Translation into English from Bhagavad Gita as it is: 7:20
Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.
There is nothing to debate about in this. Demigods does not mean Idols/deities. One has to understand this statement correctly. Demigods are the higher beings (beings higher than humans) who are not Paramatama or Bhagwan. For example Indra, Agni, Varuna, etc. I can give you 100's of examples where one worships these demigods with and without idol to get some material desire granted. For example: Hiranyakashyapu's sister Singhika (also known as Holika) worshipped Agni Deva to get a boon that fire will not burn her body as long as she is alive (Ref: Vishnu Purana). The desire for body which cannot be destroyed by fire is a material desire. The point of the above Bhagavad Gita verse is very clear, those who are free from material desires will not worship demi gods, because the ultimate destination is Paramatma (Bhagwan). Even a simple child born in Hindu family understands that Demigods does not mean idols.
This is one picture which shows the importance of perspectives and how things can be manipulated by presenting selective facts and then interpreting those facts in a selective manner to prove a false opinion right.
The verses presented in this description of this question are very selective, just make a point about disproving deity worshiping. A complete misinterpretation of the facts and Vedic knowledge.
Krishna says in Bhagvad Gita: People worship demigods for the fulfillment of their materialistic desires. But Krishna also says, that "those who worship demigods are actually worshiping me only, though they might get the fruits of their materialistic desires by worshiping demigods but they will continue to be born again and again in Mryityuloka (lower planetary systems) until one chooses to liberate oneself from materialistic desires and achieve Moksha".
When one achieves the Moksha, he becomes free from the cycle of birth and death, and he becomes one with the supreme Satchitananda (eternal consciousness bliss) and is never born in the material world.
Since there was a selective mentioning of a verse from Yajurveda 40:9, the next two verses from Yajurveda are as following:
Mantra-10
अन्य देवाहुः सम्भवादन्यदाहुरसम्भावात् |
इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे ||
We have heard from that Devata, who said the above (40:9) to us, that the effect of worshiping the "Sambhuti" has a different effect then worshiping the "Asambhuti".
"Sambhuti" means the Created objects like the idols, and "Asambhuti" means the natural objects like fire water etc.
Mantra-11
संभूतिं च विनाशं च यस्त द्वेदोभय सह |
विनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वा संभूत्यामृतमश्नुते ||
Hence know the art of "Sambhuti" as well as the "Vinash". With worshiping the art of Vinash, you can win over the death, and by worshiping the art of Sambhuti you can become immortal.
When you read all the verses collectively, only then you may be able to comprehend what it actually means.
The society that we live in today is such a hypocritical and superficial one that none of us is willing to find faults within self, instead we keep blaming others for all the wrongs of the society. When we follow the same path of wrong doings then we give excuses like "Everybody is doing it, why should I make fool of myself!", sometimes we give excuses of our miserable situations. But nobody, almost nobody is willing to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
We are making our choices which lie in our comfort zone. Most of the time we know that what we are about to do is wrong but still we do it, why?, because doing the right thing takes effort, pain and struggle and who wants all that crap in life.
Worshiping the idols of deities doesn't not even fulfill half the purpose for which deity worship is advised. Worshiping is one part, the other part is to adopt the good qualities of those deities in your life. Suppose, if you are worshiping Lord Rama but you are behaving like Ravana in your life then there is no point in worshiping. It is called Pakhanda (hypocrisy) and you my friend would be a Pakhandi (Imposter). If you are worshiping Rama, then try to be like Rama, the perfect son, the perfect husband, the perfect King, the perfect civilian, the perfect brother and the perfect warrior.
