[RaceBannon]

Well, an idol is a representation that people pray to, or revere, used in a way that gets them closer to God, just like little statues. People KNOW those statues aren't God, but they pray to them/through them/revere them, use them as symbols of their faith.

That is an idol.

[polemikos]

Well, an idol is a representation that people pray to, or revere, used in a way that gets them closer to God, just like little statues . . . That is an idol.

Actually, no, it's not. An idol is a false god.

Too many confuse the absolute ban on worshipping idols and an early ban on making images of God with the making of images themselves. God forbade images of Himself because He had not revealed himself in visible form to the Israelites on Mt. Horeb. As God explains in Deut 4:19; He was concerned that they would mistake the object for Himself.

God forbade the worship of statues, but he did not forbid the religious use of statues. Instead, he actually commanded their use in religious contexts: (cf. Ex 25:18-22; Ex 26:1,31; Num 21:8-9; 1 Kgs. 6:23–29, 7:29, 7:36; 8:6–7; 2 Chr. 3:7–14; Ezk 41:17-18).

Later, God indeed revealed himself to man in many forms. But, more important, in the Incarnation of Christ his Son, God showed mankind an icon of himself. Paul said, "He is the image (Greek: ikon) of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." Christ is the tangible, divine "icon" of the unseen, infinite God.

Now, if you can produce even a single individual that worships the shroud as a god, please let me know.