Why Eliyah Lament destruction of high places Altar?

Question

From here

https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/13967/where-in-the-bible-does-it-say-that-sacrifice-can-only-be-done-on-the-temple/46871#46871

(Kings 1:19:10)

וַיֹּאמֶר֩ קַנֹּ֨א קִנֵּ֜אתִי לַה' ׀ אֱלֹקי צְבָקוֹת כִּֽי־עָזְב֤וּ בְרִֽיתְךָ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת-מִזְבְּחֹתֶ֣יך הָרָ֔סוּ וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶ֖יךָ הָרְג֣וּ בֶחָ֑רֶב וָֽאִוָּתֵ֤ר אֲנִי֙ לְבַדִּ֔י וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃

And he said: ‘I have been very jealous for the L-RD, the G-d of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’

And again...

וַיֹּאמֶר֩ קַנֹּ֨א קִנֵּ֜אתִי לַה' ׀ אֱלֹקי צְבָא֗וֹת כִּֽי־עָזְב֤וּ בְרִֽיתְךָ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת-מִזְבְּחֹתֶ֣יך הָרָ֔סוּ וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶ֖יךָ הָרְג֣וּ בֶחָ֑רֶב וָאִוָּתֵ֤ר אֲנִי֙ לְבַדִּ֔י וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃

And he said: ‘I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’

Elijah himself built an altar.

"Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed" (‭I Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭30-32‬ NKJV).

It seems that is it okay to sacrifice at high places seems to be some sort of jewish schism at that time.

Some says, okay. I mean it's for Hashem anyway.

Another says, don't, I want people from far away to go all the way to Jerusalem and make sacrifices there so that the priests in Jerusalem are happy.

Is this so?

If having to sacrifice in, and only in Jerusalem, is such a big issue, why Elijah, which seems like one of the kosher prophet laments that some people mass murder priests of high places altar?

Answer 1

One answer given is that the bamot were remnants from before the centralization of the divine service, that were used as places of prayer, not of offerings. Once sanctified, it was prohibited to destroy them, even as it was forbidden to use them for offerings (see Har Tzvi al HaShas 4; HGRM"M Shulzinger HaNe'eman cited here). Alternatively, the issue was the intention. Had they been destroyed because they were biblically forbidden, it would have been a good thing. However, they were destroyed in favor of idolatry (see Ayelet HaShachar Zvachim 2; see also here which tries to connect to the principle of gadol aveira lishma - "great is [even] a sin [when] for the sake [of heaven]").