I’ve never claimed to be a scholar of The Christian Bible, but I do know a few of its lessons. One of the things that has always stood out to me are the various passages regarding idolatry—which, to be clear, is a bad thing. So, just what is idolatry? Most definitions I’ve looked up are of the following:
An extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone. Immoderate (as in: not sensible or not restrained), excessive attachment or devotion to something.
So with that definition in mind, what does the Bible say about idolatry? According to one source, there are at least 10 passages that address why idolatry is wrong or sinful. One of the references that stand out to me is from Galatians: 5:19–21…
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
You have to admit, idolatry is lumped in there with a pretty impressive list of vile attributes that should keep anyone from entering the kingdom of God should they stray into these “works of the flesh.” And for the record here, I think the Bible has it right in demonizing idolatry, even if I’d be down for some innocent, Harry-Potteresque sorcery if the opportunity came along.
Based on this definition, it’s safe to say idolatry is not a scarce resource when it comes to this “Christian” nation or ours—starting with the obsession (dare I say “idolatry”) of President-former President-and-again-President Donald J. Trump. Go ahead and try to convince me otherwise that his persona isn’t front and center when it comes to being a textbook illustration of idolatry. Are not those Christians who follow (and adore) Trump especially aware of these passages, or are they simply ignoring them for the sake of convenience?
There was a time not too long ago that the political campaign season was pretty short and limited. Short in that it went from early autumn to the first week in November when the elections were held. Limited in that it mostly consisted of campaign signs in yards, campaign buttons on clothes (i.e., “I like Ike.”), campaign bumper stickers, and spotty television commercials. While most still practice the above, today there is a growing contingency that is active year-round with displays for at least one candidate that go way beyond the traditional campaign season and mediums—think red MAGA hats being worn all the time, Trump flags flown year-round from homes and vehicles, and even businesses blatantly professing their allegiance to Trump, but never for any other Presidents in past years.
There is this pick-up truck driving around in my community with a custom paint job of Trump and Jesus on the tailgate. It’s quite impressive regardless of how one might feel about the subject-matter. I always wonder how Jesus feels being idolized next to Trump with the same emphasis. Perhaps the Holy Trinity will be updated to the Holy Quadrinity with the addition of Trump. That should keep Bible scholars going for years.
Whatever the case, it all smacks of idolatry from my perspective, and best of all, being the narcissist he is, Trump can’t get enough of it.
So, where does this idolatry for Trump come from? Is it the need to rub it in the face of those who didn’t vote for Trump? Is it a delayed response to having a Black President for eight years? Surely Trump himself has never demanded such overt loyalty from his supporters (although he certainly expects loyalty when it comes to those working under him). When Trump is finally gone (I hope to be around for that!), will this idolatry vanish, will it carry on over to another like him, or will it just be the norm for all candidates running for national offices whether Republican, Democrat, or other?
More than just Trump
Such idolatry goes far beyond Trump, and anything political as well. Look no further than the ridiculous behavior of sports fans (fans: an abbreviated word for “fanatics”). Might it be a fine, thin line between fandom and idolatry, or maybe they are the same?
Most puzzling to me is the intensity of fans when it comes to their favorite professional football teams. I find this energy peculiar in that the members of any given team are typically not from the city/state/region that is represented in the team name. For example: how many players on the roster of the Los Angeles Rams are actually from Southern California (i.e., played high school football in the region)? College teams are guilty of this as well, but not as outstanding as the professional ranks. I could almost understand the fans and their dedication to a college team. For example, look at the roster for the newly crowned national champions Ohio State football team… many are from Ohio (51 of 122, nearly 42%), while the remainder come from various locations in the country.
Fan or fanatic? It’s a fine line. A fan, according to the American Heritage College Dictionary, is “an ardent devotee, an enthusiast.” Fanatic is defined as “a person marked by an extreme unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause.” The distinction, then, apparently rests on whether the enthusiasm is ardent or unreasoning. No matter how you dress it up, fandom looks like the twin brother of idolatry.
Lastly, there is the matter of self-idolatry (a.k.a., narcissism) which has infected our society to the extent that it isn’t questioned, rather accepted, to the point of encouraged. Go no further than the social media settings of Instagram or TicTok and look at the ridiculous numbers of “selfies.” Some accounts are nothing but selfies. My favorites are of the well-endowed women (yeah, yeah, I can just hear the responses to that given I’m pretty much an old geezer) who say they can’t find anyone to date or meet, yet they have over 20,000 followers. Is there a more illustrated example of self-idolatry than this?
I know my accusation here is beyond the look-at-me-self-idolatry because there is money to be made with a large number of followers on social media, but it’s still comes down to, “look-at-me”—making for a fine line between promoting oneself and idolizing oneself.
As for me, I’ve never been that much of an enthusiast for anyone or anything. I may have voted for Biden or Obama, but I’ll never be a fanatic/fan for any former or future Presidential candidate no matter how high they are rated by the experts or the dullards at Fox News. Oh sure, I have some favorite sports teams, but my world doesn’t revolve around them losing or winning. And, I certainly won’t be posting selfies in my speedos… imagine a 64-year-old geezer with an Instagram feed with nothing but selfies? Talk about giving people a reason to “unfollow.” Whatever became of humility and modesty?