antiidol

Antiidol is a term used to describe a stance or movement that opposes the veneration of idols. In religious discourse, it denotes opposition to the use of physical images, objects, or personalities as objects of worship or as substitutes for the divine. The concept intersects with broader debates about idolatry, iconoclasm, and the proper objects of reverence, but there is no single codified doctrine associated with the term itself.

Etymology: The word combines anti- meaning against with idol, from Latin idolum or Greek eidolon, and is used primarily in analytical or descriptive contexts rather than as a formal label within most traditions.

Contexts and variations: In Judaism and Islam, anti-idolatry is a core principle that forbids the worship of images or other beings. In Christian traditions, attitudes toward imagery and worship vary, with some eras and groups emphasizing strict anti-idolatry and others accepting religious art or icons as aids to devotion. Hinduism and some Buddhist practices employ idols or images as focal points for devotion, interpreting them as symbolic rather than literally divine. In contemporary secular discourse, anti-idol rhetoric often critiques the elevation of celebrities, brands, or objects to quasi-divine status, framing such adulation as ethically or socially problematic.

See also: Idol, Iconoclasm, Aniconism, Anti-idolatry, Celebrity worship.