Is My Dream Catcher An Idol?

Q

Recently I had a conversation with another Christian friend re dream catchers.  Several years ago  I worked on a Navajo Indian Reservation for one summer.  During that time I bought many souvenirs.  I found a beautiful dream catcher I liked so I bought it.   It ended up hanging off my mantle in my downstairs family room.  I really never gave it a lot of thought.  My friend feels it’s something evil, like an idol I suppose.  I never viewed it as such and certainly would never hang it over my bed hoping to filter out bad dreams. Did I use poor judgment in bringing it home?

A

An idol is something we bow down before and worship or venerate in some way (Exodus 20:4-6).  It sounds to me like you see your dream catcher as a souvenir from a particular time in your life.

In my experience, some American Christians go overboard in dishonoring other cultures, thinking everything has a demon lurking behind it.  This is especially true of the native American culture.

Pray about this and use your own discernment.  When you sincerely seek the The Lord, He will tell you how He feels about it.