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Questions & Answers

Idolatrous offerings

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Other Churches and Faiths › Idolatrous offerings

The question

Is it a sin to use idolatrous offerings for non-idolatrous purposes (ex. to study them in museums etc.)?

The answer

It is not a sin to study idolatrous offerings in museums. Museums have a collection of objects of historical, scientific or artistic value. They are therefore places of study and knowledge not of worship. Some museums even exhibit idols; and there is nothing wrong with that as long as they are for historical study.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 1175 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.