I believe that the prescription against idol worship goes much deeper than referring to just statues

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own (1 Cor 6:19)

What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God ( 2 Cor 6:16)

When God said that He is above other Gods, what he meant was that you need to anchor his ideals and promises above everything else. Our addictions - which are almost always upon unhealthy things - can become an object of our worship. We can throw away life savings on gambling, or eat ourselves into heart failure. God wants us to become the best version of ourselves and to use that strength to serve others. If we are doing those things to the detriment of the positive plan God has for us, then we have turned these addictions into idols, into another God. And you "can't serve to masters, you will love one and hate the other" (Matt 6:24).

Rather, you need a single unifying framework by which you navigate the world. One that is upward aiming, that is positive, that is about creating more and serving others. One with many small, achievable and measurable targets that act as stepping stones to ascension, and clear rules to keep you fixed on that narrow path. And one that recognises you are imperfect, will stumble, but offers forgiveness and redemption so that you can keep improving from your mistakes.

"I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me, / so that all may know, from where the sun rises to where it sets, that there is none but Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other" (Isiah 45:5-6)

"though you may not have known Me", that mean that you may not currently see your greatness, you have the infinite potential and if you can have faith in yourself and in God, you can become strong.

"all may know where the sun rises to where it sets", that is the importance of having a knowledge of your history, of where you are presently, your values, goals etc and where you want to move upward to, with a clear path of measurable, achievable targets that act as stepping stones to that glory, which are provided by God's laws and promises.

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AdmiralPrune · 41-45, M

When God said that He is above other Gods

What he meant was he was ridiculously jealous of people who worshipped other gods, gods who inspired you rather than demanding submission and begging.

Therealsteve · 31-35, M

@AdmiralPrune Where was it required to beg?

AdmiralPrune · 41-45, M

@Therealsteve Prayer.

“Forgive us in our trespasses” and so on and so forth.

Therealsteve · 31-35, M

@AdmiralPrune How is the idea of having a higher ideal by which you strive toward, making mistakes along the way as all development requires, and having a means by which you can forgive yourself for a mistake and turn it into a learning opportunity for further development "begging"?

AdmiralPrune · 41-45, M

@Therealsteve Other gods don’t require grovelling, they give courage to the brave and strength to the determined.

There’s no kneeling down and grovelling required.

By the way I don’t expect for a second for you to understand. Followers of Abrahamic religions tend to have minds like a falling brick - only one option is plausible to them

Therealsteve · 31-35, M

@AdmiralPrune Again, how is the idea of having a higher ideal by which you strive toward, making mistakes along the way as all development requires, and having a means by which you can forgive yourself for a mistake and turn it into a learning opportunity for further development "begging"?

AdmiralPrune · 41-45, M

@Therealsteve Really? The last two replies didn’t make a lightbulb come on in your head.

Poor guy, you’ve got it even worse than I anticipated.

Therealsteve · 31-35, M

@AdmiralPrune You aren't able to answer a simple question. And no, not telling me how it's "begging" and swapping to other descriptors and then calling me stupid doesn't answer it.

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Therealsteve · 31-35, M

@AdmiralPrune So, you aren't able to explain to me how what I described is specifically "begging", got it.

AdmiralPrune · 41-45, M

@Therealsteve it means your religion has made you so single track minded you are incapable of stepping back and assessing your own beliefs, or considering other belief structures, even if they are more plausible.

If I have to spell everything out to you like I’m talking to an adolescent, I may choose to pass up on this conversation as a waste of time.

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AdmiralPrune · 41-45, M

@Therealsteve You’re out of time.

JollyRoger · 70-79, M

@AdmiralPrune I doubt that statement. My belief is that God was referring to the 'Idol gods' that people had turned toward in their ignorance of His power and purposes for humankind.

JollyRoger · 70-79, M

@AdmiralPrune

Other gods don’t require grovelling, they give courage to the brave and strength to the determined.

Wow.... I'm impressed by the courage those 'gods' give you to talk off the top of your head without having a brain inside it: You spoke, now show us where 'courage' has been given to the brave!? Courage is giving of one's 'self' to the betterment of others in the face of adversity. False courage is stepping into danger while under the influence of an altered state of mind. And: Of course those 'idol gods' don't require any groveling.... they are inanimate; and like @Therealsteve says, they exist as the bad habits that we come to worship instead of using our minds and bodies to help others.

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LadyGrace

@AdmiralPrune This forum is for respectful discussion, and considering other belief structures. I only have this to add. Your ideal of self-reliance is valued by many people, so I can see why that would be an appealing idea—relying on your own strength and not having to bow to anyone. However, true humility is not about thinking less of yourself. In this case, it is giving reverence to One higher than oneself. It is a humble perspective of one's place in the universe, not a groveling one. It involves having an assessment of oneself in relation to an infinite, Holy God.

A groveling person is crushed and feels worthless, but humble followers of Christ never feel forced to worship Almighty God. Bowing to the One who saved our soul is both an honor and privilege; an act of respect, out of our great love for him, not out of coercion. Therefore, nothing is forced.

Some may see bowing as an act of weakness, but a Christian sees it as an act of truth and love.

Worship is for the worthy. Worship is about giving ultimate honor and glory to what you consider worthy. For a Christian, God is the source of all things and is infinitely worthy of praise. Bowing before him is in recognition of his greatness, who he is, not worthlessness.