While the Decalogue provides commandments concerning idolatry, passages from Isaiah offer much insight into the workings that surrounded this practice. This post will discuss one particular portion is worthy of looking at in contemporary terms.
In Isaiah 44, the Prophet Isaiah brings the following message: “All who fashion statues are empty, and the objects of their adoration will not avail; they bear witness on themselves, for the see and they know not, so that they should be ashamed. Who fashioned a god or a molten idol? It is but human! Let them all gather together and stand; let them be afrightened and ashamed together! Isaiah 44:9-11.
In modern times, one could make the argument that our idolatry is not toward molten images but rather towards other Human Beings. Humans Beings are making other Human Beings idols! One can simply point to the television show “American Idol”. Some tv executives believed that they, through a contest, could create an idol.
While the Human Idols themselves are not statues, the merchandizing of these individuals constitutes a sidestep into idolatry. Shirts, shoes, posters and digital images litter with society of these individuals. People have taken to adorn themselves in the images of others. Some wear they game jerseys while others make a permanent commitment to their deity by attaching their idol’s likeness to their body via tattoos.
For some, idolatry is a race. Those in the promotion business cannot wait to commemorate “live” Humans in the form of statues. Many sports figures are having their images set in molten metal long before their final chapter of their lives are written.
Human Idolization’s greatest danger has become best illustrated presently in the form of “cancel culture”. Bill Cosby, a highly regarded comedian, actor and social critic, had his public image destroyed by allegations of sexual misconduct.
With some irony, it is the Hollywood Walk of Fame, however, that is perhaps the least disconcerting attempt at modern idolatry. The Walk of Fame has stars; an object that is not eternal in nature. Second, beyond the star, the only thing presented is the individual’s name. Finally, this memorial is placed on the sidewalk where they are trampled on by pedestrians. There is no universal reverence.
Perhaps the enduring message from this passage from Isaiah is that too often, in modern times, in searching for understanding, happiness or solutions for this challenging world, Humans prop up other Humans to idolize. The manifestation of this idolization now takes many forms in a world full of commercialization. No irony can be lost that Hollywood once understood this notion. Humans, likes stars, will eventually burn out; names will be forgotten; and memorials on the ground will be crumbled over time.
Be well!!
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