On Modern-Day Idolatry—And How to Fix It

Last updated on: July 31, 2026 at 12:28 pm by Rev. Rob Schenck

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On Modern-Day Idolatry—And How to Fix It 2026-07-31T12:28:22-04:00 Rev. Rob Schenck

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An artist’s rendering of how an imposing gilded sculpture of Donald Trump called “Don Colossus” might be situated at the future Trump presidential library.

In the Talmud, the great treasury of Jewish learning, there is an ancient story about Abraham as a young child. His father, Terah, was an idol maker. One day, Terah went into town and left Abraham alone in the workshop. Abraham had already begun to question how there could be more than one God. So, he lined up his father’s idols from tallest to shortest. Then he took a mallet and smashed each one, except the tallest.

When Terah returned and saw the destruction, he grabbed Abraham by the ear and demanded, “What happened here?” Little Abraham said, “I turned my back, and the big one attacked and destroyed all the smaller ones!”

Terah snapped, “Don’t lie to me, child. You know they have no mind, no power, no life!” And Abraham replied, “Then why, Father, do you worship them?”

An idol is anything we treat as our ultimate source of authority, purpose, or meaning

Idols come in all shapes and sizes. In the ancient world, idols were carved from wood and stone—empty images with no breath and no inherent authority. Today, our idols are far more sophisticated. They still come in different shapes and sizes, but they are more cleverly disguised. Modern idolatry is the displacement of God’s authority by another measure of right and wrong, good and bad.

An idol is whatever we listen to that helps us evaluate our world

An idol is anything we treat as our ultimate source of authority, purpose, or meaning. It is whatever we listen to that helps us evaluate our world, set our ultimate goals, and determine what is right and wrong. An idol embodies our idea of what is best for us and for everyone else.

Idolatry is choosing to accept the standards of an authority other than God

To make an idol is to love and follow an alternative authority other than the one true God. Idolatry replaces God with the will, word, or devotion toward someone or something else. It is choosing to accept the standards of an authority other than God.

Politicians, legislators, and public servants are not the ultimate authority

This is why politicians, legislators, and public servants swear an oath on the Bible: to acknowledge that they are not the ultimate authority and to guard against the temptation to usurp God’s place.

For Christians, the only rule of life is the Divine Law. Christians judge public authority by God’s rule of Law, not the other way around. Judging God’s Laws—the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Golden Rule,—by human opinion or impulse is, itself, idolatry.

No other Gods

So, let’s remind ourselves of the very first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” AMEN.

Postscript: Interested in more on this topic? Get a copy of my pre-Trump doctoral dissertation, “Bulwark Against Political Idolatry“

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