If someone prays to dead people, he's made them gods. If someone burns a candle in front of a statue, he's worshiping an idol.
You can play religious Twister all you want in your efforts to rationalize the behavior. It still won't reconcile with God's Word.
There are no "gods," there is only one God, and people can't make "gods" no matter how hard they try.
If you think there are "dead people" in heaven, you have bigger problems than worrying about my alleged idolatries. Specifically, you aren't a Christian anymore.
And the claim is ridiculous on its face. If I ask someone for something, I've made them a god? I'll remember that next time my wife asks me for something. "Hey, honey, thanks for deifying me!"
If someone burns a candle in front of a statue, he's worshiping an idol.
You might as well claim that putting flowers in front of someone's picture, or flowers in front of their tombstone, is worshipping an idol as well.