The vEdAs do not deny the idol worship. They take us step by step, holding our hand, as if the loving father teaches his kid how to walk. They start with karma kAnda and for the sake of antah karana shuDdhi (mental purity) and then showers the open the gates of wonderful jnAna (Jnana kAnda).
Lord or what goes by the name Brahman (of VEdas) is infinite. If we want to concentrate upon the infinite, first we need to concentrate on a finite thing / object / form. Once we gain the mastery of mind and can see lord's divinity everywhere, we need not worship idols. Nobody worships mere idols , they see God in that idol. We want to see a concrete form of god and we find it easy when they see the god in a form.
Idol worship is not a compulsory thing in our dharma but a process of concentrating on the Infinite. Hence it ought not to be condemned. Harihi Aum!~
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Hinduism: Do Hindus worship idols?
No, Hindus are not idol worshippers in the sense implied. They are intelligent people, and intelligent people do not worship stones or statues. Hindus invoke the presence of great souls living in higher consciousness into stone images so that we can feel the presence of God. Though we may have a stone image of a God, we are invoking the physical presence of the God into the stone image to bless us. Invocations of this nature can be performed by invoking God's presence in a fire, or in a tree, or in the enlightened person of a Sat Guru.
