Misplaced Pages

#836163

87-524: Idolatry is the worship of an idol as though it were a deity . In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism , Samaritanism , Christianity , the Baháʼí Faith , and Islam ) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the Abrahamic God as if it were God. In these monotheistic religions, idolatry has been considered as the "worship of false gods " and is forbidden by texts such as

174-625: A magic circle which practitioners believe will contain energy and form a sacred space, or will provide them a form of magical protection. Prayer is one of the duties and worships of Mazdayasna , which is performed in order to always pay attention to the religious commandments and to give thanks to Ahura Mazda (God). In modern society and sociology , some writers have commented on the ways that people no longer simply worship recognised deities, but also (or instead) worship consumer brands, sports teams, and other people ( celebrities ). Sociology therefore extends this argument to suggest outside of

261-468: A biblical source for this idea. In Sikhism , worship takes place after the Guru Granth Sahib , which is the work of the 10 Sikh Gurus all in one. Sikhs worship God and only one God, known as "One Creator", "The Wonderful Teacher" ( Waheguru ), or "Destroyer of Darkness". Wiccan worship commonly takes place during a full moon or a new moon. Such rituals are called an Esbat and may involve

348-618: A book is also a written image in another form. He defended the religious use of images based on the Christian doctrine of Jesus as an incarnation . St. John the Evangelist cited John 1:14, stating that "the Word became flesh" indicates that the invisible God became visible, that God's glory manifested in God's one and only Son as Jesus Christ, and therefore God chose to make the invisible into

435-576: A common morpheme-by-morpheme loan-translation is of the English word " skyscraper ", a kenning -like term which may be calqued using the word for "sky" or "cloud" and the word, variously, for "scrape", "scratch", "pierce", "sweep", "kiss", etc. At least 54 languages have their own versions of the English word. Some Germanic and Slavic languages derived their words for "translation" from words meaning "carrying across" or "bringing across", calquing from

522-443: A complete mind and body experience. By stopping one's everyday activities and focusing on something simple, the mind can open and expand enough to reach a spiritual level. By practicing the step of vipasyana, one does not achieve the final stage of awareness, but rather approaches one step closer. Mindful meditation teaches one to stop reacting quickly to thoughts and external objects that present themselves, but rather to peacefully hold

609-515: A compound but not others. For example, the name of the Irish digital television service Saorview is a partial calque of that of the UK service " Freeview ", translating the first half of the word from English to Irish but leaving the second half unchanged. Other examples include " liverwurst " (< German Leberwurst ) and " apple strudel " (< German Apfelstrudel ). The " computer mouse "

696-575: A contested topic within Abrahamic religions, with many Muslims and most Protestant Christians condemning the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox practice of venerating the Virgin Mary in many churches as a form of idolatry. The history of religions has been marked with accusations and denials of idolatry. These accusations have considered statues and images to be devoid of symbolism. Alternatively,

783-463: A golden calf into their pantheon. The ancient philosophy and practices of the Greeks, thereafter Romans, were imbued with polytheistic idolatry. They debate what is an image and if the use of image is appropriate. To Plato , images can be a remedy or poison to the human experience. To Aristotle , states Paul Kugler, an image is an appropriate mental intermediary that "bridges between the inner world of

870-472: A lack of historic texts describing these, it is unclear what, if any connection with religious beliefs, these figures had, or whether they had other meaning and uses, even as toys. The earliest historic records confirming idols are from the ancient Egyptian civilization, thereafter related to the Greek civilization. By the 2nd millennium BC two broad forms of cult image appear, in one images are zoomorphic (god in

957-796: A new lexeme in the target language. For instance, the English word skyscraper has been calqued in dozens of other languages, combining words for "sky" and "scrape" in each language, as for example Wolkenkratzer in German, arranha-céu in Portuguese, grattacielo in Italian, gökdelen in Turkish, and matenrou(摩天楼) in Japanese. Calquing is distinct from phono-semantic matching : while calquing includes semantic translation, it does not consist of phonetic matching—i.e., of retaining

SECTION 10

#1732772820837

1044-527: A professor of religious studies and history, but its meaning has been different to each and "one man's devotion was another man's idolatry". This was particularly true not only in the intra-Christian debate, states Eire, but also when soldiers of Catholic kings replaced "horrible Aztec idols" in the American colonies with "beautiful crosses and images of Mary and the saints". Protestants often accuse Catholics of idolatry, iconolatry , and even paganism ; in

1131-467: A religion worship is a process whereby society worships itself, as a form of self-valorization and self-preservation. Calque In linguistics , a calque ( / k æ l k / ) or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation . When used as a verb , “to calque” means to borrow a word or phrase from another language while translating its components, so as to create

1218-439: A similar way to how the liturgical term "cult" is traditionally used) was not synonymous with adoration, but could be used to introduce either adoration or veneration. Hence Catholic sources will sometimes use the term "worship" not to indicate adoration, but only the worship of veneration given to Mary and the saints. Orthodox Judaism and orthodox Sunni Islam hold that for all practical purposes veneration should be considered

1305-530: A simple cross. In Judaism, the reverence to the icon of Christ in the form of cross has been seen as idolatry. However, some Jewish scholars disagree and consider Christianity to be based on Jewish belief and not truly idolatrous. In Islamic sources, the concept of shirk ( triliteral root : sh-r-k ) can refer to "idolatry", though it is most widely used to denote "association of partners with God". The concept of Kufr (k-f-r) can also include idolatry (among other forms of disbelief). The one who practices shirk

1392-412: A technical distinction between two different concepts: The external acts of veneration resemble those of worship, but differ in their object and intent. Protestant Christians, who reject the veneration of saints, question whether Catholics always maintain such a distinction in actual devotional practice, especially at the level of folk religion . According to Mark Miravalle the English word "worship"

1479-479: A visible form, the spiritual incarnated into the material form. The early defense of images included exegesis of Old and New Testament. Evidence for the use of religious images is found in Early Christian art and documentary records. For example, the veneration of the tombs and statues of martyrs was common among early Christian communities. In 397 St. Augustine of Hippo , in his Confessions 6.2.2, tells

1566-441: Is oved avodah zarah ( AAZ , worship in strange service, or "pagan"), while avodat kochavim umazalot ( AKUM , worship of planets and constellations) is not found in its early manuscripts. The later Jews used the term עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה ‎, avodah zarah , meaning "foreign worship". Idolatry has also been called idolism, iconolatry or idolodulia in historic literature. The earliest so-called Venus figurines have been dated to

1653-484: Is based on silence and inward listening to the Spirit, from which any participant may share a message. In unprogrammed meetings for worship, someone speaks when that person feels that God/Spirit/the universe has given them a message for others. Programmed worship includes many elements similar to Protestant services. Many programmed meetings also include a time during the service for silent, expectant waiting and messages from

1740-821: Is called mushrik (plural mushrikun ) in the Islamic scriptures. The Quran forbids idolatry. Over 500 mentions of kufr and shirk are found in the Quran, and both concepts are strongly forbidden. The Islamic concept of idolatry extends beyond polytheism, and includes some Christians and Jews as muširkūn (idolaters) and kafirun (infidels). For example: Those who say, “Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary,” have certainly fallen into disbelief. The Messiah ˹himself˺ said, “O Children of Israel! Worship Allah—my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever associates others with Allah ˹in worship˺ will surely be forbidden Paradise by Allah. Their home will be

1827-587: Is derived from the Old English weorþscipe , meaning to venerate "worship, honour shown to an object or deity , which has been etymologised as " worthiness or worth-ship" —to give, at its simplest, worth to something. Worship in Buddhism may take innumerable forms given the doctrine of skillful means . Worship is evident in Buddhism in such forms as: guru yoga , mandala , thanka , yantra yoga ,

SECTION 20

#1732772820837

1914-471: Is equivocal, in that it has been used (in Catholic writing, at any rate) to denote both adoration/ latria and veneration/ dulia , and in some cases even as a synonym for veneration as distinct from adoration: As St. Thomas Aquinas explains, adoration, which is known as latria in classical theology, is the worship and homage that is rightly offered to God alone. It is the manifestation of submission, and acknowledgement of dependence, appropriately shown towards

2001-401: Is in his essence but God knows by his knowledge which is his essence. Also God has no physical form and he is insensible. The border between theoretical Tawhid and Shirk is to know that every reality and being in its essence, attributes and action are from him (from Him-ness), it is Tawhid . Every supernatural action of the prophets is by God's permission as Quran points to it. The border between

2088-490: Is not allowed. Many Jewish scholars such as Rabbi Saadia Gaon , Rabbi Bahya ibn Paquda , and Rabbi Yehuda Halevi have elaborated on the issues of idolatry. One of the oft-cited discussions is the commentary of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon ( Maimonides ) on idolatry. According to the Maimonidean interpretation, idolatry in itself is not a fundamental sin, but the grave sin is the denial of God's omnipresence that occurs with

2175-585: Is part of the sin of shirk ( Arabic : شرك ); širk comes from the Arabic root Š - R - K ( ش ر ك ), with the general meaning of "to share". In the context of the Qur'an, the particular sense of "sharing as an equal partner" is usually understood as "attributing a partner to Allah". Shirk is often translated as idolatry and polytheism. In the Qur'an, shirk and the related word (plural Stem IV active participle) mušrikūn (مشركون) "those who commit shirk" refers to

2262-584: Is probably a central one in Hinduism. A direct translation from the Sanskrit to English is problematic. Worship takes a multitude of forms depending on community groups, geography and language. There is a flavour of loving and being in love with whatever object or focus of devotion. Worship is not confined to any place of worship, it also incorporates personal reflection, art forms and group. People usually perform worship to achieve some specific end or to integrate

2349-546: Is quite different from that of the borrowing language, or when the calque contains less obvious imagery. One system classifies calques into five groups. This terminology is not universal: Some linguists refer to a phonological calque , in which the pronunciation of a word is imitated in the other language. For example, the English word "radar" becomes the similar-sounding Chinese word 雷达 ( pinyin : léidá ), which literally means "to arrive (as fast) as thunder". Partial calques, or loan blends, translate some parts of

2436-444: Is the creation in a language of a new word, derived or composed with the help of elements already existing in that language, and which is not distinguished in any way by the external aspect of the older words, but which, in fact, is only the copy ( calque ) of a word existing in the mother tongue of the one who tries out a new language. [...] we want to recall only two or three examples of these copies ( calques ) of expressions, among

2523-495: Is utterly incomparable, is everywhere and cannot be represented in a physical form of an idol. Biblical scholars have historically focused on the textual evidence to construct the history of idolatry in Judaism, a scholarship that post-modern scholars have increasingly begun deconstructing. This biblical polemics , states Naomi Janowitz, a professor of Religious Studies, has distorted the reality of Israelite religious practices and

2610-800: The Trésor de la langue française informatisé , the French term calque has been used in its linguistic sense, namely in a publication by Louis Duvau: Un autre phénomène d'hybridation est la création dans une langue d'un mot nouveau, dérivé ou composé à l'aide d'éléments existant déja dans cette langue, et ne se distinguant en rien par l'aspect extérieur des mots plus anciens, mais qui, en fait, n'est que le calque d'un mot existant dans la langue maternelle de celui qui s'essaye à un parler nouveau. [...] nous voulons rappeler seulement deux ou trois exemples de ces calques d'expressions, parmi les plus certains et les plus frappants. Another phenomenon of hybridization

2697-625: The Menorah . Ideas on idolatry in Christianity are based on the first of Ten Commandments . You shall have no other gods before me. This is expressed in the Bible in Exodus 20:3, Matthew 4:10 , Luke 4:8 and elsewhere, e.g.: Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am

Idolatry - Misplaced Pages Continue

2784-689: The Protestant Reformation such language was common to all Protestants. In some cases, such as the Puritan groups denounced all forms of religious objects, regardless of whether it was a statue or sculpture, or image, including the Christian cross . The Waldensians were accused of idolatry by inquisitors. The body of Christ on the cross is an ancient symbol used within the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches, in contrast with some Protestant groups, which use only

2871-478: The Ten Commandments . Other monotheistic religions may apply similar rules. For instance, the phrase false god is a derogatory term used in Abrahamic religions to indicate cult images or deities of non-Abrahamic Pagan religions , as well as other competing entities or objects to which particular importance is attributed. Conversely, followers of animistic and polytheistic religions may regard

2958-545: The history of religion . Moreover, the material depiction of a deity or more deities has always played an eminent role in all cultures of the world. The opposition to the use of any icon or image to represent ideas of reverence or worship is called aniconism . The destruction of images as icons of veneration is called iconoclasm , and this has long been accompanied with violence between religious groups that forbid idol worship and those who have accepted icons, images and statues for veneration. The definition of idolatry has been

3045-405: The singular God . In Salafi-Wahhabi interpretation, it may be used very widely to describe behaviour that does not literally constitute worship, including use of images of sentient beings , building a structure over a grave, associating partners with God, giving his characteristics to others beside him, or not believing in his characteristics. 19th century Wahhabis regarded idolatry punishable with

3132-446: The 8th century, with support from emperor Leo III and continued by his successor Constantine V during a period of religious war with the invading Umayyads . John of Damascus wrote, "I venture to draw an image of the invisible God, not as invisible, but as having become visible for our sakes through flesh and blood", adding that images are expressions "for remembrance either of wonder, or an honor, or dishonor, or good, or evil" and that

3219-890: The Catholic Church but part of the popular spiritual practices of Catholics. They do not become part of liturgical worship, even if conducted in a Catholic church, in a group, in presence of a priest. Anglican devotions is private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians to promote spiritual growth and communion with God . Among members of the Anglican Communion , private devotional habits vary widely, depending on personal preference and on affiliation with low-church or high-church parishes . The New Testament uses various words translatable as "worship". The word proskuneo - "to worship" - means to bow down to Gods or kings. Roman Catholicism , Anglicanism , Oriental Orthodoxy , and Eastern Orthodoxy make

3306-564: The Catholic faithful. The Eastern Orthodox Church has differentiated between latria and dulia . A latria is the worship due God, and latria to anyone or anything other than God is doctrinally forbidden by the Orthodox Church; however dulia has been defined as veneration of religious images, statues or icons which is not only allowed but obligatory. This distinction was discussed by Thomas Aquinas in section 3.25 of Summa Theologiae . In Orthodox apologetic literature,

3393-488: The Fire. And the wrongdoers will have no helpers. Shia classical theology differs in the concept of Shirk. According to Twelver theologians, the attributes and names of God have no independent and hypostatic existence apart from the being and essence of God. Any suggestion of these attributes and names being conceived of as separate is thought to entail polytheism. It would be even incorrect to say God knows by his knowledge which

3480-612: The Latin translātiō or trādūcō . The Latin weekday names came to be associated by ancient Germanic speakers with their own gods following a practice known as interpretatio germanica : the Latin "Day of Mercury ", Mercurii dies (later mercredi in modern French ), was borrowed into Late Proto-Germanic as the "Day of Wōđanaz " ( Wodanesdag ), which became Wōdnesdæg in Old English , then "Wednesday" in Modern English. Since at least 1894, according to

3567-533: The Lord your God. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. The Christian view of idolatry may generally be divided into two general categories: the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox view which accepts the use of religious images, and the views of many Protestant churches that considerably restrict their use. However, many Protestants have used the image of the cross as a symbol. The Catholic Church and

Idolatry - Misplaced Pages Continue

3654-621: The Muslim world, the word worship (in the literal context of worshipping ) is forbidden to be used if it refers to an object or action and not exclusively to Allah. Worship of God in Judaism is called Avodat Hashem . During the period when the Temple stood, the rites conducted there were considered the most important act of Jewish worship. However, the most common form of worship was and remains that of prayer . Other forms of worship include

3741-629: The Orthodox Church have traditionally defended the use of icons. The debate on what images signify and whether reverence with the help of icons in church is equivalent to idolatry has lasted for many centuries, particularly from the 7th century until the Reformation in the 16th century. These debates have supported the inclusion of icons of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Apostles, the iconography expressed in stained glass, regional saints and other symbols of Christian faith. It has also supported

3828-410: The Qur'an translation on Q51:56 , Thus, the innermost purpose of the creation of all rational beings is their cognition of the existence of Allah and, hence, their conscious willingness to conform their own existence to whatever they may perceive of His will and plan: and it is this twofold concept of cognition and willingness that gives the deepest meaning to what the Quran describes as "worship". As

3915-563: The Tawhid and Shirk in practice is to assume something as an end in itself, independent from God, not as a road to God (to Him-ness). Ismailis go deeper into the definition of Shirk , declaring they don't recognize any sort of ground of being by the esoteric potential to have intuitive knowledge of the human being. Hence, most Shias have no problem with religious symbols and artworks , and with reverence for Walis , Rasūls and Imams . Islam strongly prohibits all form of idolatry, which

4002-550: The absolute but not the Absolute , or icons of spiritual ideas, or the embodiment of the divine. It is a means to focus one's religious pursuits and worship ( bhakti ). In the traditional religions of Ancient Egypt , Greece , Rome , Africa , Asia , the Americas and elsewhere, the reverence of cult images or statues has been a common practice since antiquity , and idols have carried different meanings and significance in

4089-446: The actual history. The material evidence of images, statues and figurines taken together with the textual description of cherub and "wine standing for blood", for example, suggests that symbolism, making religious images, icon and index has been integral part of Judaism. Every religion has some objects that represent the divine and stand for something in the mind of the faithful, and Judaism too has had its holy objects and symbols such as

4176-485: The ancient anthropomorphic figures included zoomorphic motifs. In Nordic and Indian subcontinent, bovine (cow, ox, -*gwdus, -*g'ou) motifs or statues, for example, were common. In Ireland, iconic images included pigs. The Ancient Egyptian religion was polytheistic, with large idols that were either animals or included animal parts. Ancient Greek civilization preferred human forms, with idealized proportions, for divine representation. The Canaanites of West Asia incorporated

4263-585: The animal and the computer mouse. The common English phrase " flea market " is a loan translation of the French marché aux puces ("market with fleas"). At least 22 other languages calque the French expression directly or indirectly through another language. The word loanword is a calque of the German noun Lehnwort . In contrast, the term calque is a loanword, from the French noun calque ("tracing, imitation, close copy"). Another example of

4350-471: The appropriate honor and recognition that created persons deserve based achievement in excellence. We must make a further clarification regarding the use of the term "worship" in relation to the categories of adoration and veneration. Historically, schools of theology have used the term "worship" as a general term which included both adoration and veneration. They would distinguish between "worship of adoration" and "worship of veneration." The word "worship" (in

4437-414: The approximate sound of the borrowed word by matching it with a similar-sounding pre-existing word or morpheme in the target language. Proving that a word is a calque sometimes requires more documentation than does an untranslated loanword because, in some cases, a similar phrase might have arisen in both languages independently. This is less likely to be the case when the grammar of the proposed calque

SECTION 50

#1732772820837

4524-541: The belief that God can be corporeal. In the Jewish belief, the only image of God is man, one who lives and thinks; God has no visible shape, and it is absurd to make or worship images; instead man must worship the invisible God alone. The commandments in the Hebrew Bible against idolatry forbade the practices and gods of ancient Akkad , Mesopotamia , and Egypt . The Hebrew Bible states that God has no shape or form,

4611-561: The body, the mind and the spirit in order to help the performer evolve into a higher being. In Islam , worship refers to ritualistic devotion as well as actions done in accordance to Islamic law which is ordained by and pleasing to God . Worship included in the Five Pillars of Islam , primarily that of salat , which is the practice of ritual prayer five times daily. According to Muhammad Asad , on his notes in The Message of

4698-541: The case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sabbatarianism ). The church service is the gathering together of Christians to be taught the "Word of God" (the Holy Bible ) and encouraged in their faith . Technically, the "church" in "church service" refers to the gathering of the faithful rather than to the building in which the event takes place. In Christianity, worship is reverent honor and homage paid to God . The New Testament uses various words to express

4785-575: The concept of worship. The word proskuneo - "to worship" - means to bow down (to Gods or to kings). Mass is the central act of divine worship in the Catholic Church . The Congregation for Divine Worship at the Vatican publishes a Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy . Roman Catholic devotions are "external practices of piety" which are not part of the official liturgy of

4872-677: The conduct of prescribed rituals, such as the Passover Seder and waving the Four Species , with proper intent , as well as various types of Jewish meditation . Jewish sources also express the notion that one can perform any appropriate mundane activity as the worship of God. Examples would include returning a lost article and working to support oneself and one's family. The Code of Jewish Law ( Orach Chayim , Chapter 231) cites Proverbs (3:6), "in all your ways, know him" ( Hebrew : בכל דרכיך דעהו ( b'chol d'rachecha dei'eihu )), as

4959-586: The death penalty, a practice that was "hitherto unknown" in Islam. However, Classical Orthodox Sunni thought used to be rich in Relics and Saint veneration, as well as pilgrimage to their shrines. Ibn Taymiyya, a medieval theologian that influenced modern days Salafists, was put in prison for his negation of veneration of relics and Saints, as well as pilgrimage to Shrines, which was considered unorthodox by his contemporary theologians. According to Islamic tradition, over

5046-479: The defining differences between papal Catholicism and anti-papal Protestantism. The anti-papal writers have prominently questioned the worship practices and images supported by Catholics, with many Protestant scholars listing it as the "one religious error larger than all others". The sub-list of erring practices have included among other things the veneration of Virgin Mary, the Catholic mass, the invocation of saints, and

5133-770: The discipline of the fighting monks of Shaolin , panchamrita , mantra recitation, tea ceremony, ganacakra , amongst others. Buddhist Devotion is an important part of the practice of most Buddhists. According to a spokesman of the Sasana Council of Burma, devotion to Buddhist spiritual practices inspires devotion to the Triple Gem. Most Buddhists use ritual in pursuit of their spiritual aspirations. In Buddhism, puja (Sanskrit & Pali: pūjā) are expressions of "honour, worship and devotional attention." Acts of puja include bowing, making offerings and chanting. These devotional acts are generally performed daily at home (either in

5220-432: The enemies of Islam (as in verse 9.1–15). Within Islam, shirk is sin that can only be forgiven if the person who commits it asks God for forgiveness; if the person who committed it dies without repenting God may forgive any sin except for committing shirk . In practice, especially among strict conservative interpretations of Islam, the term has been greatly extended and means deification of anyone or anything other than

5307-528: The excellence of an uncreated divine person and to his absolute Lordship. It is the worship of the Creator that God alone deserves. Although we see in English a broader usage of the word "adoration" which may not refer to a form of worship exclusive to God—for example, when a husband says that he "adores his wife"—in general it can be maintained that adoration is the best English denotation for the worship of latria. Veneration, known as dulia in classical theology,

SECTION 60

#1732772820837

5394-526: The first time in mid 13th century English appears as "idolatry". Although the Greek appears to be a loan translation of the Hebrew phrase avodat elilim , (עבודת אלילים) which is attested in rabbinic literature (e.g., bChul., 13b, Bar.), the Greek term itself is not found in the Septuagint , Philo , Josephus , or in other Hellenistic Jewish writings . The original term used in early rabbinic writings

5481-488: The following: Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. The manufacture of images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Christian saints, along with prayers directed to these has been widespread among

5568-584: The gods of various monotheistic religions as "false gods" because they do not believe that any real deity possesses the properties ascribed by monotheists to their sole deity. Atheists , who do not believe in any deities, do not usually use the term false god even though that would encompass all deities from the atheist viewpoint. Usage of this term is generally limited to theists , who choose to worship some deity or deities, but not others. In many Indian religions , which include Hinduism , Buddhism , and Jainism , idols ( murti ) are considered as symbolism for

5655-686: The historic use of images in Judaism. The direct material evidence is more reliable, such as that from the archaeological sites, and this suggests that the Jewish religious practices have been far more complex than what biblical polemics suggest. Judaism included images and cultic statues in the First Temple period, the Second Temple period, Late Antiquity (2nd to 8th century CE), and thereafter. Nonetheless, these sorts of evidence may be simply descriptive of Ancient Israelite practices in some—possibly deviant—circles, but cannot tell us anything about

5742-403: The honor and reverence appropriately due to the excellence of a created person. Excellence exhibited by created beings likewise deserves recognition and honor. We see a general example of veneration in events like the awarding of academic awards for excellence in school, or the awarding of olympic medals for excellence in sports. There is nothing contrary to the proper adoration of God when we offer

5829-458: The image itself – the material of the image is not the object of worship – rather it goes beyond the image, to the prototype. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church : The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image venerates

5916-658: The image of animal or animal-human fusion) and in another anthropomorphic (god in the image of man). The former is more commonly found in ancient Egypt influenced beliefs, while the anthropomorphic images are more commonly found in Indo-European cultures. Symbols of nature, useful animals or feared animals may also be included by both. The stelae from 4,000 to 2,500 BC period discovered in France, Ireland through Ukraine, and in Central Asia through South Asia, suggest that

6003-632: The mainstream religion of the Bible which proscribes idolatry. The history of Jewish religious practice has included idols and figurines made of ivory, terracotta , faience and seals. As more material evidence emerged, one proposal has been that Judaism oscillated between idolatry and iconoclasm. However, the dating of the objects and texts suggest that the two theologies and liturgical practices existed simultaneously. The claimed rejection of idolatry because of monotheism found in Jewish literature and therefrom in biblical Christian literature, states Janowitz, has been unreal abstraction and flawed construction of

6090-524: The millennia after Ishmael 's death, his progeny and the local tribes who settled around the oasis of Zam-Zam gradually turned to polytheism and idolatry. Several idols were placed within the Kaaba representing deities of different aspects of nature and different tribes. Several heretical rituals were adopted in the Pilgrimage ( Hajj ) including doing naked circumambulation. Worship The word

6177-432: The mind and the outer world of material reality", the image is a vehicle between sensation and reason. Idols are useful psychological catalysts, they reflect sense data and pre-existing inner feelings. They are neither the origins nor the destinations of thought but the intermediary in the human inner journey. Fervid opposition to the idolatry of the Greeks and Romans was of Early Christianity and later Islam, as evidenced by

6264-593: The morning or evening or both) as well as during communal festivals and Uposatha days at a temple. Meditation ( samādhi ) is a central form of worship in Buddhism. This practice is focused on the third step of the Eightfold Path that ultimately leads to self awakening, also known as enlightenment. Meditation promotes self-awareness and exploration of the mind and spirit. Traditionally, Buddhist meditation had combined samatha (the act of stopping and calming oneself) and vipasyana (seeing clearly within) to create

6351-468: The next verse shows, this spiritual call does not arise from any supposed "need" on the part of the Creator, who is self-sufficient and infinite in His power, but is designed as an instrument for the inner development of the worshipper, who, by the act of his conscious self-surrender to the all-pervading Creative Will, may hope to come closer to an understanding of that Will and, thus closer to Allah Himself. In

6438-471: The participants. During the silence, people may stand up and Minister, this is where people start talking about what they have been thinking about. It is Quaker practice to only minister once. Worship in Hinduism involves invoking higher forces to assist in spiritual and material progress and is simultaneously both a science and an art. A sense of bhakti or devotional love is generally invoked. This term

6525-416: The person portrayed in it." The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone: Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is. It also points out

6612-525: The practices such as the Catholic mass, burning of candles before pictures, Christmas decorations and celebrations, and festive or memorial processions with statues of religious significance to Christianity. St. John of Damascus , in his "On the Divine Image", defended the use of icons and images, in direct response to the Byzantine iconoclasm that began widespread destruction of religious images in

6699-467: The prehistoric Upper Paleolithic era (35–40 ka onwards). Archaeological evidence from the islands of the Aegean Sea have yielded Neolithic era Cycladic figures from 4th and 3rd millennium BC, idols in namaste posture from Indus Valley civilization sites from the 3rd millennium BC, and much older petroglyphs around the world show humans began producing sophisticated images. However, because of

6786-654: The proper and improper use of images is extensively discussed. Exegetical Orthodox literature points to icons and the manufacture by Moses (under God's commandment) of the Bronze Snake in Numbers 21:9, which had the grace and power of God to heal those bitten by real snakes. Similarly, the Ark of the Covenant was cited as evidence of the ritual object above which Yahweh was present. Veneration of icons through proskynesis

6873-627: The reverence expected for and expressed to pope himself. The charges of supposed idolatry against the Roman Catholics were leveled by a diverse group of Protestants, from Anglicans to Calvinists in Geneva. Protestants did not abandon all icons and symbols of Christianity. They typically avoid the use of images, except the cross, in any context suggestive of veneration. The cross remained their central icon. Technically both major branches of Christianity have had their icons, states Carlos Eire ,

6960-661: The same as prayer; Orthodox Judaism (arguably with the exception of some Chasidic practices), orthodox Sunni Islam, and most kinds of Protestantism forbid veneration of saints or of angels , classifying these actions as akin to idolatry . Similarly, Jehovah's Witnesses assert that many actions classified as patriotic by Protestant groups, such as saluting a flag , count as equivalent to worship and are therefore considered idolatrous as well. Quakers (the Religious Society of Friends) have both unprogrammed and programmed Meetings for Worship. Unprogrammed worship

7047-418: The story of his mother making offerings for the tombs of martyrs and the oratories built in the memory of the saints. Images function as the Bible for the illiterate, and incite people to piety and virtue. — Pope Gregory I , 7th century The Catholic defense mentions textual evidence of external acts of honor towards icons, arguing that there are a difference between adoration and veneration and that

7134-479: The thought without immediately responding to it. Although in traditional Buddhist faith, enlightenment is the desired end goal of meditation, it is more of a cycle in a literal sense that helps individuals better understand their minds. For example, meditation leads to understanding, leading to kindness, leading to peace, etc. In Christianity , a church service is a formalized period of communal worship, often but not exclusively occurring on Sunday (or on Saturday in

7221-838: The topic of idolatry has been a source of disagreements between many religions, or within denominations of various religions, with the presumption that icons of one's own religious practices have meaningful symbolism, while another person's different religious practices do not. The term idolatry comes from the Ancient Greek word eidololatria ( εἰδωλολατρία ), which itself is a compound of two words: eidolon ( εἴδωλον "image/idol") and latreia (λατρεία "worship", related to λάτρις ). The word eidololatria thus means "worship of idols", which in Latin appears first as idololatria , then in Vulgar Latin as idolatria , therefrom it appears in 12th century Old French as idolatrie , which for

7308-587: The veneration shown to icons differs entirely from the adoration of God. Citing the Old Testament, these arguments present examples of forms of "veneration" such as in Genesis 33:3, with the argument that "adoration is one thing, and that which is offered in order to venerate something of great excellence is another". These arguments assert, "the honor given to the image is transferred to its prototype", and that venerating an image of Christ does not terminate at

7395-425: The widespread desecration and defacement of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures that have survived into the modern era. Judaism prohibits any form of idolatry even if they are used to worship the one God of Judaism as occurred during the sin of the golden calf . According to the second word of the decalogue , Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image . The worship of foreign gods in any form or through icons

7482-763: Was codified in 787 AD by the Seventh Ecumenical Council . This was triggered by the Byzantine Iconoclasm controversy that followed raging Christian-Muslim wars and a period of iconoclasm in West Asia. The defense of images and the role of the Syrian scholar John of Damascus was pivotal during this period. The Eastern Orthodox Church has ever since celebrated the use of icons and images. Eastern Rite Catholics also accepts icons in their Divine Liturgy . The idolatry debate has been one of

7569-514: Was named in English for its resemblance to the animal . Many other languages use their word for "mouse" for the "computer mouse", sometimes using a diminutive or, in Chinese , adding the word " cursor " ( 标 ), making shǔbiāo "mouse cursor" ( simplified Chinese : 鼠标 ; traditional Chinese : 鼠標 ; pinyin : shǔbiāo ). Another example is the Spanish word ratón that means both

#836163