In my Old Testament reading I am struck by the attitude that YHWH takes toward other gods. The human beings, including Israel, treat other gods as forbidden powers - usually specialists in fertility, or healing, or weather - to be worshiped and appeased on the sly when the main god wasn't watching. In more emergent situations, the other gods would be brought out more openly.
Yet YHWH seems to regard them as so much nothing. Even if you feed them, they don't hear, they don't see, they don't act. Burn all the incense you want, put meat and grain in front of them, strike up the band,they are just empty statues. The New Testament refers more to spirits, mostly unclean, and there seems to be some tie-in between them and rival gods, but it's not entirely clear. Jesus makes reference to both Mammon and Beelzebub, but doesn't say they have actual power and existence. The references could be entirely popular culture references, stronger than us saying "The Almighty Dollar" or "Devil take the hindmost," but maybe not much. That our false gods are of our own creation, even now, doesn't seem inconsistent with any of it.
6 comments:
Except that He considers consorting with the other gods to be adultery.
Yes, that is also true. (twinkle)
"But it's just a blow-up doll, honey!"
On a completely unrelated note, are you familiar with Paul Tournier's work?
The name was only vaguely familiar. Do you recommend him?
Yes. http://idontknowbut.blogspot.com/2002/11/im-reading-learn-to-grow-old-by-paul.html
He is particularly well-situated to make a judgment on the subject. On the other hand, Gen. 3:22.
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