Voodoo Vibes

pagan sewing

A question about idolatry....?

Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate ANY holidays, personal birthdays, or even salute the flag. I know this because I have many relatives who belong to this "religion." I understand the whole pagan holiday thing, but my question is, how is it idolatry to respect the flag that represents your country? The flag that people have died to defend, not because it is a piece of material with a pattern sewn in, but because of what it represents...your freedom to worship (or not) as you choose, and your freedom to disrespect your country (if you choose--just as I may choose to despise those who would "spit" on our flag, but that's another story). How is it idolatry to have respect? Just wondering...

Here is a situation in the Bible where Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednigo were asked to "salute" an image that King Nebuchadnezzar had made.

(Daniel 3:1-7) . . .Neb·u·chad·nez′zar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits [and] the breadth of which was six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Du′ra in the jurisdictional district of Babylon. 2 And Neb·u·chad·nez′zar himself as king sent to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the police magistrates and all the administrators of the jurisdictional districts to come to the inauguration of the image that Neb·u·chad·nez′zar the king had set up. 3 At that time the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the police magistrates and all the administrators of the jurisdictional districts were assembling themselves for the inauguration of the image that Neb·u·chad·nez′zar the king had set up, and they were standing in front of the image that Neb·u·chad·nez′zar had set up. 4 And the herald was crying out loudly: “To YOU it is being said, O peoples, national groups and languages, 5 that at the time that YOU hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the zither, the triangular harp, the stringed instrument, the bagpipe and all sorts of musical instruments, YOU fall down and worship the image of gold that Neb·u·chad·nez′zar the king has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship will at the same moment be thrown into the burning fiery furnace.” 7 Because of this, at the same time as all the peoples were hearing the sound of the horn, the pipe, the zither, the triangular harp, the stringed instrument and all sorts of musical instruments, all the peoples, national groups and languages were falling down [and] worshiping the image of gold that Neb·u·chad·nez′zar the king had set up. . .

(Daniel 3:8-30) . . .Because of this, at that same time certain Chal·de′ans approached and accused the Jews. 9 They answered, and they were saying to Neb·u·chad·nez′zar the king: “O king, live on even for times indefinite. 10 You yourself, O king, set forth the command that every man that hears the sound of the horn, the pipe, the zither, the triangular harp, the stringed instrument, and the bagpipe and all sorts of musical instruments, should fall down and worship the image of gold; 11 and that whoever would not fall down and worship should be thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 12 There exist certain Jews whom you appointed over the administration of the jurisdictional district of Babylon, Sha′drach, Me′shach and A·bed′ne·go; these able-bodied men have paid no regard to you, O king, they are not serving your own gods, and the image of gold that you have set up they are not worshiping.” 13 At that time Neb·u·chad·nez′zar, in a rage and fury, said to bring in Sha′drach, Me′shach and A·bed′ne·go. Consequently these able-bodied men were brought in before the king. 14 Neb·u·chad·nez′zar was answering and saying to them: “Is it really so, O Sha′drach, Me′shach and A·bed′ne·go, that YOU are not serving my own gods, and the image of gold that I have set up YOU are not worshiping? 15 Now if YOU are ready so that when YOU hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the zither, the triangular harp, the stringed instrument, and the bagpipe and all sorts of musical instruments, YOU fall down and worship the image that I have made, [all right]. But if YOU do not worship, at that same moment YOU will be thrown into the burning fiery furnace. And who is that god that can rescue YOU out of my hands?” 16 Sha′drach, Me′shach and A·bed′ne·go answered, and they were saying to the king: “O Neb·u·chad·nez′zar, we are under no necessity in this regard to say back a word to you. 17 If it is to be, our God whom we are serving is able to rescue us. Out of the burning fiery furnace and out of your hand, O king, he will rescue [us]. 18 But if not, let it become known to you, O king, that your gods are not the ones we are serving, and the image of gold that you have set up we will not worship.” 19 Then it was that Neb·u·chad·nez′zar himself got filled with fury, and the very expression of his face was changed toward Sha′drach, Me′shach and A·bed′ne·go. He was answering and saying to heat up the furnace seven times more than it was customary to heat it up. 20 And to certain able-bodied men of vital energy who were in his military force he said to bind Sha′drach, Me′shach and A·bed′ne·go, in order to throw [them] into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then it was that these able-bodied men were bound in their mantles, their garments and their caps and their other clothing and were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Just because the king’s word was harsh and the furnace was heated to excess, these able-bodied men that took up Sha′drach, Me′shach and A·bed′ne·go were the ones that the fiery flame killed. 23 But these [other] able-bodied men, the three of them, Sha′drach, Me′shach