Bruce
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You are absolutely correct, and your answer is supported by both Old Testament scripture and New.
The Command against misusing God's name is best interpreted as committing evil in the name of God. This was the abuse in Paris committed by the Islamist terrorists who killed the editors of a satirical magazine while shouting "Allahu Akbar," meaning "God is greater." They murdered in the name of God. Dennis Prager shows how to interpret this commandment in an excellent video: http://www.prageruniversity.com/Ten-Commandments/Do-Not-Misuse-Gods-Name.html#.VLGivsZTpG0
Prager comments, "Not all sins are equal. Some are worse than others. The worst one of all? Committing evil in the name of God. This commandment is often misunderstood because it's mistranslated. It's not concerned with saying God's name 'in vain' like 'God, did I have a terrible day at the office!' It's about using God's name in the commission of evil. We see this today when Islamists invoke God's name while they murder innocent people."
In the New Testament, Jesus said that the unforgivable sin was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. There is good reason to think Jesus was referencing this commandment, which continues, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." To refuse to hold the abuser guiltless means to refuse to forgive that sin. Doing evil in God's name is that serious.
James O
number two : being consumed by greed in any form so that one adores possessions or power or fame to the extent that one will do anything to feed the false god Molech Greed
number three: putting anything or anyone such as nation, race, family, self, ideology, sect, business, class, caste, etc in the place of God so that anything done for the replacement of God is permitted even oppressive total control, murder, theft, enslavement, etc
Wh at is often labeled idolatry by many Muslims, Jew and Fundamentalist or Reformed Protestants< that is, making and honoring of religious objects such as paintings and statues of angels and saints,
widely done by Catholics and Orthodox and many Anglicans and Lutherans and tolerated in limited use by Mainline Protestants'
is not idolatry or contrary to the 2nd / 1b Comandment.
Exodus 25 :18-19 commands the making and use angel statues on the Ark of the Covenant and carvings in the Temple and the burning of lamps and incense before them ( as in 1 Kings 6 and 7) the Brazen or bronze Serpent of Numbers21:8-9 was also commanded to be made and 'looked up to"
Exodus 20:4-5 banned making images of the invisible God ( before the incarnation of God in Chrst), the worship of false gods ( as in !st Commandment part a), use of magical images of anything, believing that gods or spirits visited or dwelt in statues, rocks, Hills, trees or rocks, river, ponds
not religious objects or images
Do you examine the image of God you profess or say that others worship?
Must you bend over backwards to rationalize the behavior you ascribe to your version of god, God <gods or your replacement of God ( yourself, your ideology, your behavours, etc)?
Would you find it insulting if those behaviours or motives were ascribed to you?
Does your god damn people to extermination or everlasting hell because they disagree with you on some belief or text or if they cannot honestly believe in your version of God?
How much actually does your version of God differ from your version of the Devil or Evil?
Does your god predetermine infants to Hell by denying grace and willing this from all eternity?
james o
I think too many folks believe God would even create hell, let alone send anyone there.
Such a hypothetical God violates most of what we are taught in scripture about god.
User
worshiping false gods
worshiping false gods
and, # 3
worshiping false gods
That is because "idolatry" - in the Biblical sense - always means "worshiping false gods"
Kevin
Worshiping the antichrist.
Receiving mark of the beast.
Eating marked food.