It wasn’t the bowing before idols that was Israel’s problem, but actually sacrificing to Baal and other gods, expecting to gain favor with him.
Well sure it was...That's why God prohibited it...Building and bowing to those idols is sacrificing to other gods...It's the same as planting one of those gods on your dashboard to protect you and your vehicle from crashing...
Catholics expect to gain favor from statues, dead Mary, dead saints and pieces of bread and wine, etc. or they would not bow down to them, pray to them and keep metals and statues around their homes and cars. It is because they expect to gain favor from the dead and/or statues and metals. It is not like the average person who may have a picture on their wall to enjoy, but in no way expects to gain anything from it as a personality or thing of power.
Lev 26:1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up [any] image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I [am] the LORD your God.