False Idols Come In Many Guises Analysis

In “False Idols Come in Many Guises” columnist Henry G. Brinton calls into question the idols or counterfeit gods created and popularized recently by the entertainment industry. Brinton argues that the protagonists in many modern television series idolize things such as money, power, and even children by putting them before god. The author claims that idols like these can become a dangerous obsession when not treated carefully. The article continues to state that Americans follow after these characters in worshiping idols that distort their sense of place in the world. The overall focus of the article is that following an idol instead of god can never lead to anything good.
Mr. Brinton defines an idol as “anything more important to you than god, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than god” (Brinton, par. 6), he often insinuates that commitment like this is common, this is not the case. To idolize something the way he defines it can be difficult; one would have to accept everything about an idol and live their lives in the pursuit of pleasing or acquiring it. For a person to idolize power for example they would have to

dedicate their every action to gaining power and prioritizing it over everything else. The author doesn’t mention or perhaps he does not notice that commitment to these counterfeit gods is uncommon and certainly not dangerous enough to become a threat to society any more than Christianity. A majority of people would not agree that they put the principles demonstrated in television dramas they like at the forefront of their lives; an average viewer knows they are watching a show and to leave it at that.
The author argues that idols cannot replace the Christian god as a motivator for good morality because they do not inspire the same fear in their followers that god does. The article states that focusing on idolatry is necessary because “the language of sin is fading in America” (Brinton, par. 8). Brinton goes on to say that modern life is too comfortable, and thus lets people forget that “we are ‘sinners in the hands of an angry god’” (Brinton, par. 8). If viewers were to conduct their lives to Mr. Brinton’s liking some would wake up in the morning thinking they have no worth in the world because they love their children more than god. This kind of warped thinking is what drives people away from religion and to the counterfeit gods Brinton believes society worships. It is not so bad that people dedicate themselves to their children that they should have to repent their commitment every day of their lives. Viewers would have an arduous time finding the motivation to get out of bed if they were forced to feel that way. These idols function as a different form of motivation for people. In the end it is what results from their following that should be considered, not all roads lead to destruction as Mr. Brinton would have readers believe.
Mr.

Brinton evens goes so far as to bring up a 2013 poll that states “61.5% of Americans believe in heaven and think they are going there. Only 1.5% believe they are going to hell.” (Brinton, par. 9) he implies that this a surprisingly large number. His source is the True Life in God Foundation; this poll was conducted on people of the Christian faith. Of course they believe they are going to heaven, some have spent their entire lives in preparation for it. To say what 61.5% of Christians believe is the same as what 61.5% of Americans believe is rather presumptuous. There is also no mention of where the poll was taken, or where the other 37% went. Credibility aside, his poll tries to prove that Americans think of themselves as good people that deserve a good afterlife. Brinton takes issue with this for reasons I cannot

speculate.
Throughout the article Brinton uses examples from popular entertainment that demonstrate the dangerous things that can result from following an idol; however, he does not provide examples of the good things that can come from it. One character he frequently uses as a bad example is Walter White, the main character of the AMC series Breaking Bad. White places providing for his family before everything else, sacrificing his morality to be sure his family is taken care of after his death. He doesn’t mention some of the exceptional behavior that results from a fictional character that pursues an idol. Justice can be considered an idol by Brinton’s definition, dozens of fictional characters desire justice over anything. Batman, a super hero from Marvel comics, is an excellent example. One might question how Batman could compare to Walter White, and the answer is they are both fictional characters in a fictional world that pursue a counterfeit god. Batman sacrifices everything to protect Gotham, the city in which he resides, from evil doers. He does incredible things all in the interest of preserving justice in his city. Great things can come from counterfeit gods after all. Justice is one of many idols prevalent in modern media that inspires good morality and motivation in people. It also does not demand the viewer repent for not seeking it out. Counterfeit gods really aren’t all as bad as Mr. Brinton believes.
The author suggests that an idol in any form other than god is wrong and leads to something dark and dangerous, but this is not the case. Elevating something to the level of god is difficult and requires a commitment not many are willing to make. Any form of motivation is better than no motivation at all, making people believe they are worthless and are condemned to hell will not achieve anything. Not all counterfeit gods harbor destruction. Some idols, like justice, can inspire truly great things in people that seek it. In the end what really matters is what people make of their idols. Whether they be a god, an ideal, an object, a virtue, or a person it doesn’t matter. What matters is what people are willing to do to pursue them.

Works Cited
Brinton, Henry G. "False idols come in many guises." USA Today. Gannett Company, 3 September 2014. Web. 8 September 2014.