NOt every christian thinks that way. If you have the
time, go read the bible about it.
Idols
by Jeff Himmel
6/6/01
When God gave the ten commandments to Israel, the first two
dealt with the worship of false gods (Exodus 20:2-5). This emphasis
must have come from foresight, because idolatry became one of the
most persistent evils among the Israelites. God’s prophet Isaiah
described the pathetic condition of a man who cuts down a tree,
uses half the wood for a fire to warm himself and cook his food,
then fashions the other half into an idol and worships it (Isaiah
44:15-17). Jeremiah ridiculed those "who say to a tree, ‘You
are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth’ "
(Jeremiah 2:27).
We may laugh as we read such things and picture folks praying to
statues of wood, stone, or metal. We tell ourselves that only the
most backward and primitive cultures still do that sort of
thing.
But think again. Modern, sophisticated man still has his idols.
They don’t take the form of graven images, of course. But they’re
made of rather inferior stuff nonetheless.
There are still folks who worship trees and rocks; they just
don’t bother to fashion them into anything. Some environmentalists
have elevated the earth to god status. And some animal rights
activists do the same for animals by revering them above human
life. Man was created to have dominion over God’s creation (Genesis
1:26f), and that dominion brings responsibility. Respect for our
Creator should make us prize and appreciate His creation, not abuse
it. But our main concern isn’t the earth or its animals; it’s our
relationship to God. Our first duty in life is to reverence and
obey Him (Ecclesiastes 12:13). And among His creatures, our first
concern must be for those made
in His image — our fellow
man (see Matthew 22:37f).
Some idols are flesh and
blood. Stars of music, movies, TV
and sports have long been called "idols" — a description more
truthful than we realize. One satirist called them "America’s
royalty." Kids’ bedroom walls are covered with their pictures. The
reactions they elicit at public appearances would make a Roman
emperor jealous. We value these idols because of what they provide:
entertainment. Our worship of them is just a symptom of
our overemphasis on it. There’s nothing wrong with honoring a
person for his talent or achievements. But the Bible warns against
idolizing people. The world of Paul’s day had spiraled into
depravity because it "worshiped and served the creature rather
than the Creator" (Romans 1:25). Ours is much like it.
Remember, only God is worthy of worship (Matthew
4:10).
People often worship idols of paper and plastic — the gods of
wealth. These gods are revered because they can buy us more idols:
idols of wood and brick (houses), of steel and fiberglass (cars and
boats), of fine fabric (clothes), of wire and buttons (electronic
gadgets). Is it any wonder men call it the "almighty dollar"? Many
folks see wealth as the sole measure of the quality of life. We
judge the success of our jobs and even our marriages by how much we
have. Parents use material things as a substitute for parenting,
and so children learn to value things more than people (or God).
But God warns us, "He who loves silver will not be satisfied
with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase"
(Ecclesiastes 5:10). Paul called greed idolatry (Colossians 3:5)
and the covetous man an idolater (Ephesians 5:5). Would that we had
the same view! Jesus said that "one’s life does not consist in
the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15).
There are other idols of every shape and size. In Jesus’ parable
of the great supper in Luke 14, those who were kept from the feast
did not commit any overt act of sin. They were left out because of
a piece of ground, five yoke of oxen, and a new wife. How about us?
Are we so involved in wholesome activities (work, little league,
civic clubs) that we have nothing left for God?
Idolatry isn’t dead. Nor is it
limited to primitive cultures in far off lands. It’s alive and well
in our own "advanced" society. The gods may be different — they may
not even be called gods — but men worship them just the same. Our
idols — our gods — are whatever we allow to take control of our
motives, our decisions, and our actions. Make sure your only god is
the true and living God. "Little children, guard yourselves
from idols" (1 John 5:21).
From bible.com
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thanks but no thanks. I dun believe there is a god and satan. I
believe in human efforts and determination, rather than a divine
being, whose existence is still debatable.
