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In Chullin 13b, we read:

Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Gentiles outside of Eretz Yisrael are not idol worshippers. Rather, they are just following the customs of their ancestors that were transmitted to them... Rav Yosef bar Minyumi says that Rav Naḥman says: There are no heretics among the nations of the world.

What does this mean? Aren't all idolaters, in Eretz or elsewhere, just following the customs of their society? We don't know what people really believe -- we just observe how they act. So who is a real idolater?

Note: Different from similar question, because I didn't ask whether it was permitted, but why the Talmud seems to say it doesn't even count as idolatry.

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A gentile outside of Eretz Yisrael only sees miserable exiled Jews. He sees their lowness and assumes their God is low.

A gentile who sees the splendor of the Jews in Israel can plainly see the splendor of God. If he still persists in worshipping his idols, only then is he culpable for rejecting God and worshipping idols.

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  • Any source for this?
    – KapinKrunch
    Commented Jan 10 at 1:40

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