Stepping off of the plane, and out of West, one of the first differences you encounter is the pervasive worship of idols. It seems that almost every major religion in the East employs ornately adorned statues in their religious practices. Some of them stand several stories tall, towering over mountainsides and cliffs; others are small enough to fit on a necklace. Their presence can be daunting and formidable. Many times they hold the place of honor in the sacred inner-room of a temple. Schools assemble every morning in their presence. Fragrant incense is burned for their comfort, along with an offering of food and drink. They are worshiped. People bow down and pray before them fully expecting their gods to honor their humility and faithfulness.
Hindu god
Honestly, there is something in me that respectfully admires their devotion. I think we would live in a different world if Christians worshipped as faithfully as they do here. Yet, every time I see someone on their knees in front of a statue I’m disheartened. I’ve literally seen people walk from statue – to statue – to statue – to statue, bringing offerings to each and every one of them, hoping that they will find a god powerful enough to meet their needs. It doesn’t matter how tall, polished, or sacred they appear. They all have one thing in common: they are objects formed by human hands. The nation of Israel was prone to worship idols, so God sent many prophets to remind them of their uselessness.
He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
It is used as fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
“Save me! You are my god!”
They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
Isaiah 44:14-19
Hindu god stuck to his seat in the sacred inner-room
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. […] They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Romans 1:22-23,25
I find it highly ironic. These idols often resemble mankind, their maker. The craftsman creates them in his own image. This is precisely what God did with us.
Hindu god
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
According to the bible, we are the living reflection of our maker. I worship the Creator, not created things. I will not bow to another. Only our Creator can bring us freedom. Only our Creator can heal us. Only our Creator can satisfy our needs. And He does. Our God didn’t have to be a god of love, but he is. He gives us life and breath and hope and makes us the object of his affections. So, it bothers me to see so many people put their trust in stone, wood, or bejeweled statues. It’s not just a cultural tradition of veneration; they truly worship their idols. Here’s what Paul told the Athenian’s:
Buddhist bull god temple
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
Acts 17:22-27
Fat Buddha (there are many different buddhas)
At this point you might be thinking to yourself, “Well, at least I’m covered. I don’t worship a statue.” Not so fast. Paul, also addressed the Colossians with this warning:
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5
Obviously this list is not exhaustive. He merely making the point that we make and serve our own gods out of our earthly nature. What do you worship? Security, money, hip-hop, prestige, excitement, etc. Guess what, if it receives the worship that is due to God, it’s as fruitless as bowing down to a rock.
Boy Scout god
