What is Idols?

Prophet Abraham built the Kaaba for people to worship God. While pagan Arabs admitted this fact and even kept the stone where he used to stand to build the Kaaba (Abraham's station), they brought idols to the Kaaba and worshiped them to get closer to Abraham's Lord, Allah, God of gods. Prophet Muhammad came with the monotheistic message of Islam. Arabs defended these idols and refused to give up the religion of their fathers and grandfathers.

* Horus - In Egypt, in the Heb-Sed festival, the powers of Pharaoh (Horus incarnate) were tested. If found weak, Horus was expected to sacrifice himself by donating his blood to the soil

* Kronos - A man was sacrified annually at the Phoenician feast of Kronos. Kronos had a son, Ieoud who he sacrificed. Ieoud was known as 'the only begotten son of his Father'

* Tammuz - A popular Syrian saviour-God born of a virgin was killed and rose again every spring. Wherever Tammuz was worshipped a human victim in royal robes was killed and eaten, so his body and blood might bring salvation to the community.

In the text of the Hebrew Bible (the Torah), Moses explicitly commanded the Israelites to strictly observe the covenantal laws, moral statutes, and civil judgments given by God at Mount Sinai, summarized in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Historical-critical scholars emphasize that Moses' mission was to establish a highly structured, law-observant community that rejected ancient polytheism and maintained a unique identity through dietary codes (Kosher), Sabbath observance, and sacrificial rituals. Both Jewish and Islamic traditions view Moses as a lawgiver whose primary instruction was obedience to divine law.

One of the basic teachings of Islam is that God does not have a favorable opinion of those who knowingly deny His right to be worshiped alone (as He alone is responsible for our creation, our sustenance, and our judgement) and reject any of His messengers.

This is not to say that there will be conveyor belts for each religion, and we just jump on and go to either Heaven or Hell according to what we call ourselves. Each person will be judged based on their understanding of God's message, as well as his or her capability and intentions to follow the path to God as best he or she could.

Muslims are not allowed to say that someone will go to hell just because they call themselves a Christian, Jew, or Polytheist. Muslims are not allowed to speak without knowledge. And each person's destination in the Hereafter is known only to God.

It is interesting to note that some people of different faiths insist on telling everyone who does not go to their specific place of worship that they will certainly be going to Hell (knowledge they do not have). But when they see this Quran verse, they are upset by it.

Yes. Jesus taught the absolute oneness of God within the established Jewish monotheistic tradition, rejecting pagan polytheism.

Historically, the term 'God' was applied to powerful figures, such as leaders and magistrates, who served as representatives on Earth. Emperor Constantine referenced this, citing Psalm 82:6 to remind bishops of their high, albeit human, office.

Emperor Constantine at the opening of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) quoted Psalm 82:6 to remind the bishops that their high office should raise them above jealousy and party feeling.

The term 'God' was applied to people of power, authority and rule who were considered to have greater nearness to God than others - an appellation which implies that you are God's representatives on earth, and that your decision is, in an important sense, to be regarded as his.

The Fiery Furnace: When Abraham smashed the idols of his town, King Nimrod ordered him thrown into a roaring fire. God miraculously commanded the flames to become cool and safe for him.

The Sacrificial Test: God tested Abraham's devotion by commanding him to sacrifice his son. Demonstrating absolute submission, Abraham prepared to obey before God stopped him and replaced his son with a ram.

Leaving His Family in the Desert: Abraham followed divine guidance by leaving his wife Hagar and infant son Ishmael in the barren valley of Mecca, which led to the miraculous emergence of the Zamzam water spring.

According to historical and rabbinic traditions (such as the Midrash), Terah was a high-ranking sculptor and merchant of pagan idols in Ur. His household served as a major center for idol crafting, which placed him in direct religious opposition to his son Abraham's uncompromising monotheistic faith.

Yes, Epicureans believe that gods exist, but they reject the idea of a creator or interventionist God. Epicurus taught that the gods are physical beings made of highly refined atoms who live an immortal, blissfully happy life in the spaces between worlds (intermundia). Because the gods are perfectly happy, Epicureans believe they do not care about human behavior, do not answer prayers, do not cause natural disasters, and do not punish people in Hell.

The Tetrapharmakos is a core philosophical checklist or 'four-part remedy' created by Epicureans to quickly eliminate the mental anxieties of daily human existence. It states:

1. Don't fear God (The gods are indifferent and peaceful).

2. Don't worry about death (There is no consciousness or torment after dying).

3. What is good is easy to get (Basic survival needs are simple to fulfill).

4. What is terrible is easy to endure (Intense pain is usually brief; chronic pain can be managed with pleasant memories).

The ancient Greek religion does not have a formal historical name because it was deeply woven into daily civic life rather than treated as a separate organization. Today, historians and modern practitioners refer to it as Hellenic Polytheism, Hellenism, or Ancient Greek Religion. It was a decentralized, polytheistic system focused on the worship of a vast pantheon of deities who controlled natural forces and human destiny.

The 12 Olympians were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon who were believed to reside in a palace atop Mount Olympus. They include:

1. Zeus: King of the gods and ruler of the sky.

2. Hera: Queen of the gods and goddess of marriage.

3. Poseidon: God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses.

4. Demeter: Goddess of agriculture and the harvest.

5. Athena: Goddess of wisdom, crafts, and strategic warfare.

6. Apollo: God of music, poetry, prophecy, and healing.

7. Artemis: Goddess of the hunt and wild animals.

8. Ares: God of war.

9. Aphrodite: Goddess of love and beauty.

10. Hephaestus: God of fire, metalworking, and sculpture.

11. Hermes: The messenger god and protector of travelers.

12. Dionysus (or Hestia): God of wine, theater, and ritual ecstasy.

Yes, the ancient religion has experienced a modern revival known as Hellenic Polytheism or Hellenic Neopaganism. Contemporary practitioners work to reconstruct the ancient ethics, values, and ritual structures of the classical era. In 2017, the Greek Government officially recognized Hellenism as a known, legal religion in modern Greece, allowing practitioners to establish formal places of worship and legally perform religious weddings.

Hinduism is most accurately described as henotheistic or pantheistic, though it contains elements of both monotheism and polytheism. While Hindus worship thousands of distinct deities (devas and devis), the vast majority of practitioners view these individual gods as different forms, facets, or manifestations of a single, supreme cosmic reality known as Brahman.

The ancient Mayan religion was a complex polytheistic system deeply rooted in the forces of nature, astronomy and agriculture. The Maya believed that the universe was highly interconnected and divided into three main realms: the heavens, the earth, and the underworld (Xibalba). Central to their worldview was the concept of cosmic reciprocity—the belief that humans had to maintain a strict balance with the gods through rituals, offerings, and bloodletting to ensure survival, rainfall, and bountiful crop harvests.

In Mayan religion theology, blood was considered the ultimate life force and nourishment for the gods. The Maya believed the gods sacrificed their own blood to create the world and humanity; therefore, human sacrifice was viewed as a holy debt repayment to prevent cosmic collapse. Sacrifices were typically reserved for momentous occasions such as the ascension of a new king, a severe drought, or the dedication of a major pyramid temple, and the victims were often captured enemy royalty or elites.