AMERICAN IDOL(ATRY)
By Lyle W. Lipps, Evangelist

The phenomenal ratings success of the television program, "American Idol," has captured the imagination of our entire nation. Much has been made of the fact that 40 million Americans tune in each week to watch what judge Simon Cowell calls, "a singing competition." Other spinoffs of this type of entertainment are now flooding the airwaves, including "Dancing With The Stars," "America's Got Talent," and "So You Think You Can Dance?" These are just a few, but the real juggernaut remains "American Idol," which is a spinoff of a British TV show called "Pop Idol."

It's not my intention to examine these shows in detail but rather to look at perhaps why these shows are so successful and to see the extent of idolatry here in America. I believe there is a correlation between America's fascination with celebrity personalities and the rising danger of the sin of idolatry in our country. One cannot help but note that many Americans can name all the finalists on a show like "American Idol (AI);" yet few can name the different candidates who are running for President. Knowing who may be leading our country for the next four years seems to be just a tad more important than who will be a part of the next "AI" Summer Concert Tour.

Is there an idolatry problem in America? Idolatry is defined as "the religious worship of idols, the worship of images that are not God, blind or excessive devotion to something, worship paid to any created object." Some of the synonyms associated with idolatry are "obsession, madness, mania." This definition certainly fits the "American Idol" phenomenon. We could also apply this same definition to the obsession that Americans seem to have with celebrities who are continually in the news, and whose every move is fervently reported on in the media. The recent obsession with one such celebrity, Paris Hilton, is a case in point. There seems to be a media overkill on the reporting of Hilton's time spent in the LA County Jail. It boggles the mind why so many folks

are fascinated with this spoiled rich girls' various travails. It certainly reeks of madness and mania!

Many folks say that Elvis Presley was modern-day America's original idol and also our biggest. Some experts estimate that the estate of Elvis Presley has made 5 times as much money since he died 30 years ago then while he was still alive. In fact, some believe he wouldn't have made near as much money had he stayed alive all these years instead of dying prematurely of a drug overdose. What a sad commentary on a truly, tragic figure in American culture. And yet, it shouldn't come as any surprise to us considering how our society clamors to worship at the "altar of celebrity."

The Apostle Paul describes the origin of idolatry in Romans 1:21-25, which shows how men forsook the One, True, Living God; and sank into spiritual ignorance and moral corruption. Please take the time to read Romans 1:21-25 before reading on here. There are different forms of idolatry such as "Fetishism" which is the worship of inanimate objects made by man. Probably the most commonly known fetish is the "totem pole." Not many people worship a totem pole nowadays, but certainly the desire to worship more modern things by the acquiring and accumulating of material goods is a very real example of fetishism. Americans practice this form of idolatry all too well.

Another example of idolatry is "Nature Worship" which is the worship of the sun, moon, stars, trees, water, etc. People's extreme obsession with the environment and the ozone deterioration would be modern examples of nature worship. But probably the most prevalent form of idolatry today would fall under the heading of "Hero Worship." In ancient times this took the form of worshiping one's deceased ancestors, or the worship of heroes. The Bible shows that idolatry was of a heathen origin that was introduced among the Hebrew people due to their contact with the heathen nations around them. Time and again the Jews would be corrupted by idolatry and then they would often be punished by God. But God would always rescue them from idolatry and purify them to live holy lives.

They would then worship Him, but then gradually over time they would be corrupted by some heathen people and their ways. Then the idolatry would slowly but surely infiltrate until the cycle would begin again with God's dual pattern of punishment and redemption. Idolatry was considered to be the strongest and most serious sin of all. The first two commandments of the Ten Commandments deal with this problem. The Jews were to have no other gods but the One, True, Living God, and they were forbidden to make idols and worship them in the place of God.

Looking at modern-day America reveals very clearly that we suffer from all three of the main types of idolatry: fetishism, nature worship and hero worship. But it's this last category that seems to the fastest growing, and most serious danger facing America. People have gone completely overboard with their interest in celebrity personalities. Many people can't seem to get enough when it comes to following their favorite "idols." Millions seem to have a cult-like attraction to people in the news. But it goes deeper than that. There seems to be a tidal wave of obsession of folks seeking fame and popularity. Obviously, many folks desire money, but it isn't quite money or power that fuels the interest in celebrities like Paris Hilton or TV shows like "American Idol." It seems as if almost everyone wants the whole world to know who they are. People will even sit and watch these celebrities as camera's capture these "idols" going about their everyday lives on their own TV shows like "Hogan Knows Best," "The Osbournes" and "Hey Paula!". And people actually watch this inane stuff! I can't imagine why anyone would want to see a celebrity go run everyday errands or do ordinary everyday activities. But millions can't seem to satisfy their curiosity to see their favorite "heroes/idols" behind the scenes when these people aren't out in public. The private has become public and people can't seem to get enough. Perhaps voyeurism is part the problem.

But I believe that what drives thousands to try out for a show like "American Idol" and for millions more to watch these shows is what some call "the idolatry of self." We are obsessed with ourselves and this narcissism is growing rapidly in our self-centered culture. People have become obsessed with the pursuit of fame as if fame is something worth pursuing. The rest of us who watch may secretly desire to be famous but would rather safely watch others pursue it. Many dream of having their own 15 minutes of fame and if they can't have it, they will watch others seek it out on the big screen. The other reason we have such a fascination with shows like "AI" is that we either enjoy watching people make fools of themselves as they audition, or we love seeing them shot down by the harsh critiques of the judges. We feel that if we can't be famous, neither should anyone else. But I believe the main reason for this latest trend is that we are becoming narcissistic to the point that the excessive worship of self is our highest priority in life.

Are Christian people immune to this type of idolatry? I think not. Many folks at Church talk about shows like "American Idol" and either race home from church on Wednesday night to see the results show or they simply stay home period. I am not putting people down for simply watching this show however, because my family and I have watched some of these shows. But we don't "live" to watch them. It's not our obsession. But it is certainly something to be aware of and not let get out of hand. Furthermore, many Christians who sing in choirs or play instruments in praise bands seem to seek the limelight for their efforts also. Many like and seek the glory and adulation they receive from the congregants who clamor to tell them how great they sing or play. Many have tried and are trying to become superstars in the field of Christian music. And for what purpose would one seek to do this?

Because they simply want to glorify the Lord in song. I'm not naive' when it comes to the hidden agendas of churchgoers. Those who usually seek some sort of "career" in Christian music are not wanting to remain anonymous in the background about it. Those who don't seek a "career" in Christian music are generally the ones who simply sing to glorify the Lord and leave it at that. Furthermore, some folks will only do any type of service for the Lord if they think they will get some kind of recognition for it. They want the self-glory and fame even if it's just at the local Church level. It happens more than most people care to admit. But when people become excessive lovers of self like we are seeing, even amongst Christian people, I'm afraid we need some loud warnings about where we are headed. We can't love ourselves more than we love God and expect to be right with Him.

Chuck Barris, the originator of the 70's game show known as "The Gong Show", which is really the forerunner of "American Idol", has recently written a book where he believes that one day we will have a reality show where people will play for a big prize such as 100 million dollars or die trying. Furthermore, he also believes we will one day witness live executions of death row prisoners. He is probably right and the sad reality is that millions will tune in to watch this morbid and goulish depravity. Some of these things may be attributed to the "dumbing down" of America. But at the same time, TV and Movie executives are motivated by numbers and advertising dollars, and they will seek to give people what they think the people want. In the meanwhile, people gradually become desensitized to shocking images. As the corruption spreads people will demand more and more images that result in an even greater "shock value."

I also believe that America's obsession with Sports adds to the general problem of idolatry. Young people see sports figures making millions of dollars and being interviewed on television. They are often seen as symbols of success and that they are living the "good life." Who wouldn't want to aspire to that? How many scientists, chemists, physicists, mathematicians, and researchers are portrayed on TV living the "American Dream?" Parents often push their children to focus on being good at sports rather than doing well in school. And if they do encourage good grades, it's only in order to stay eligible to play sports on the school's team. How can a young person see that school subjects are important when even their parent's actions demonstrate the wrong priorities? Many children have become like "mules" as they work at playing. Many "play" all year round as they are pushed by parents to go, go, go, at an adult's pace as they are carried from town to town playing game after game. Many children burn out at this cut-throat pace and eventually drop out of sports altogether by the time they reach high school. They are not equipped to play at an adult-like pace or schedule. Kids need time to be kids too. Often, they are not allowed to enjoy their childhood as parents constantly sign them up for more and more extra-curricular activities.

I also believe the idolatry of self is part of what fuels the mega-church movement. Many people know they will not experience fame on the scale of celebrities, but they flock to big churches in order to feel a part of something bigger than themselves. I've heard many folks who attend large churches bragging about how many people attend their Church's services. And many of the preachers encourage this by their egoism and need to have large followings. Many are not sincerely seeking to convert souls to Christ, but selfishly seek to have a large following, or large TV/Radio audience, or sell tons of Christian books. I don't doubt that some are sincere. But the rapid rise in these types of ministries is a sign of copycats and imitators who neither know God nor care to serve him in humble anonymity. There needs to be a return to the simple and sincere worship of God in spirit and truth. We must seek to be humble in serving Jesus Christ rather than seeking fame in making a name for ourselves. Our desire should be to love and adore God and let His Name be exalted amongst the nations, not our name.

I know that one cannot help it if they become famous or even wealthy as they serve the Lord. But that should not be the main goal of anyone who seeks to be a true servant of God. Nor should that be the goal of any Christian. Consider that Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11-13 to learn the same secret of contentment that he learned in serving Christ. Be content with what you have and where you are.

It is discontentment and restlessness that has been the downfall of many who have went off to Hollywood in search of riches and fame. The overwhelming vast majority never made it and were crushed in spirit when they didn't. This disillusionment has ruined thousands of young people in the process. Let us learn to delight in the Lord and find contentment in Him. Let us also learn to want what we already have rather than wanting what we don't have or possibly can't ever hope to have. Most importantly, is that we must learn, (perhaps the hard way), as the Israelites learned the necessity of putting God first in our lives. We must love Him more than we love anyone or anything else. If we can do that we can learn to only worship Him, and we will do so in spirit and in truth.