Idolatry. In our time

Is there such a thing as Idolatry in our modern time?

Most of the time when I hear preachers/speakers touch on the topic, it seems that anything from family to jobs to vacations to money to food, is an idol because it's more a priority than God in one's life.

So what's the deal? Is it just another form of manipulation? Or is there genuinely idolatry? I honestly don't know. It may be idolatry that I'm asking this question here instead of praying about it.

 

While there is certainly some worship of actual idols in various world religions, I think what you are describing is often a great deal of hyperbole related to "do you love Jesus."

I think the issue is not as much idolatry as it is "do you actually love Jesus."

 

I wish they'd just phrase it that way, instead of running around in circles making us confused as to whether or not we've built an alter to our god of __________

The way it's phrased sometimes confuses people. I remember once, one of the pastors, who i'm connected to via Social Media, made a comment about "those things we give time to, and our check registers show we pay to, are the ones we love", and I said, "I guess I really love my family then" and he said, "yes, loving your family is very important", and just left it at that. Perhaps he didn't expect that answer.

Either way, thanks for your input RK, I always appreciate it.

 

This is a topic that one of my previous pastors was very big on and presented in fairly compelling ways. I know not everyone necessarily agreed with him, and, yes it could be a bit hyperbolic at times. We had a day in the Christian school here very recently focussing on the idols of our day. As RK mentions we don't really carve out little figures and hope they will send rain.. Anything that gets in our way with our relationship with God can become idolatrous. Society at large has many broad idols, particularly around economic matters.

 

It just seems it's just vague enough, that it can apply to anything. And, of course my skeptical side kicks in, when the finances are down, and they're promoting a "Financial Peace Program" and then touching on idolatry, it raises an eyebrow. At least for me. Like I told one of the pastors once, if money is needed to do things, just ask me honestly. I fully support our church and all the things they do for the community. You don't have to manipulate and twist my arm to get me to do it. Just be honest.

 

Absolutely.

 

So then are NT comments on idolatry and John's last command in 1 John not relevant to 21st century Western Christians?

 

Perhaps, seeing it was written in the 1st Century. Either way, that's why I asked the question. I just see that almost everything now a days in church is labeled as idolatry.

I'd love to hear your insight in the matter.

 

In the NT, one of the larger threats to the early Christians was the pressure to offer sacrifices to Caesar. All were expected to and those who refused could be imprisoned or killed. And it was not a major undertaking, simply a splash of wine or pinch of incense.

 

Sometimes church programs do appear to be presented along the lines of "don't let your money be an idol, give it to us", to which the obvious retort is "I wouldn't want to cause you to stumble".

I saw one guy on a chat forum say that you can tell what idols someone has by shaking their shelves. If they jump up to protect something, it's an idol to them. Which is really stupid reasoning when you think about it, all he could determine is that I assign some value to the item I seek to protect. The fact I don't want some bonehead breaking my stuff means it has value to me, not necessarily that it has more value than God does.

Fundamentally the problem where idolatry is concerned is when we place something above God, in other words whether we would refuse to do what God wants rather than give up some other thing. Whether that thing is watching or playing sports, money, social status, beer or the collection of dust bunnies under the bed, if we'd refuse God's call to get rid of them then we could have a problem.

 

See now that makes a lot of sense to me. And I can certainly relate to that. Thank you for your input.

 

Yeah. That's what I was thinking as well.

 

Where money is concerned it's very easy for people to point at things like the rich young ruler, challenge us to give up all our money and accuse us of idolatry if we refuse to do so. Needless to say the person concerned has no surplus to give up and somehow the same challenge doesn't apply to them and their life.

As far as I can see a generic encouragement to not put things above God is a good thing to do. A concerned friend might talk to you in private to express their concern that (whatever) was perhaps too important to you, but as soon as they started to have a vested interest in you giving something up their concern starts to look suspect.

When people presume to speak for God in telling you that you have to give something up to prove it isn't an idol, chances are they have a bigger issue than any idolatry that may be in your life. That would seem to fall foul of taking the name of God in vain, if someone presumes to speak for God if God has not actually spoken.

 

Not sure if you saw this Joe, but I'd love to hear more from you about this.