Never mind....But that's precisely what's in dispute. You keep saying that bowing before a statue of Mary and praying to her is "by definition" idolatry, but that's the very point that needs to be demonstrated, not assumed.
The biblical definition of idolatry is not simply "being in the presence of an image." Scripture contains instances of bowing that are not worship (e.g., before kings, prophets, and other people), and God Himself commanded sacred images to exist in Israel's worship.
So I'm still asking for the biblical principle that distinguishes a lawful sacred image from an idol.
If your answer is simply, "Any image before which someone bows is an idol," then the cherubim in the Tabernacle and Temple become difficult to explain. If your answer is, "Any image connected with prayer is an idol," then you'll need to show that from the text, because Exodus 20 doesn't say, "You shall not make any religious image unless expressly commanded by God." That's the principle you're asserting, and I'm asking where Scripture teaches it.
The issue isn't whether idol worship is wrong. We both agree that it is. The issue is whether every act of bowing before an image or every use of a religious image is necessarily idol worship. That's the point that still hasn't been established.
Carry on praying to your idols if you want, but don't blame me if the consequences are dire. I tried to warn you.



