Dear Editor,

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” This admonition from the Apostle John is as relevant today as it was when it was written almost 2000 years ago. Although we don’t see people literally bowing down and worshipping inanimate objects today, we do see many people by their beliefs, words, and actions, acknowledging things that are false as being true, treating things having no power as having power, and fearing things that should not be feared. When people reject God’s will as clearly revealed in His Word, the Bible, and instead believe and follow man-made ideologies that conflict with God’s Word, the resulting idolatry becomes obvious.

For example, Jesus in Mark 10:5-9 quotes from Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 regarding God’s will concerning gender and marriage. Those who claim that gender can be chosen or that marriage can take place between other than one man and one woman are worshipping an idol.

In Genesis 8:22 and 9:11-17, God clearly reveals that climate change will not cause global flooding to destroy everyone. Those who teach otherwise are making climate change an idol that many people are unnecessarily fearing.

With the new law in New York legalizing third-trimester abortions, our society is approaching the idolatry practices condemned in ancient Israel, where parents sacrificed their children to various idols (Psalm 106:36-38).

Beware of being quick to condemn the idolatry of others but not recognizing it within yourself. The rich ruler whose conversation with Jesus is recorded in Luke 18:18-23 thought that he was keeping God’s commandments. However, he was not keeping the first commandment “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Remember that God loves you and desires to have a relationship with you through His Son Jesus Christ. Please read John 3:16-21 and prayerfully come to God and ask Him to reveal His Truth to you.

Hollister McNeal,

Warren