No…I’m not Simon and we’re not singing about anything on the ground.
“Californian Idols” is the name of a weekly series that will show up on this blog. Every Monday, we will be focusing on a different cultural idol: Success, Money (a.k.a. “cheddar”), Sensuality, and More. The goal of these blog posts is to think as a community about what idols our culture is holding out to us and saying: “Worship This!”
Every culture has certain idols that it worships. Although one culture may look better or cleaner than another, they all hold onto idols that they believe will grant them life and joy. There is no culture that is “for God” or “God neutral”. Instead, every culture has it’s own set of idols that it worships…and it calls to you and I and says, “Worship these idols, they’re better than God!” If we are going to fight this temptation, we must identify the idols and shout back to our culture, “I worship God, He’s better than anything you offer!”
In case you don’t know what we’re talking about when we say, “idol”, let me define it for you. Tim Keller puts it well when he says,
What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.
An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your hearts, ‘If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.’
So there you have it…check back every Monday to see the latest installment…and take part in the discussion by leaving comments in the “comment section” and giving your thoughts!
First question…
What are the “Californian Idols” that you see around you and that cry out to us saying, “Worship me!”???
#1 by David Wollen on February 8, 2010 - 9:31 pm
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Physical beauty is a HUGE Californian idol.
There’s a lot of pressure for guys to be ripped and muscular. But there’s even more pressure for girls to be sexy and sensual. Almost every kind of “in” fashion is revealing and accentuates the body in a way that leads others into sin. And it’s so much a part of our culture we hardly notice and think it’s normal.
The obsession with body image also causes us to value people based on the external, temporary, and insignificant. There is nothing wrong with the human body, but it was meant to be used to worship its creator and not to be worshipped itself.
#2 by James Ramirez on February 10, 2010 - 8:35 pm
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Someone that looks for girls just because of sex isn’t the right way for a relationship to be seen as. Sex is always what a guy wants when he sees a pretty girl walking pass him in the hall or anywhere he is at. Having a relationship is where you can sit down “one-and-one” and have a conversation and not think anything about “SEX”. Being in that situation all your life won’t get you anywhere. It will be like you were stuck on something and can’t get it off….. “SIN” Sin is what everyone can’t wash off them very easily, you have to accept someone into your lives before you really know how it all works and how to get the pressure off your shoulders. Prayer always works. Thank you. Comment please
#3 by Ken on February 10, 2010 - 10:19 pm
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Dave’s totally right! Our physical image has become a huge idol in Southern Californian culture…what we wear, how “in-shape” we are, how much skin we show…we use our physical image to gain our idols. What do you think people are seeking after?
James is also right in saying that “sex” has become a huge idol in Californian (and the whole western world) culture. Just look what’s coming out of the city right up the road…Hollywood. This is another great example of how we take God’s great gifts (like sex) and turn them into the ultimate source of joy and happiness…so that we would be willing to go outside of God’s design for sex within marriage because we start believe that it is better than God. James mentions getting this “sin” that feels like it’s “stuck on you” away from you. I think that the only real way to turn away from this idol is to begin to worship God more. Until our culture begins to believe that God is much greater and more satisfying than sex and sensuality, our culture will continue to worship this idol. So how do we get people to turn away from this idol? We hold our great God up to them as much more satisfying and much more joy-giving than any physical pleasure that could even be found on this earth.
#4 by Katie Connette on February 13, 2010 - 5:32 pm
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i agree with james, our culture has pathetic ideas about relationships. it breaks my heart to see girls becoming more and more bold, and an absolute tragedy that guys are whole heartedly accepting of this. guys don’t value what they don’t have to work for. its like there is a lost handbook to the art of masculinity and authentic beauty.
- excited about this blog!