| 2137 "Men of the present day want to profess their religion freely in private and in public" (DH 15). |
| 2138 Superstition is a departure from the worship that we give to the true God. It is manifested in idolatry, as well as in various forms of divination and magic. |
| 2139 Tempting God in words or deeds, sacrilege, and simony are sins of irreligion forbidden by the first commandment. |
| 2140 Since it rejects or denies the existence of God, atheism is a sin against the first commandment. |
| 2141 The veneration of sacred images is based on the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. It is not contrary to the first commandment. |