Worshipping the Creature

I recently read an interesting and scary [to me] account of a "joyful" event. It said a 17 year-old girl was "sobbing uncontrollably" in a booth at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con international, her tears motivated by "uncontrollable joy and happiness". She had traveled 800 miles from her home in New Mexico and while at Comic-con had a chance run in with Alexander Skarsgard, who plays "the luscious vampire Eric Northman" on TRUE BLOOD, an HBO series. He was very kind and gave her and her mother autographs. The girl "was still so overcome and shocked at her unexpected good fortune that, even ten minutes later, she was still trembling, had tears streaming down her cheeks, and could barely speak."

Sounds familiar to me. How often have I heard the stories of fans down through the years at Elvis concerts, New Kids on the Block, Michael Jackson, Tom Jones, et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseum- [I love the latter term because this is making me nauseated to think about it] swooning over their idols.

Males are not immune either. Sport/sport entertainment fans who hold up blasphemous signs like "MICK FOLEY IS GOD" are guilty of this blatant worship. Even politics. Remember the way Obama [whether you like him or hate him this is undeniable] was portrayed by some as a messianic figure of godlike proportions. That's nothing new as this account from the New Testament documents:

Acts 12:21-22 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

However common it is- these things ought not to be. I certainly understand how pagans can be so misguided but the truth is Christians can be just as bad- worshipping men, or movies, or fictional characters, or... well, you get the idea. We should check up on ourselves and make sure we only worship God.

Romans 1:21-25 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.