iconolatry
Iconolatry refers to the veneration or worship of religious images, icons, or statues. The term derives from the Greek words "eikon" meaning image, and "latreia" meaning worship. This practice is found in various religious traditions, particularly within Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism, where images are seen as aids to devotion and as conduits to the divine.
The concept of iconolatry is often contrasted with iconoclasm, the rejection and destruction of religious images.
Critics, however, often fear that the veneration of images can devolve into idolatry, where the image itself