The National Lottery has become probably the number one idol of the United Kingdom at the present time, with thirteen million people 'playing' each week. The mocking of Isaiah against the idols of his day would be no less scornful of those who need to invest ten pounds each week for twenty-thousand years to be reasonably certain of winning the Jackpot! This 'Saturday night idol' has duped even sections of the evangelical church into considering it right to share in the Lottery grants. When our principles are adapted by the lure of greed we are worshipping Mammon - whatever its current name might be.
Brian H. Edwards, The Ten Commandments For Today (Epsom, Day One, 1996, revised edition 2002) p88
I'm not sure I'm convinced the National Lottery is our top idol, but equally I don't know what is. Any ideas?
(Also, I don't know what odds Edwards has in mind for "reasonably certain".)
(And another thing: I'm not persuaded its necessarily a sin to buy a lottery ticket or receive a grant.)
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I've heard it said that 'the state' is probably one of our top idols. What else do we look to for so much of our prosperity, personal happiness, direction and morality?
The odd thing with that is that a heck of a lot of people are dissatisfied with the performance of our actual government, though part of that dissatisfaction comes from this very idolatry of the state as an idea that can and should be solving all these problems for me.
The odd thing with that is that a heck of a lot of people are dissatisfied with the performance of our actual government,
Nothing all that odd about that, is there?
Isa 41 7 The craftsman encourages the goldsmith,
and he who smooths with the hammer
spurs on him who strikes the anvil.
He says of the welding, "It is good."
He nails down the idol so it will not topple.
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