Which is worse, avoda zara or atheism?

MagentaYenta

Thu, Nov 12 2015, 12:39 pm

saw50st8 wrote:

Have you been to Asia? Many people there practice full avoda zara including sacrifices for the gods. In Japan, people put food out for their statues to consume.

Point of information: Hindus, Buddists and many other eastern faiths put the food out there as a symbolical offering. They really don't believe that their deities will be eating it.

leah233

Thu, Nov 12 2015, 12:42 pm

I once saw that the Rambam held atheism to be worse. But it could be he only meant that the belief is worse. A constant idolater may have done worse actions.

boymom

Thu, Nov 12 2015, 10:08 pm

my first thought when I read the question, is that avoda zara is worse because its from the 3 mitzvos "yaharog ve'al yavor- avodah zara , gilu areyus and shvichas damim".

I also just looked it up in the sefer called "yahadus" based on the rambams explanation of mitzvos. the mitzvah of "believing in g-d" has no punishment if you don't do it. the mitzvah of not being an idol worshipper- if transgressed, the person is chiyuv malkus.

so I'm assuming avodah zara is worse.

sequoia

Thu, Nov 12 2015, 10:26 pm

I asked a well-known DL rav about this years ago and he said for a Jew it's worse to be an atheist than a Xtian.

treestump

Fri, Nov 13 2015, 1:03 am

The origins, and first form of avodah zarah was when people recognized that Hashem was G-d, but used the sun, moon, etc. as intermediaries because they thought Hashem was too lofty to be involved in their lives and spirituality... And thus, I would assume atheism, where one completely does not recognize G-d is worse... Additionally, does it not say regarding heretics that they do not return, I.e. no hope for teshuva? I don't think that is the case for avodah zarah...

MagentaYenta

Fri, Nov 13 2015, 1:27 am

treestump wrote:

... And thus, I would assume atheism, where one completely does not recognize G-d is worse...

Most atheists I've met can recognize a great many deities, they just don't worship or believe in them. The atheists I know are rather knowledgable about world religions. Recognize doesn't mean believe when you use it the in the context as you have done.

etky

Fri, Nov 13 2015, 1:33 am

MagentaYenta wrote:

I think she means recognize as in acknowledge.

saw50st8

Mon, Nov 16 2015, 8:15 am

MagentaYenta wrote:

Point of information: Hindus, Buddists and many other eastern faiths put the food out there as a symbolical offering. They really don't believe that their deities will be eating it.

That doesn't necessarily change the fact that the food is put out as an offering to an idol. Most rabbonim consider these religions 100% pure avoda zara.

Most idol worshipers don't really think the physical idol is their god, but a representative of their god. It's still avoda zara.