Ark is a blogger who spends much of his time harassing Christians with innumerable questions. Occasionally he asks one that I think worth answering.
Out of interest though, how do you imagine I worship stuff?
https://barabbasme.wordpress.com/2023/01/05/thursday-thoughts-what-is-truth-p-pilate/comment-page-1/#comment-247
The Worship of Stuff
What does post-Christian America look like? We live in a country largely led by modern Pagans. What is the difference between modern Pagans and ancient Pagans? Not much. Whereas the ancient Pagans worshipped wood, stone, and metal idols representing gods who gave them things in return for their worship and sacrifices, modern Pagans directly worship the stuff, sex, science, state, self, and whatever else they are willing to put before the One True God. That is,
You think I exaggerate? Ark surely does but consider.
Matthew 6:24 New King James Version
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Mammon is the word used to refer to a lust for possessions.
The word mammon comes from the Greek word mammonas. Similar root words exist in Hebrew, Latin, Aramaic, Chaldean, and Syriac. They all translate to “money, wealth, and material possessions.”
https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-mammon.html
When we choose to worship money, wealth, and material possessions, we put the pursuit of money, wealth, and material possessions ahead of God, and we don’t obey God’s command to love our neighbors. We love money, wealth, and material possessions too much to do that.
Do you know anyone who loves stuff more than they love people? Is it some rich guy who seems obsessed with making money? Try looking in a mirror. How do you vote? Do you know anyone who votes (or donates money to politicians) to put more money into their own pockets instead of for a responsibly balanced Federal budget? Have you ever seriously examined the ethics of Social Security, Medicare, Public Education, the Welfare State, National Defense, and so forth?
- Social Security and Medicare (which together make up half of the Federal Budget) pit the elderly against their own children and grandchildren. The Social Security and Medicare programs functionally REQUIRE the transfer of wealth from the young to the old THROUGH the grasping hands of politicians. When we have private alternatives, why are we doing this?
- When add up Federal, state, and local funding, we spend just about as much money on public education as we do on national defense. Yet we get lousy results. That is because there is no competition, and teachers’ unions control how the money is spent for their own benefit. When we have private alternatives, why are we doing this?
- Does the Welfare State pit the poor (low-income) against the rich? That is what most of us think, but the corporation-owned mass media lies to us. The members of our legislative bodies are either rich or funded by wealthy donors. These people won’t vote to make themselves poorer. They tax middle-income voters to get the money they need to buy the votes of low-income voters and campaign donations from public employee unions. When we have private alternatives, why are we doing this?
- Unless we the people are frightened by foreign threats, we have relatively incentive to fund national defense. The price tags on gold-plated weapon systems are so jaw-dropping they tend to be unpopular. Unfortunately, we don’t have a practical alternative to government-run military forces, and that creates a problem. When defense funding is needed, greedy politicians hold that funding hostage to the spending they want to buy votes and pay off their donors. Thus, with our greed we drive up the Federal Budget.
You know that inflation everyone is complaining about? Who do you think is responsible? Because we love stuff, we are responsible.
References
- WORSHIP OF THE GOD OF STUFF — A reblog
- What are some modern forms of idolatry?
- The God of Wealth and Other Deities of Prosperity and Money
To Be Continued
- The Worship of Sex
- The Worship of Science
- The Worship of State
- The Worship of State
Citizen Tom 
So true: “The members of our legislative bodies are either rich or funded by wealthy donors. These people won’t vote to make themselves poorer. They tax middle-income voters to get the money they need to buy the votes of low-income voters and campaign donations from public employee unions. ”
I wished more people see through the lie and see what is really going on
I do believe the religious organisations donate heaps of money to political right wing parties. They are supposed to use those non taxable funds to feed the poor not push political agendas. They obviously worship money and politics.
Interesting post Tom as I have been studying Deuteronomy lately and parts of it go in to the strict guidelines God created regarding false idols. Some of the punishment for not following seem harsh by today’s standards (i.e. stoning to death), but God obviously knew the evilness false idol worship brings about and that not stopping it in it’s tracks brings worse outcomes to many more people.
I like how you tie in false idols to today’s personal wants of money, power, material things, need for approval etc.,,,IT’s very much something we all need to inquire about ourselves.
Thank you, I very much pleased you enjoyed my post.
I’m sure this post is one big Strawman trrying desperately to justify itself. Tom, we worship God. People of both the OT and NT societies and cultures are demonstrated to serve other gods (which is what idolatry is in a biblical sense and definition). It is a Strawman to say Atheists… who by definition worship No God or gods… are somehow “idolators” and “worshipping” the things they hold dear and pursue. Its a misdefinition and dishonest. Atheists just dont believe or “worship” anything or anyone as a God or gods. We may want to apply that context to them and the things they value or pursue other than God or gods, but it’s not honest and it’s actually counterproductive to communicating with them “with meekness and respect”. It’s actually the opposite. It’s rude, dishonest and disrespectful. Remember… the Gospel is supposed to be the offense, not the Christian.
Barabbas, you pretty much took the words straight out of my mouth.
You are welcome to answer the questions I posed to Barabbas. See => https://citizentom.com/2023/01/31/what-does-the-worship-of-idols-look-like-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-107225
I may well do so Tom, I’ll let you know as and when I do.
Well, I’ve put the answer out there, you might get a pingback, if not: https://meerkatmusings.co.uk/the-worship-of-idols/
Thank you.
You put the emphasis on Atheism. Since Ark is an Atheist, I won’t quibble about it. I will just observe that idol worship is something for which all of us have guilt.
Oddly, it seems you think idolatry is impossible for an Atheist. I find that a bit bewildering. So, I suppose I need to answer your criticism with a question or two. However, until we agree upon a definition of idolatry, the questions won’t make much sense.
So, let’s make certain that our definition of idolatry accords with the Bible. That is, what is wrong with idolatry? The most important commandment in the Bible requires us to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. The problem with an idol is that we put that idol before God, that is, we love the idol more than God. Therefore, as a purely practical matter, an idol is any person, place, or thing we love more than God.
That brings us to the first question. What do you think an Atheist loves more, God or stuff?
Is it the term “worship” that bothers you? We worship God by demonstrating our love for Him by glorifying Him in the conduct of our lives. Similarly, if someone loves stuff, they demonstrate that fact in the conduct of their lives by pursuing stuff with remarkable vigor.
That brings to a second question. If we were to examine the conduct of their lives, would we see more evidence of the worship of God or stuff?
Don’t care how much they love stuff or God. Stuff isn’t idolatry, because they arent worshipping it as God. You are putting that context on it, not them for themselves. That’s why it’s so dishonest to do so.
So, idolatry depends upon whether or not I call what love a god?
Forget the Atheists for a moment. If you love gold more than you love God, what do you think God will think you worship?
If Atheists deny God exists then how can they obey His most important commandment?
Idolatry is the worship of a false God, yes. The person themself has to consider it his god.
Then if I rob a bank and say it is not robbery it is not robbery because I say I don’t consider it robbery?
You are just making semantical arguments. That’s silly.
You believe the Bible, right? Read Romans 1 starting at verse 18 again. Look up what the Bible says about scoffers. There is no such thing as an Atheist. There are only people who call themselves Atheists and scoff at the belief in God. Yet you are making excuses for their disbelief in God. You almost apologize for believing in God, but you enthusiastically make excuses for Atheism, even to the point it seems you are prepared to ignore what the Bible plainly states. What should we make of that?
The only excuse we have for disbelief is that we are all sinners, and we all need the Holy Spirit to give us a new heart. Why the Holy Spirit gives faith to some and not to others I don’t know. I just know the Bible says we are all without excuse, that God gives grace only to those He wishes to give grace.
Dude, I can only explain this so many times. You seem intent on your mis-definition. Cheers and pax brother.
You explained something? No. You just asserted your own truth, but we don’t have our own truth. God is truth.
Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or “idol” as though it were God.[1][2][3]
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/idols-that-sneak-into-our-lives-and-how-to-resist-them.html
@ Tom.
Re: Idolatry.
As Tim Keller states in his book Counterfeit Gods, an idol is “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God,
So, my wife and children for example?
Yes, but it is a matter of priorities.
God second most important commandment is to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. For most people, that seems to be rather difficult, especially once they have to love someone other than family members.
The Bible includes the observation that if we cannot love others besides ourself we will find it impossible to love God. Since we are each made in the image of God, it follows that what we love in others is what we see of God in them.
“When we choose to worship money, wealth, and material possessions, we put the pursuit of money, wealth, and material possessions ahead of God…..”
A big amen to that , Tom! I think most of us in the Western world struggle with this simply because it permeates so much of our culture. It’s not just those who have money either, the poor get pulled into focusing obsessively on their alleged lack. Half the time there really is more than enough, a vast abundance, but we obsess over gaining more, having more then our neighbor, fear or losing it all, or trying to figure out how much we need in order to feel “safe.”
It is difficult to decide what we need and then to use the excess to help those who need it more than we do, but that is what we should do.
I believe Christian organisations are some of the biggest donators to the right wing governments. They use tax free funds that should be used to feed the poor, therefore they must be guilty as Atheists. I know of no Christian who does not love their possessions and money, so what is the difference, apart from the Christian been rejected from heaven
You got some facts to go along with that “I believe”?
Consider the irony. You are castigating Christians by accusing Christians of not meeting Christian standards. Yet you don’t believe in Christianity.
The Bible teaches to exercise personal charity, to give to the needy with love as the only motivation. Secularists tell us that “social justice” requires armed government tax collectors to force people to give politicians money so that they can use it buy votes. Of course, they describe their tax collection and wealth redistribution techniques in more glowing terms.
https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.php?cycle=2020&ind=w05
I have also heard that the Catholic Church donated over 3 million trying to limit abortion access in Kansas. Funny how the church has millions for political campaigns but attempts to avoid paying victims of sex abuse. If a church is going to spend millions on politics, it’s time to tax the hell out of the Catholic Church. Cannot prove or disprove this but sounds exactly like wealthy Catholic ideals
Your own list shows Christian organizations donating funds mostly to the Democratic Party. You didn’t read it. 🤣
Want another shot?
https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.php?cycle=2020&ind=w05
I used to attend the United Methodist Church (at the top of your list). I liked the pastor and respected most of the members of the congregation of the particular church I attended, but the UMC management is so inclined to support Liberal Democrat causes that I decided I did not want those people anywhere near my money.
In my experience, it is Liberal Christian churches who donate church funds to political causes. Conservative pastors generally don’t see politics in their job description. They will preach against abortion, but they won’t tell congregations how to vote.
Are there exceptions? Yep! There some in your list.
Note that because of tax laws that churches in this country do not directly contribute to funds to political parties. They form associated Political Action Committees. That is not clear from your list.
I do not need facts to claim Christians love and protect their possessions as much as any atheist. We all know they do, I have worked on jobs for Christians with expensive cars and designer houses that I could only dream about. but I believe they know they are living a lie but believe in a God and a heaven, so I suppose that is their crown of thorns.
Given the few times you have provided any facts, I can see why you don’t want to provide any.
There are few people like Mother Tereasa. In any case, the Bible does not condemn the possession of wealth. The Bible condemns loving money more than God. We are supposed to use what we have to glorify God.
If we have gifts in business, do we give away everything we own, or do we start a business and help people to get useful and good paying jobs? Which is more helpful to our neighbors?
Should a CEO live with his wife and children in the cheapest house he can find, or should he offer the people he loves the most the best he can afford without defaulting on his other obligations? With the help of prayer those are the sorts of questions we have to ask ourselves and answer for ourselves.
I am no position to judge others. If you are, then either God or Somebody Else has “blessed” you with a “talent” I don’t want.
You are changing the subject.
Check https://citizentom.com/2023/02/03/what-do-atheists-worship-the-second-sequel/comment-page-1/#comment-107390
thank you tom for linking to the comment in my blog
No problem.