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“It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you have faith.” How many times have you heard this? It’s often used to promote the idea that all religions are equally true. But what you believe matters greatly. If the object of your faith doesn’t exist, what good will your faith do you? Old-Testament prophets were fond of mocking people who believed in gods that weren’t real. Let’s see what they had to say.
Ps 135:15-18
15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.
Many religions today, such as Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, still practice idolatry. Statues of Mary or the saints, however ornate, are just non-living, man-made objects. They have mouths that can’t speak, eyes that can’t see and, more importantly, ears that can’t hear your prayers. Those who believe in idols are like the idols they worship. They have eyes but can’t see the futility of what they’re doing.
Is 44:14-17
14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
All idols are man-made and have their origin in the mind of man. The words image and imagination are cognate. All graven images, or idols, are a manifestation of someone’s imagination.
Is 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
An idol is just a lump of wood or stone. It cannot save you when you are in trouble. Many adherents of false religions may claim their god answers their prayers, but if their god is a figment of their imagination, then their “answered prayers” must just be a trick of the imagination.
Is 46:6-7 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
What a waste of gold and silver to make a god who has to be carried about by his followers! A god who can’t move about on his own won’t be able to save you from trouble.
Jer 10:3-5
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Adherents of false religions often live in fear of their imaginary gods. But it’s just silly to fear a non-existent god who has no power to do good or evil.
Jer 51:17-18 Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
People are stupid, the Bible says. That’s why they err, believe falsehoods, make idols and worship false gods.
Hab 2:18-19 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
It is of no benefit to put your trust in something that isn’t real. If your god doesn’t really exist, he can’t speak to you or teach you. We Christians know our God is real because we have His Word, the Bible. In the New Testament, we’re told it’s pretty easy for people to be taken in by false gods. People are pretty gullible.
1 Cor 12:2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
Some people worship nature. This is also pointless.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Many religions teach that their god doesn’t have a physical form, that he’s invisible and everywhere. This can be difficult to refute. At least with an idol we can see it doesn’t live or breathe or speak to people. But most of these invisible, omnipotent, omnipresent gods have their origins in polytheistic, idolatrous religions, and so ultimately are the product of someone’s imagination. Those who worship an invisible god who isn’t real are guilty of setting up an idol in their heart.
Ezek 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Everything that has been said about wooden and stone idols applies to any false god. If your god isn’t real, if he’s just a figment of your imagination, he can do you no good. It’s pointless and stupid to believe in, worship, serve and pray to a god who cannot hear you or answer you or instruct you.
There are a lot of fluffy-bunny religious types out there. These are also idolaters. If your concept of God is not based on a sacred text or beliefs shared by others in your culture, then you have just made him up. He is imaginary.
God does not want you to believe in a god who doesn’t exist. It makes Him very angry (Ex 20:5). But how do we Christians know our God is real? Let’s look at the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel.
1 Kings 18:20-40
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
“It’s no good sitting on the fence,” Elijah was effectively saying. “Let’s find out the truth. Is your god real?”
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
The prophets of Baal make a silly carry on for half a day. As I’ve said before, if your god doesn’t exist, you can call out to him all you want, but it won’t do you any good. Elijah quite rightly begins to mock the false prophets.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
Yet still the false prophets continue. It doesn’t matter how long or how hard you pray or what rituals you perform, if your god doesn’t exist, you won’t get an answer.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
This story, written thousands of years ago, is proof that our God is real. Our God did something no idol has ever been able to do. Beat that, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and Zoroastrians!
Ps 135:15-18
15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.
Many religions today, such as Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, still practice idolatry. Statues of Mary or the saints, however ornate, are just non-living, man-made objects. They have mouths that can’t speak, eyes that can’t see and, more importantly, ears that can’t hear your prayers. Those who believe in idols are like the idols they worship. They have eyes but can’t see the futility of what they’re doing.
Is 44:14-17
14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
All idols are man-made and have their origin in the mind of man. The words image and imagination are cognate. All graven images, or idols, are a manifestation of someone’s imagination.
Is 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
An idol is just a lump of wood or stone. It cannot save you when you are in trouble. Many adherents of false religions may claim their god answers their prayers, but if their god is a figment of their imagination, then their “answered prayers” must just be a trick of the imagination.
Is 46:6-7 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
What a waste of gold and silver to make a god who has to be carried about by his followers! A god who can’t move about on his own won’t be able to save you from trouble.
Jer 10:3-5
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Adherents of false religions often live in fear of their imaginary gods. But it’s just silly to fear a non-existent god who has no power to do good or evil.
Jer 51:17-18 Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
People are stupid, the Bible says. That’s why they err, believe falsehoods, make idols and worship false gods.
Hab 2:18-19 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
It is of no benefit to put your trust in something that isn’t real. If your god doesn’t really exist, he can’t speak to you or teach you. We Christians know our God is real because we have His Word, the Bible. In the New Testament, we’re told it’s pretty easy for people to be taken in by false gods. People are pretty gullible.
1 Cor 12:2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
Some people worship nature. This is also pointless.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Many religions teach that their god doesn’t have a physical form, that he’s invisible and everywhere. This can be difficult to refute. At least with an idol we can see it doesn’t live or breathe or speak to people. But most of these invisible, omnipotent, omnipresent gods have their origins in polytheistic, idolatrous religions, and so ultimately are the product of someone’s imagination. Those who worship an invisible god who isn’t real are guilty of setting up an idol in their heart.
Ezek 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Everything that has been said about wooden and stone idols applies to any false god. If your god isn’t real, if he’s just a figment of your imagination, he can do you no good. It’s pointless and stupid to believe in, worship, serve and pray to a god who cannot hear you or answer you or instruct you.
There are a lot of fluffy-bunny religious types out there. These are also idolaters. If your concept of God is not based on a sacred text or beliefs shared by others in your culture, then you have just made him up. He is imaginary.
God does not want you to believe in a god who doesn’t exist. It makes Him very angry (Ex 20:5). But how do we Christians know our God is real? Let’s look at the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel.
1 Kings 18:20-40
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
“It’s no good sitting on the fence,” Elijah was effectively saying. “Let’s find out the truth. Is your god real?”
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
The prophets of Baal make a silly carry on for half a day. As I’ve said before, if your god doesn’t exist, you can call out to him all you want, but it won’t do you any good. Elijah quite rightly begins to mock the false prophets.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
Yet still the false prophets continue. It doesn’t matter how long or how hard you pray or what rituals you perform, if your god doesn’t exist, you won’t get an answer.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
This story, written thousands of years ago, is proof that our God is real. Our God did something no idol has ever been able to do. Beat that, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and Zoroastrians!
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