What Is Idolatry?

Yohanan ha Nappaha, chief spokesman of the Jerusalem Talmud, said: "Whoever does not practice idolatry is a Jew".

What does idolatry mean? And what does the practice of idolatry do to its practitioners?

Idolatry means a stereotyping of some reality, including, but limited to stereotyping the reality of forces of nature into "gods". Stereotyping of political leaders, film stars, subjects of wealth and fear, anything at all. Riches, poverty, whatever. The general purpose of avoiding idolatry is avoiding stereotypical thinking.

ELOHIM - "Gods" means "powers", in one context is an ancient, respectful, humble name for the divine, the divine being an amorphic, non-anthropomorphic name and concept of the divine.

The philosopher classes of ancient Iran (Aryans - "skilled and noble" people), India (the Gurus of the Vedantas - "Conclusions") of the Sanatana Dharma. "the Natural and Proper Way of Doing"),  China (the philosophical Path-followers - True Daoists) , and Hellas (Greece - post Olympic Philosophers) all had understood this. The slightly educated classes of all those and other countries have never understood this.