Idolatry
February 10th, 2010
Most people have a desire to believe in something beyond themselves. Perhaps God intentionally placed this desire within humankind at creation. When people lose interest in God, or do not take the Bible seriously as a moral guide, they often find other ways to express their religion. For example, they may worship the creation rather than the creator (Romans 1:25). Worshipping the creation was often a part of pagan religions, and modern expressions of this can be seen in some aspects of today’s environmental movement. For some, protecting the environment has become their religion, and their adoration of the planet suggests the earth is worthy of worship. Plants and animals become more important than humans, and humankind is viewed as evil. This kind of reverence for the earth is a form of idolatry. God tells us the proper way to view the earth in the Genesis account of creation. When God created humankind, he said, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28).
Idolatry is more than the worship of idols. It is the adoration, reverence, and devotion given to something other than God. Anything we worship more, fear more, and serve more than God is an idol. For example, the Bible says greed is idolatry (Colossians 3:5).
J B Myers
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