IDOLATRY
Idolatry
Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the Abrahamic God as if it were God. In these monotheistic religions, idolatry has been considered as the "worship of false gods" and is forbidden by texts such as the Ten Commandments. Other monotheistic religions may apply similar rules.
“The opposite of theism is not atheism. It's called idolatry. ”
Enjoying Jesus is the Antidote to Ministry Idolatry
Ministry idolatry is Christianised workaholism. Our good works can become our substitute for the good Lord. Enjoying Jesus is the only cure.Christian ministry leaders and workers long for validation. We long for approval, joy, satisfaction, and gratification. However, if we are not careful, our temptation is to look for that validation and satisfaction apart from Christ. For many Christian leaders, ministry becomes a substitute Saviour. This is ministry idolatry. It is spiritualised workaholism and enjoying Jesus is the only way to overcome it......Ministry idolatry thrives on ungodly principles, unwise living, and unsound theology. However, Jesus teaches us that any apparent success apart from Christ is ultimately fleeting and unsustainable.
(Karan Thomas/Gospel Coalition 10/31/23)
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Ministry idolatry is Christianised workaholism. Our good works can become our substitute for the good Lord. Enjoying Jesus is the only cure.Christian ministry leaders and workers long for validation. We long for approval, joy, satisfaction, and gratification. However, if we are not careful, our temptation is to look for that validation and satisfaction apart from Christ. For many Christian leaders, ministry becomes a substitute Saviour. This is ministry idolatry. It is spiritualised workaholism and enjoying Jesus is the only way to overcome it......Ministry idolatry thrives on ungodly principles, unwise living, and unsound theology. However, Jesus teaches us that any apparent success apart from Christ is ultimately fleeting and unsustainable.
(Karan Thomas/Gospel Coalition 10/31/23)
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“Idolatry is the most discussed problem in the Bible and it’s one of the most powerful, spiritual, and intellectual concepts in a believer’s arsenal. Yet, for Christians today, it’s one of the least meaningful notions.” --Os Guinness
American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church: A conversation with Andrew L. Whitehead
Andrew L. Whitehead’s accessible book American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church raises difficult but necessary questions about the influence of Christian nationalism in America. What is it? Why is it dangerous for our faith, our churches, and our country? How can Christians see through Christian nationalism as a false god that twists the good news of Jesus away from his call to “love your neighbor as yourself”? (Jim Denison/Denison Forum 10/30/23)
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Andrew L. Whitehead’s accessible book American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church raises difficult but necessary questions about the influence of Christian nationalism in America. What is it? Why is it dangerous for our faith, our churches, and our country? How can Christians see through Christian nationalism as a false god that twists the good news of Jesus away from his call to “love your neighbor as yourself”? (Jim Denison/Denison Forum 10/30/23)
Read More>>>>>
Pope Francis
“This is the church we are called to ‘dream’: a church that is the servant of all, the servant of the least of our brothers and sisters; a church that never demands an attestation of ‘good behavior,’ but welcomes, serves, loves, forgives; a church with open doors that is a haven of mercy. We may have plenty of good ideas on how to reform the church, but let’s remember: to adore God and to love our brothers and sisters with his love, that is the great and perennial reform...“We are always at risk of thinking that we can ‘control God,’ that we can confine his love to our own agenda. Instead, the way he acts is always unpredictable and consequently demands amazement and adoration.... The path of idolatry is “wanting the Lord to act according to the image we have of him.”--Pope Francis 10/29/23
“We are always at risk of thinking that we can ‘control God,’ that we can confine his love to our own agenda. Instead, the way he acts is always unpredictable and consequently demands amazement and adoration.... The path of idolatry is “wanting the Lord to act according to the image we have of him.” -Pope Francis
Nov 24, 2022: Politi-zoom: Trump Idolatry Soars. Now He’s God In A Booth, MAGA Unichapel, Padre Box, Dispensing Wisdom For Cash
Probably the only person from either history or literature who would be comfortable should she wake up in the Trump era, besides Karl Marx, would be Alice in Wonderland. She could seamlessly adapt to what we see here on a daily basis.
If you think your mind can handle it, here is MAGA God in a phone booth, MAGA Unichapel, the Padre Box. the Robot Confessional, MAGAfied and monetized. Sweet Jesus.
Probably the only person from either history or literature who would be comfortable should she wake up in the Trump era, besides Karl Marx, would be Alice in Wonderland. She could seamlessly adapt to what we see here on a daily basis.
If you think your mind can handle it, here is MAGA God in a phone booth, MAGA Unichapel, the Padre Box. the Robot Confessional, MAGAfied and monetized. Sweet Jesus.
If we believe that idolatry is predominantly something practiced by ancient pagans or perhaps by uneducated people in third world countries with silly statues in their homes, we expose our ignorance on the topic…and are more susceptible to it. Whatever you or I have disproportionate love for…that’s our idol. For many modern western people, common idols seem to come in the form of better relationships, financial stability, professional success, physical attractiveness, life control, social approval, and many more.
It seems like I struck a bit of a nerve several weeks ago when I brought this up in a sermon. I mentioned that, as far as I can tell, for Midwestern, church-going people, the most common idol that I tend to see is the pursuit of the ideal family.
In other words, we all look at the beautiful families in the stock photos from the picture frames – the family that is attractive, happy, and everyone is getting along perfectly – and we assume that this is what our family is supposed to look like. But invariably we discover that this is NOT our family.
A peaceful family is a good thing, but when we make it a “God thing,” it becomes destructive. One of the signs that you have a false god (an idol), is that you compromise the true God’s commands in order to serve your false god. So, for instance, if your false god is pleasure, you might freely break the true God’s command against sex outside of marriage. If your false god is wealth, you might break the true God’s command against stealing and dishonest business practices. If your false god is social approval, you might break the true God’s command against speaking lovelessly about others, with the goal of making yourself look better. Again, you worship your false gods by breaking the true God’s commands.
Consequently, as I’m suggesting about Midwestern church-goers in general, if your false god is indeed “the perfect family unit,” you’ll willfully break the true God’s commands in order to love, serve, and worship that false god. --Excerpt from an article by Pastor James Heins
It seems like I struck a bit of a nerve several weeks ago when I brought this up in a sermon. I mentioned that, as far as I can tell, for Midwestern, church-going people, the most common idol that I tend to see is the pursuit of the ideal family.
In other words, we all look at the beautiful families in the stock photos from the picture frames – the family that is attractive, happy, and everyone is getting along perfectly – and we assume that this is what our family is supposed to look like. But invariably we discover that this is NOT our family.
A peaceful family is a good thing, but when we make it a “God thing,” it becomes destructive. One of the signs that you have a false god (an idol), is that you compromise the true God’s commands in order to serve your false god. So, for instance, if your false god is pleasure, you might freely break the true God’s command against sex outside of marriage. If your false god is wealth, you might break the true God’s command against stealing and dishonest business practices. If your false god is social approval, you might break the true God’s command against speaking lovelessly about others, with the goal of making yourself look better. Again, you worship your false gods by breaking the true God’s commands.
Consequently, as I’m suggesting about Midwestern church-goers in general, if your false god is indeed “the perfect family unit,” you’ll willfully break the true God’s commands in order to love, serve, and worship that false god. --Excerpt from an article by Pastor James Heins