Has government become a graven image?

[jsk]

As a Catholic, I hae been accused in the past of worshiping graven images, since statues are prominent in Catholic churches. To me, the statues are only artwork, and no more of a graven image than a picture in a child’s Bible.

Pondering the subject, it occurs to me that the most common graven image today has become government. In times of need, so many people turn first to government, not to themselves, not their neighbors, not to God.

I have to wonder why so many people put so much faith in the lack of wisdom of government, rather than in the infinite wisdom of God.

 

[marcadam]

jsk:

Pondering the subject, it occurs to me that the most common graven image today has become government.

No, because it doesn’t rise to the level of idolatry (the more precise terminology). The government isn’t worshipped, even those who perhaps see too much in it or rely on it too much don’t see it in any sort of supernatural light.

This isn’t to say that a particular gov’t couldn’t become an idol. Some are/were explicitly set up that way, e.g., the Roman and Japanese emperors were considered as god to their people. At least a tacit worship was legally required of their citizens.

Avowed materialist socialists/collectivists come close to something that could be considered as “worshipping” their governmental ideal in place of God himself. Even Christ sets up the dichotomy, “you cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matt 6:24f, Luke 16:13f) Nonetheless, this doesn’t seem to meet the definition of idolatry.

Poetically, we could reduce every sin to the “worship” of some “graven image”, that is, something that isn’t worthy of worship, something that isn’t God. But if that be the case, then the “graven image” most often worshipped is Oneself.