CHRISTIAN & JEWISH VIEWS ABOUT IDOLATRY

Christian & Jewish Views about Idolatry

Christian & Jewish Views about Idolatry

Introduction

Each belief makes an try to find a way to communicate with the Divine. As human creation, belief is utilising human dialect in order to articulate this yearning for the Transcendence. For some beliefs the creation is a intermediate to discover the Divine, for others annals, or the blend of both. Ihave an effect that in the present instant all religions need to find a new way to articulate their basic intuition. Whead covering is actually required is the openness for interrogating and readiness to accept necessary changes. Looking at the annals of religions we have to say that it occurs all the time, but that not all supporters of devout systems are eager to accept this historical dimension of their own tradition. In particular, some beliefs' managers deny to rethink and modify their basic theological notions according to the new pluralistic reality of up to date world. They are also tempted to recognise their own devout beliefs with the only factual way to God.

IDOLATRY

In other phrases they gaze at other religions as inferior and deficient. This temptation is known as idolatry.(Robyn Horner, 2005) Very clear in this regard is Abraham J. Heschel who in his term paper No belief Is an Island composed: “Religion is a means, not the end. It becomes idolatrous when considered as an end in itself. Over and overhead all being stands the Creator and Lord of history. He who transcends all. To equate religion and God is idolatry.”(Leora Batnitzky, 2000) We can find a similar concept in the theology of Irving Greenberg who wrote: “Any claim that one understanding of God is the definitive, superior one is a form of idolatry”.(Hoppe, Leslie. 1983) I'm not going to investigate the kind of different types of idolatry. Iwould like to draw vigilance to the Christian manner of giving its way for salvation as exclusive and the only truth. As Wilfrid Cantwell Smith sharp out in his publication Towards a World Theology, the traditional way to talk about God in Christianity has some limitations, which need to be overcome. The main difficulty is reducing and recognising belief with the revelation in the Bible. And even more, Christian theology recognises religious salvation with Jesus Christ. “Christian theology has sometimes said that there is a divine revelation in environment, and in annals, but has gone on to state that God is (or: was) revealed completely in Christ. (Some have gone on to state, was disclosed fully only in Christ.) I suggest that the future theology may profitably discover to talk a distinct language. God is not disclosed completely in Jesus Christ to me, not indeed to any person that I have contacted; or that my chronicled investigations have uncovered.”[5) It is significant to notice that W.C. Smith talks as a Presbyterian minister, as a Christian theologian, but first and foremost as a constituent of human ...