Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 2) - IX - Clement of Alexandria concluded

Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 2) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Clement of Alexandria's 'Exhortation to the heathen' by reading Chapters 1 to 3.
 
My summary
This week Clement finishes his apology for the Christian faith.

Clement discusses:
(i) the absurdity of worshiping idols, the elements and pictures;
(ii) the truth contained about God in some of the writings of Greek philosophers and poets, e.g. Plato;
(iii) the truth contained in the Scriptures about God, particularly concerning Christ;
(iv) the heathens objection that it is wrong to subvert their customs for Christianity.

What grabbed me
I loved Clement's critique of idol worship: 'And these images are more worthless than any animal. I am at a loss to conceive how objects devoid of sense were deified, and feel compelled to pity as miserable wretches those that wander in the mazes of this folly: for if some living creatures have not all the senses, as worms and caterpillars, and such as even from the first appear imperfect, as moles and the shrew-mouse, which Nicander says is blind and uncouth; yet are they superior to those utterly senseless idols and images. For they have some one sense,—say, for example, hearing, or touching, or something analogous to smell or taste; while images do not possess even one sense. There are many creatures that have neither sight, nor hearing, nor speech, such as the genus of oysters, which yet live and grow, and are affected by the changes of the moon. But images, being motionless, inert, and senseless, are bound, nailed, glued,—are melted, filed, sawed, polished, carved. The senseless earth is dishonoured by the makers of images, who change it by their art from its proper nature, and induce men to worship it; and the makers of gods worship not gods and demons, but in my view earth and art, which go to make up images. For, in sooth, the image is only dead matter shaped by the craftsman’s hand. But we have no sensible image of sensible matter, but an image that is perceived by the mind alone,—God, who alone is truly God.'

It just shows the blindness of humanity that anyone would ever consider bowing down to an idol.

I'm so glad I don't struggle with the foolishness of idol worship.

Next week's reading
Commence 'The Instructor' by reading Book I.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.