"May I eat in an ethnic restaurant with pagan idols up as long as I'm not eating there because of the idols?" The short answer to this is:  If you have kids and/or want to stay on the safe-side, just avoid such restaurants, especially since there are so many options of restaurants and markets without idols out there. But what about a Catholic missionary living in India who has the choice between buying flour with a ganesh on it or entering a restaurant with a shiva in it or just starving to death?  I know the tough-guy trad-answer is "Just starve to death." However, the Saints, Fathers and Doctors give [...]