Just asking (36): Why worship a physical idol?

It’s really a question that has evaded an answer.

I’m not talking about Taylor Swift sort of idol.

I’ve got Catholic friends whose answer actually slides to another messier question.

They say, “We don’t worship the idols or icons. We simply use them to focus on the reality outside of the object.”

It becomes muddy when you challenge them to throw away all idols of Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Peter, Paul, Mother Teresa and so on.

Or could end up bloody if you actually start throwing away.

So back to the question of why worship a physical idol.

I mean one we usually see in HK and Macau.

Shrines in the open, idols in temples, or at home.

Physical idols of animals, legends, gods and goddesses in myths, photographs of deceased parents or grand parents, or even just a plaque with their names on.

These aren’t idols such as Mirror or Sammi.

These are physical idols to which incense are often and regularly burnt in the belief whatever behind or in Catholic-like “outside” of the idols.

It is this belief that puzzles me.

Why would a piece of wood, which probably came from the unsold scrap of a timber, fashioned by an artisan into all sorts of animals and human forms, have such powers to hear, see, talk, walk and act?

Let’s hear the ancient poet comment on this issue:

“But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.

They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.

They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell.

They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.”

There’s no plainer way to put it and should be required by local laws to be placed on shrines where idols are displayed in public.

Why would such a piece of barely salvageable scrap continue to receive anyone’s worship?

Even for the sake of argument there’s a spiritual reality or deity such as a monkey god or a Kwun Yum standing behind that piece of bought wood, why not go directly to that reality and cut out the middleman?

HK people are known for shrewdness in business.

Cutting out the middleman agent is always good business.

Cut out the idol.

Why not?

Just asking.