Why do people choose to worship idols instead of the real true God who died on the cross for your sins?

Answer 1

First of all, people do not worship idols - these statues simply represent their gods in the same way that a statue of Jesus represents Jesus to Christians. So, if Christians can pray in front of a statue of Jesus or a saint, then can others pray in front of statues of their gods.

Secondly, many people simply do not believe that Jesus is the true God. Just as Christians believe in Jesus as the true God without needing any proof, others believe in their god or gods as true and everlasting even though this involves faith just as much as belief in the Christian God.

Answer:

People choose to bow before "objects of worship" [idols] because people are, first and foremost, materialistic. We're "physical"... with five physical senses that are easily deceived, that feed physical data to our carnal minds. And we like physical facimiles of things to help us pray to an invisible God, about Whom we are informed, usually, as children growing up, but never get to see.

We like holding something in our hand or looking at something or smelling incense or hearing religious-sounding music when we pray, because it helps us focus our finite minds on whatever our perception of God may be.

Even modern professing Christianity sports their various brands of idols, like statues, pictures, or personal pocket, necklace, bracelet, ring or dashboard items... depending upon which branch of the hundreds of denominations we may be talking about.

Yet, we are hard-pressed to find any religious person bowing before their objects of worship who will admit to committing "idolatry." Even the millions of professing Christians doing it.

Every one of them will insist that they "aren't worshiping an idol"... and insist that the particular object they hold or kneel before merely "represents God"... and "is not really God."

But then... THAT'S WHAT IDOLATRY IS." Idols aren't God. They have always merely "represented" God.

The main trouble with many of those who claim to "worship the True God who DIED ON THE CROSS for their sins"... is that they forget that He is alive [no longer dead]and standing at the right hand of the Father in heaven, waiting to intercede on their behalf in their prayers... not through idols... but directed "in Spirit" directly to the Father, through Him.

Not through a forbidden graven image of some likeness of God's creation... but through the Creator, Himself. For: "... without Him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:3)

"...God... dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands..." (Acts 17:24-25).

"...the woman said [to Jesus], 'I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.'

"Jesus declared, 'Believe Me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is of the Jews.

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the TRUE WORSHIPERS will worship the Father IN SPIRIT and TRUTH, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. GOD IS SPIRIT, and HIS WORSHIPERS MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH.'

"The woman said, 'I know that Messiah' (called Christ) 'is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.' Then Jesus declared, 'I who speak to you am He.'" (John 4:19-26 NIV)

Even much of the modern religion professing the name of Christ today has succumbed to idolatry. They don't know it... or admit that their "objects of worship" that merely "represent God" are idols. But that's what deception is... that's how it works.

The "Spirit and Truth" whereby God's Children worship Him, of which the living Jesus Christ speaks, is worship of God in accordance with the Holy Spirit-inspired Word of God, the Bible: "...Thy Word is TRUTH." (John 17:17)

These are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks... those whose spirits are awake and aware of His Truth. Spiritual-minded Children that see beyond the material... that don't need the physical idol crutch that the carnal-minded require.