The Bible often uses the imagery of husband and wife to describe God's relationship with Israel.

Invoking the name of a god was an acknowledgment of its existence and gave credence to its power. [5][127] Major Hindu traditions such as Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism and Smartaism favor the use of Murti (idol). Socially idolatry became a family affair, involving cities, towns, clans, and tribes. Stephanie W. Jamison (2011), The Ravenous Hyenas and the Wounded Sun: Myth and Ritual in Ancient India, Cornell University Press. (In comparison, the sin of hatred is mentioned 21 times, lying and false testimony 30, greed, avarice and covetousness 40, theft 42, adultery 52, murder 57, self-righteousness 79, and idolatry 169 times.) Michael Willis (2009), The Archaeology of Hindu Ritual, Cambridge University Press, Paul Thieme (1984), "Indische Wörter und Sitten," in Kleine Schriften (Wiesbaden), Vol. [174][175][176] The charge of idolatry by proselytizers, state Michael Wayne Cole and Rebecca Zorach, served to demonize and dehumanize local African populations, and justify their enslavement and abuse locally or far off plantations, settlements or for forced domestic labor. The fact that idolatry would continue to be a threat to the church is underscored by the many references to the worship of the image of the beast in Revelation. Thus, idolatry has been a part of the major sects of Jainism such as Digambara and Shvetambara. Torkel Brekke (2014), Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions (Editors: Gregory M. Reichberg and Henrik Syse), Cambridge University Press, J. O. Awolalu (1976), What is African Traditional Religion?, Studies in Comparative Religion, Vol. The nations surrounding Israel practiced idol worship as a part of religious ceremonies that also included prostitution and riotous sexual behavior, so idolatry was associated with sexual immorality and greed. As I live,” declares the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you. [187] The Mayan people built step pyramid temples to honor Kukulkan, aligning them to the Sun's position on the spring equinox. They sent back reports which primarily focussed on "overthrow of pagan idolatry" as evidence of their Christian sects triumph, with fewer mentions of actual converts and baptism. Ancient Greek civilization preferred human forms, with idealized proportions, for divine representation. Learn more from our list of Bible verses about idolatry below! God's election separated the people from unholiness and to himself as his special possession. [4] In many Indian religions, such as theistic and non-theistic forms of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, idols (murti) are considered as symbolism for the absolute but not The Absolute,[5] or icons of spiritual ideas,[5][6] or the embodiment of the divine. Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. She has written two novels, "Blind Faith" and "Under the Influence." It challenges God's sovereignty and attempts to offer an alternate explanation to the issues of life.