MORAALPROBLEMEN

Abstract

SUMMARY Idolatry is a sin against the virtue of religion because by it divine honour is offered to a false god or to an image in which the godhead is either thought off as present or at least as represented. The sin of idolatry really occurs, either as „idolol.atria materialis” or as „idololatria formalis”. The various forms of honouring God, however, which are found amongst pagan peoples should not be considered as idolatry because they often are founded on a real belief in God. The authors of the handbooks, it would seem, brand all these forms of honouring God more or less as idolatry. This is clearly shown in the fact that they distinguish between „idololatria perfecta” and „idololatria imperfecta” as subdivisions of the „idololatria formalis„. The „idololatria perfecta” while being the result of a subjective opinion, would, according to them, nevertheless be considered a sin of idolatry even if it be a sin of lesser quality than the „idololatria imperfecta„ is. Would not it be better to omit this dist...