Idolatry is the
worship of an idol as though it were
God.
[1][2][3] 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.
[4] In these monotheistic religions, idolatry has been considered as the "worship of
false gods" and is forbidden by the values such as the
Ten Commandments. Other monotheistic religions may apply similar rules.
[5] 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,
[6] or icons of spiritual ideas,
[6][7] or the embodiment of the divine.
[8] It is a means to focus one's religious pursuits and worship (
bhakti).
[6][9][7] 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 cult images have carried different meanings and significance in the
history of religion.
[1][10][11] Moreover, the material depiction of a deity or more deities has always played an eminent role in all
cultures of the world.
[10]
The opposition to the use of any icon or image to represent ideas of reverence or worship is called
aniconism.
[12] The destruction of images as icons of veneration is called
iconoclasm,
[13] 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.
[14][15] The definition of idolatry has been 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.
[16][17]
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, 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.
[18][19]
