are Christians. We should let our actions and our words be the advertisements. Having the "Jesus Fish" on the back of a car when the driver is being aggressive toward another person does not instil confidence.
I totally agree... but I do have my logo (which is a picture of the jewlry I had made in Kuwait) to tell the story: Jesus is a Jew, died on a rugged cross and is King of Kings because I too am a king :) I do not have anything else in my house except a paining of the rapture with Jesus as a white glowing figure. :D
 
tezriLi said:
KingJ. Are you serious?

Of course, I guess you disagree. Then I guess the next question is, where do you draw the line? If we had to spot the devil / idolatry in everything we would all be amish.

My house is full of African totems. They are works of art. My helper doesn't think so :whistle:.

I read it, laughed at the joke, then wondered if you were serious . . . .
 
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