8748 false religion

The worship of anything that is not God, including any form of religion that fails to do justice to the glory and majesty of God. Scripture criticises both the practices and the beliefs of false religions.

The nature of false religion

Man-made images are worshipped Ac 17:29 See also Dt 4:28; Ps 115:4-7; Ps 135:15-17; Isa 44:10-20; Jer 10:3-5; Jer 16:20; Da 3:4-7; Ac 19:26

Created things are worshipped Ro 1:25 See also 2Ki 21:3 pp 2Ch 33:5; Jer 8:2; Jer 19:13; Eze 8:16

Secular authorities are worshipped Rev 13:4 The dragon in Revelation may be understood as the devil and the beast as the antichrist: the forces at work behind the human authorities that defy the rule of God. See also Ac 12:21-23; Rev 13:8,12

Demons are worshipped Dt 32:17 See also Lev 17:7 fn; Ps 106:37-38; 1Co 10:20; Rev 9:20

False religion is based on man-made traditions, myths and philosophies

Col 2:8,20-23; 1Ti 1:4; 1Ti 6:20

False religious practices

Immorality 1Ki 14:23-24 See also Eze 16:16-17; Hos 4:13-14

Human sacrifice 2Ki 17:17 See also Lev 18:21; Ps 106:37-38

False religion ensnares its adherents

It offers no help in time of need 1Sa 12:21 See also Jdg 10:14; 1Ki 18:29; 2Ki 19:12 pp Isa 37:12; Isa 16:12; Isa 44:17-20; Isa 45:20; Isa 46:7; Isa 57:13; Jer 11:12

It prevents people from finding the truth Jnh 2:8 See also Mt 23:13; Lk 11:52; 2Co 4:4

It devalues, degrades and defiles 2Ki 17:15 See also Ps 106:39; Ps 115:8; Ps 135:18; Isa 44:9; Jer 2:5; Eze 20:18

It leads to immorality Nu 25:1-2 See also Nu 25:3,6-8; Ro 1:23-31; Rev 9:20-21

It enslaves Gal 4:8 See also Dt 12:30; Gal 4:3,9-10; Col 2:8

False religion receives the full force of God’s anger

Jer 16:18 See also 1Ki 13:1-3,33-34; 2Ki 17:18-23; Jer 22:8-9; Mic 5:13-15; Na 1:14; Zep 1:4-5

See also