Question Two: On Idolatry

S. Th. II-II, q. 94.

774. Idolatry (afgoderij) etymologically is divine worship exhibited to an idol or image of a false god, whether the image itself is worshiped as god, or he whom it represents. Whence that word has been received to designate the supreme worship of divine reverence exhibited to any creature whatsoever.

One kind is merely internal, by which merely internal worship is attributed to a creature; another is merely external or simulated, by which someone, without internal affection, seriously and advertently exhibits external adoration to a creature, for example, from fear of death, as certain Christians did in persecution; another is internal and external at the same time, or true, by which external worship is attributed to a creature from the soul. This again is twofold: perfect or imperfect, according as worship is attributed to a creature with persuasion of its divinity, and this proceeds from culpable ignorance of the intellect; or without persuasion, and this proceeds from malice of the will, as from hatred of God or excessive affection toward a creature, for example, from affection for knowing from a demon (a. 1).

775. Idolatry is a mortal sin from its whole genus. - For even the least idolatry exhibits to a creature the supreme reverence owed to God alone, compares it to God, and thus does the greatest injury to God; but if it is simulated, it is a most pernicious lie, very injurious to God, and for the faithful it is against the precept of faith to be confessed externally (a. 2). Indeed, on the part of the object it is the gravest sin. For although sins directly opposed to the theological virtues are the greatest of all, and therefore idolatry considered abstractly and formally, insofar as it is only the worship of a false god and is opposed only to religion, is less grave; nevertheless, if it is considered in the concrete, it supposes and includes at least the external malice of infidelity and hatred of God, because it is a protestation of both, and adds something (the worship of a false god) to them, and thus is graver than they are,¹ so that the greatest idolatry viewed objectively is graver than the greatest infidelity and the greatest hatred of God. For just as in a republic it seems most grave that someone pay royal honor to another than to the true king, so in sins against God it seems most grave that someone pay divine honor to a creature, because, so far as in him lies, he makes another God in the world.

¹ "One worshiping idols, so far as in him lies, takes away from God His singular excellence, by which God alone is God; but this is His deity, which pertains to hatred of God. And he denies this singularity, which pertains to infidelity; and through this it is a graver sin than those according to itself: if idolatry is merely external, it does not lose the fact that it is a protestation of interior infidelity." Cajetan on this place.

Yet on the part of the sinner other sins, such as heresy, are often graver, because they are done with greater knowledge or contempt. In this way imperfect idolatry is graver than perfect idolatry (a. 3).

776. The cause of idolatry is twofold: 1. One dispositive cause on the part of men, who were disposed to it in three ways: a) from an inordination of affection toward parents, children, kings, ancestors, etc., they exhibited reverence and divine honor to them; b) from the delight which they naturally perceived from representation, the unlearned worshiped expressive images as gods; c) from ignorance of the true God, they exhibited divine worship to creatures on account of singular virtue or beauty.

2. The consummative cause is on the part of demons, who exhibited themselves to men as to be worshiped, by giving answers in idols and doing certain marvels (a. 4).