The existence of false idols

Is there such a thing as worshipping false idols?

First of all, we need to establish a working definition for the word idol. According to dictionary.com idol is defined as “an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed.” Therefore, idol is correlated with worshipping a god or goddess. Considering the way the public equally worships celebrities, we could wonder whether celebrities are similar to gods or goddesses, and if so, who gets to draw that conclusion? America is currently a nation of idol worshippers ranging from music idols like Beyonce and Taylor Swift to sports idols like Derek Jeter and LeBron James. Television shows such as American Idol seek out talented “ordinary” singers that have the potential to become celebrity idols. It is evident that Americans crave idols either because they worship their body image, academic success, or athletic achievement. In other words, people “secretly yearn to be intimate with [celebrities], if not desire to actually become one of them” (Laderman, 72). Similar to worshippers of God, followers of celebrities are looking for guidance and inspiration so they can cope with their mundane daily lives. Laderman neatly sums up the outcomes of this process in that “entertainment is transformed into revelation, escapism into liberation, and mortals into gods” (72). Thus, ordinary individuals seek a spot on American Idol since the show can transform them into celebrities practically overnight. 

As of now, the reasons why people worship God and why people follow celebrities are almost indistinguishable, which brings us back to our main question: Can we compare celebrities to gods or goddesses? What differentiates the two of them? Historian Daniel Boorstin argues that what sets celebrities and gods apart is that “celebrities are media-created, ultimately empty vessels that provide only artificial, though captivating image void of real purpose or value, [whereas Gods rise above the ordinary crowd through substantive individual accomplishments and achievements that embody the highest ideals of society” (Laderman, 73). But does this mean that celebrities are just empty vessels? I personally agree with Boorstin that there is a clear distinction between God and celebrities, however, I do not agree that they are “empty vessels.” To many Americans, especially teenagers, celebrities are role models “who can give life purpose and embody a different set of ideals that many in society disagree with” (Laderman, 74). For instance the American singer Meghan Trainor released the hit song, “All About That Bass,” which challenges the current female body image norms. This song provides larger than average-sized Americans with a safe space where it is okay not to be skinny. Thus, can celebrities still be considered as false idols? To Trainor’s followers, Trainor is definitely not a false idol, but a role model. Although celebrities may not be elevated to the rank of God, they do serve as role models who are also real people, which makes them more accessible than God. 

American singer Meghan Trainor

Genesis and the impact of story telling

The comics, “Testament” and “Manga Bible” each take on the task of depicting the “Creation” story, each adding its own unique flair to the commonly retold story.  Both stories are told through a narrative in which the speaker or speakers greatly influence the story being told altering it from the original book of Genesis.

            In the comic, “Testament,” the story begins with different “Gods” from different religions and mythology, each laying claim to the creation of the world.  These gods are amidst a power struggle in which the god who is worshipped the most, has the greatest amount of power.  In order to solve this struggle, the Gods decide to develop a new creation story in which everyone will worship the “one true God,” and this newly created story emphasized the use of language as creation as opposed to nature.  The significance of the use of language is that it differs from traditional paganism in which the world is “created” through nature.  By using language as a means of creation, it makes humans more centric to the universe because meaning that the universe was developed for human use as opposed to humans interconnected with nature.

            The use of language is also prevalent in the “Manga Bible.”  The story of Genesis is told to a group of children by Moses in a precursor to the parting of the Red Sea.  In the story, Moses emphasized the word “Good” to imply that God did not create evil.  This is an expansion done by the comic that maybe was to imply that humans are responsible for evil. 

      Both comics use the narrators of the story to take the same story, but alter it from its original meaning.  While taking drastically different stances on creationism, both comics were able to take the same exact story and provide commentary on completely separate issues. 

Is the apocalypse still God's fault?

As modern day filmmakers and storytellers attempt to retell apocalyptic stories, I wonder: do modern-day adaptations of apocalypse stories remove the element of the super-natural or divine? 

            According to Pagels, “The Book of Revelation reads as if John had wrapped up all our worst fears—fears of violence, plague, wild animals, unimaginable horrors from the abyss below the earth, lightning, hail, earthquakes and the atrocities or torture and war—into one gigantic nightmare.” It can be interpreted that Pagels is claiming that the apocalypse is a reflection of society’s greatest fear at the time.  An example of this is the Cold War; people weren’t worried about locusts as much as they were worried about nuclear bombs being dropped on their cities.  Hollywood movie makers took advantage of this and produced movies like Dr. Strangelove and Red Dawn that spoke to people’s paranoia.  As of more recently, people have begun to worry about viral infections and this has also been reflected through modern day film; movies such as World War Z and Contagion show apocalyptic epidemics that come as a result of viral infections.

            By creating these movies that reflect society’s greatest fear, filmmakers have effectively removed a sense of the divine from the apocalypse.  Technically, in order to consider something an apocalypse, there has to be an element of the supernatural, but now people are much more concerned about nuclear bombs and viral infections as opposed to locusts.  A reason for this may be because it makes people feel they can control their own fate, such as coming to a peace resolution or developing a vaccine that can save civilization; as opposed to the alternative of God’s wrath raining down and effectively ending the world.