Idolatry in the 21st Century: The False Gods We Fail to See

In case you missed my last post entitled, “Greed vs. Ubuntu: How Our Desire for More Undermines Collective Good”, let me give you a quick synopsis. 

I talked about how I heard a sermon from 1 Corinthians 5. The pericope of vs. 9 to vs. 13 was the Text that stood out to me. Yesterday’s post was about greed. Today, I am going to talk about the sacred cow that will make some people “madder than a wet hen.” It is idolatry.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines idolatry as, “very great admiration or respect for someone, often too great or the act of praying to a picture or object as part of a religion.“ The Brittanica states, “idolatry, in Judaism and Christianity, is the worship of someone or something other than God as though it were God.” Idolatry in Greek is εἰδωλολατρία, according to Strong’s, means “image worship” or “idol worship.”

I am amazed that many in American Christianity have absolutely know problem identifying idolatry as long as it comes in the form of what we call “Pagan Worship.” If someone was to talk about (Zeus, Athena, and Apollo) or (Osiris, Isis, and Horus), we have absolutely no problem calling out  idolatry. But our issue is with is when we are confronted with the form of idolatry that has become our vice. The Abrahamic Traditions teach against pagan worship, yet they worship Dominance, Destruction, and Death (The Trinity of Power). Just look at all of the conflicts around the world that consist of countries that are informed by the Abrahamic Traditions who are seeking to control someone else.  

In American Christianity, we base our education, our close friendships, our entertainment, our larger social circles, our politics, and our philanthropic efforts on the idols that we serve. The thing that gets me is when we cherry pick the Text to support or worship of people, ideals, and inanimate objects such as our jobs, guns, money, fame, and dare I say the Bible. These idols have replaced the Divine Creator. We meet in our places of worship and talk about the forms of idolatry that make us feel holy because we don’t participate in them. But… What idols are we worshiping that have taken the place of the Almighty?

To get overprotective about particular readings of the Bible is always in danger of idolatry.

N.T. Wright