Hello,<\/p>\n
I had this question in mind for a long time and I feel you would be the best person who could answer this based on Scripture.<\/p>\n
I stay in India, and we have a multicultural society with multiple religions and festivals celebrated among friends and neighbors. It is quite common to be invited by Hindu or Muslim friends who tell us to visit their temple or place of worship or even at their home and pray to their deity. Not visiting their holy places would also mean a sign of disrespect shown toward them and their sensitivity.<\/p>\n
But the Bible tells us we believe in one God (or triune God) and praying to other gods or visiting their temple would mean we lack faith in our own God. Can you tell me what does Scriptures tell us about it? Would it be fine to visit temples and mosques just to pay a visit as a mark of respect or is it best to completely avoid visiting religious places that do not belong to us?<\/p>\n
Much appreciate your reply.<\/p>\n\t
During the writing of the New Testament, the Gentiles were idol worshipers. The situations you describe in India today were common in areas like Rome or Greece back then. Idolatry is condemned, so that eliminates any worship of any so-called gods. As Jerusalem wrote to Christians, the Spirit desires “that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell<\/em>” (Acts 15:29). The avoidance isn’t because an idol is anything but because people give credence to idols as being something (see I Corinthians 8). You cannot worship before idols and reach heaven (I Corinthians 6:9-10). “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry<\/em>” (I Corinthians 10:14).<\/p>\n Yes, the idol worshipers will take offense. Your refusal is a statement that their idol is not real. But that is the point we should be getting across. “For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles — when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you<\/em>” (I Peter 4:3-4). Think of it this way, why would an idolator change if we accept their religion as it is?<\/p>\n “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen<\/em>” (I John 5:21).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t Thank you, Jeffrey, for answering my question and clearing my doubts on this subject. As always much appreciated.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Hello, I had this question in mind for a long time and I feel you would be the best person who could answer this based on Scripture. I stay in India, and we have a multicultural society with multiple religions and festivals celebrated among friends and neighbors. It is quite common to be invited…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[304],"class_list":["post-35050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-idolatry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":22029,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-was-worship-conducted-in-israel-when-the-temple-was-destroyed\/","url_meta":{"origin":35050,"position":0},"title":"How was worship conducted in Israel when the temple was destroyed?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 18, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question regarding the Tabernacle and the first Temple in the Old Testament: Was the Tabernacle the dwelling place of God and was the Temple the place of worship for the people? If so, when the first Temple was destroyed and tabernacle removed, how did the people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35677,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-church-started-meeting-in-the-temple-and-the-temple-had-instrumental-music\/","url_meta":{"origin":35050,"position":1},"title":"The church started meeting in the Temple and the Temple had instrumental music","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 14, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 are used out of context. Neither verse is dealing with worship services. The context of Ephesians 5:19 goes back to Ephesians 4:1. It's about your life as a believer. The same with Colossians 3. When the Israelites were baptized in Acts 2, they went\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39317,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-i-visit-congregations-that-are-changing-how-things-are-done\/","url_meta":{"origin":35050,"position":2},"title":"Should I visit congregations that are changing how things are done?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 16, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My question concerns the Sunday order of service and slightly different services. I was added to the body about two years ago. Sometimes I like to visit the services of other churches of Christ. After one such visit, I mentioned to someone that the church I visited had communion\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43850,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/because-we-are-to-sing-psalms-and-the-psalms-mention-instrumental-music-doesnt-this-mean-we-can-use-instrumental-music\/","url_meta":{"origin":35050,"position":3},"title":"Because we are to sing psalms and the Psalms mention instrumental music, doesn’t this mean we can use instrumental music?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a friend who says it's OK to use instruments in worship because of Psalms. \u00a0He says that we are commanded to sing psalms to which he says how can we sing psalms and not believe what it says when David said to praise God with instruments. What\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15743,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-does-the-day-of-visitation-mean\/","url_meta":{"origin":35050,"position":4},"title":"What does “the day of visitation” mean?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In Luke 19:44, what do you think is the \"day of visitation\"? What do you think the other references in the Bible mean in regards to this phrase? We are doing a chronological study and up to this time frame. I have asked you one other question and you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":51859,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-is-stephen-charged-with-blasphemy-if-jesus-did-say-that-the-temple-would-be-destroyed\/","url_meta":{"origin":35050,"position":5},"title":"Why is Stephen charged with blasphemy if Jesus did say that the temple would be destroyed?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In Acts 6:14, Stephen is charged with saying that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place. How is this a false statement if Jesus was speaking of the destruction of the temple in Matthew 24? Thank you. 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