Need help writing about the Appeal and Dangers of Idol Worship in my (Fiction) Novel

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I hope I'm not treading into dangerous territory here. I don't think this is all that controversial, I think we are all on the same page: Are Christian, believe in one True God and that only he should be worshipped etc.

I'm writing part of my novel (a more detailed and realistic version of the comic book). There is a part where the people worship an idol and get punished for it, but there are also loving values in there.
I don't know how to portray it. Stuff has gone wrong in their village and they believe God (called Vuijah in this) has abandoned them. So they turn back to their pagan ways (idol worship).

It's easier to write about idolising someone, or something (materialism) because we are more familiar with them, as they are a bigger part of the western culture. But what is the appeal of (sculpture idols etc) to those who believe in them? I want this to be as realistic as possible (and theologically sound) whereas my comic version comes across as a bit naive, clueless to say the least. I need to know what I'm talking about. And as I've been a Christian all my life this doesn't come easy.

Has anyone got any good websites they could show me or share some first hand experience before you became a Christian?
Here is my comic (below) for those who haven't seen it yet or need to familarise themselves to help me out.

--Comic--rated PG (13 years and up)

Thankyou some much for your time! God Bless!

[Technomancer]

If you want an explicitly biblical discussion, you should read the book of Wisdom Ch. 13-16, which has a very poetic exposition on the subject. You might also want to read some of Frazer's 'The Golden Bough', it's a bit dated, but does talk about the psychology involved. A more recent discussion from the same school of thought would be Joseph Campbell's 'The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology'.

[Puritan]

I think scripture has an excellent example of Idol worship. Look at the Israelites and their making of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32. I think their reason for making the calf is quite telling, and their behavior might be a good model for your novel. Moses was delayed in coming down Mount Sinai after he recieved the tablets of the Law, and the people did not know what has become of him. It was then, when they were wondering where Moses was and during a time when Mount Sinai was covered with smoke and the earth was trembling (Exodus 19) that the people asked Aaron to make them "gods," the ones that Aaron proclaims brought them out of Egypt. I am sure that Aaron and the people of Israel knew that this "god" did not bring them out of Egypt, the calf was just made from the jewlry of the people of Israel, and they also knew that God was on Mount Sinai, they saw his coming upon the mountain and were warned not to go up to him in Exodus 19. But even in the midst of this they were demanding that a "god" be made for them. They wanted stability and comfort, and they turned to an image they made for themselves, an image which cannot see them or hear them, but one which they can touch and one which they control because they made it.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Technomancer, by Book of Wisdom I'm guessing you mean the Bible, chapters 13-16 but of what book of the Bible? Joseph Cambell? He's the author of the Hero with a Thousand Faces book isn't he? I'll look into it. Thanks for your help.

Puritan, I was considering that part of the Bible also, but will have to read between the lines a bit more and maybe read some of the side notes on the passage.
Thanks for your help mate.

[Jaltus-bot]

Technomancer, by Book of Wisdom I'm guessing you mean the Bible, chapters 13-16 but of what book of the Bible?

I'm guessing he meant a book not typically found in a Protestant Bible.
http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/#wisdom

[rocklobster]

How about naming the pagan god *snipped*? Get it, "Bull?" Sorry for the implied profanity, but I thought a little pun might be good.

[Rogie]

I snipped your "implied profanity," rocklobster, since I doubt that an implied profanity would help in a Christian project.

[rocklobster]

Sorry. My bad. Is that a strike?

[Technomancer]

Technomancer, by Book of Wisdom I'm guessing you mean the Bible, chapters 13-16 but of what book of the Bible? Joseph Cambell? He's the author of the Hero with a Thousand Faces book isn't he? I'll look into it. Thanks for your help.

The book that I mean is also referred to as The Wisdom of Solomon. It's one of the deuterocanonical texts, so it's not in the Protestant bible. If you can't get a hold of it any other way, you can refer to an online source:
http://www.newadvent.org/bible/wis000.htm

[Rogie]

Sorry. My bad. Is that a strike?

No, I don't really think that it's strike-worthy, but do avoid things like that. The word was close enough to the real thing to be considered profanity.

Carry on.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Is the Wisdom book still biblical though? It doesn't seem to be canon to me. Not disputing, I just don't want to have anything that contridicts God's Word.

[rocklobster]

Is the Wisdom book still biblical though? It doesn't seem to be canon to me. Not disputing, I just don't want to have anything that contridicts God's Word.

YES. It's in the Catholic version! If that's not enough of an authority for you, you don't know your church history. We started the church!

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Um, no Jesus apostles started the Church. And I'm not against Catholics either, only Mormon versions of the Bible or whatever (corrupted versions).

[Technomancer]

Well, let's try to avoid issues of comparitive ecclesiology. In any event, the books are canonical within the Catholic and Orthodox churches, and have been since the time of the early the church councils. In other words, most Christians around the world accept them as canonical.

[Steeltemplar]

Um, no Jesus apostles started the Church. And I'm not against Catholics either, only Mormon versions of the Bible or whatever (corrupted versions).

Wisdom is one of the books that the Protestants call the "Apocrypha", believing that they are not genuine.

Catholics, on the other hand, retain these books as true and have done so since the first Bible was compiled officially by the Catholic Church in the early days of Christianity. Before that, there was no canonical version of the Bible and many books at that time were actually apocryphal. The Church removed these. So, with the exception of removal of the deuterocanonical books (our name for what Protestants call the apocrypha), the Bible Protestants read was compiled and canonized by the Catholic Church. You may judge the significance of this yourself. I'm not going to turn this into a denominational debate.

However, I should say that even if you think Wisdom is apocryphal, it is accepted by a great many Christians and has been throughout the history of Christendom. I would call that a decent resume.

[rocklobster]

Well, let's try to avoid issues of comparitive ecclesiology. In any event, the books are canonical within the Catholic and Orthodox churches, and have been since the time of the early the church councils. In other words, most Christians around the world accept them as canonical.

Sorry, didn't mean it like that.

[Rogie]

I think that we should get back on-track and keep with the original topic. Any more debating or encouragement of debating (and yes, that is going on in several posts here) and this thread will be locked.