Idol Worship - the need for it A question was asked about Hindus and Hindu idol worship by Priyanka: "One of my classmates raised this issue. She was a Hindu before her family converted to Christianity. And she said: God says, do not worship me in the forms of idols (in the bible). Is this true? I personally feel I cannot worship an unknown force and for this we view God in the 108 forms that we have. Is that wrong? I am a practising hindu..but believe in all religions. So I'm slightly confused about this. Please clarify this for me"

Swamiji very calmly replied to the question as follows:

"AS YOU NEED A FAN, TO EXPERIENCE ALL PERVASIVE AIR, AS YOU NEED A TELEVISION SET TO SEE THE ALL PERVASIVE FIGURES AND SOUNDS, AS WE NEED A BULB OR SOME SUCH DEVICE TO EXPERIENCE THE ELECTRICITY THAT IS SPREAD ALL THROUGH THE WIRE, SO ALSO ONE NEEDS AN IDOL OR SUCH A PLACE, THROUGH WHICH ONE CAN FEEL GOD. EVEN CHRISTIANS HAVE A CHURCH AND A STATUE TO PRAY. DON'T YOU THINK THAT ITSELF IS IDOL WORSHIP? THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. HE IS THERE IN EVERY FORM, SO ALSO IN CHRIST. WE HAVE A SLOGAN, IN OUR GITHA JYOTHI "WORSHIP YOUR OWN ....RESPECT ALL". ANY PERSON BELONG TO ANY RELIGION SHOULD PRAY AND WORSHIP THAT. AT THE SAME THEY SHOULD LEARN TO RESPECT OTHER FAITHS ALSO. CRITISIZING OTHERS IS ALWAYS A MEAN HABIT. WE PEOPLE FOLLOW VEDAS, NEVER CRITICIZE ANY WORLD RELIGION, MAY IT BE ISLAM OR CHRISTIANITY OR EVEN ETHEISM. WE SHOULD KNOW TO RESPECT THEM. AT THE SAME TIME THEY SHOULD KNOW TO RESPECT US TOO. OTHERWISE, IT BECOMES ONESIDED AND HURTING FACTOR TO SOME. IN FACT, THEIR OWN COMMANDMENTS SAY 'LOVE THEIR NEIGHBOUR AS YOU LOVE THYSELF'.IF THEY UNDERSTAND THIS, THAT ITSELF IS PLENTY."  ¶ 9:44 PM