idolatry

One obvious reason Americans are so interested in celebrities is that the media makes them so ubiquitous. It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg scenario: people get famous, which gets them in the news, which increases their fame, which makes them more newsworthy. A second is that many people live vicariously through the celebrities they follow. This phenomenon has become so pronounced in recent years that psychologists have coined the name “Celebrity Worship Syndrome” (CWS). They warn that “CWS is an obsessive addictive disorder in which a person becomes involved with the details of a celebrity’s personal life.”

Idolatry hides behind phrases such as my calling, my ministry, and my gifting. What a travesty it would be at the end of our journey to find that vainglory deceived us and coveting misled us. Idolatry is putting anything before God, and coveting is desiring what others have. Both have infiltrated the rank and file of the church.

Romans 1:22-23 says that we make a foolish exchange. We replace worshipping the Creator with the impressive stuff he created: “Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles” (NLT).

Promoting religious freedom is not idolatry. “The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself” (C.H. Spurgeon).

In his recent State of the Church address, Pastor John MacArthur argued that he could not fight for religious freedom because it encourages idolatry.

A giant gold statue of former President Donald Trump sparked controversy this week and left many asking, is this art or idol worship?

Celebrity-ism is as much a problem in the Church as out. We can be grateful for YouTube access to the teachings, articles, and sermons of our favorite pastors and for the inspiration from our favorite Christian authors or artists through Instagram. But are we idolizing? Are we angry if they say something we don’t like, commenting as if they’re not real people or as if their job is always to agree with us? Do we assume a level of intimacy that is not appropriate with someone we actually don’t know? Do we use them to replace local churches or to provide spiritual authority in our lives, when that is not their place nor role?

Christian singer and rapper Lecrae recently took to Instagram to remind Christians not to make politics and politicians idols.

Wrestling star Hulk Hogan wrote on social media this week that God is using the coronavirus pandemic to tear down our idols and bring people back to Christ.