today who recognize themselves as sinners in need of salvation and who have acknowledged that such salvation comes from Jehovah God and through his Son Jesus Christ, and who have made an unreserved dedication of themselves to the doing of the will of the Almighty God, are indeed in that position that will bring many blessings from the Almighty God through his Son. Such a reward from our heavenly Father is without compare, for “the blessing of Jehovah—that is what makes rich, and he adds no pain with it.”—Prov. 10:22.

Beware of Idolizing Creatures

“FOR the thoughts of you people are not my thoughts, nor are my ways your ways,” Jehovah God once said by one of his ancient prophets. Among the many examples of this that might be cited is one in regard to the idolizing of human creatures. This tendency is as widespread as the earth itself and goes back to the very first human pair. Yes, it started with Adam when he showed that he preferred the favor of his wife to the favor of Jehovah God his Creator.—Isa. 55:8; Gen. 3:6-19.

There is nothing wrong with giving proper respect and honor to those to whom it is due. The Bible tells children, “Honor your father and your mother.” Christians are commanded to “honor men of all sorts,” to “have honor for the king,” and to “render to all their dues, to him who calls for . . . honor, such honor.” It even tells that some are worthy of “double honor.” But such giving of honor is reasoned, based on sober judgment. It is entirely different from the emotional idolizing of creatures, which amounts to creature worship.—Eph. 6:2; 1 Pet. 2:17; Rom. 13:7; 1 Tim. 5:17.

Outstanding musical personalities have long been idolized, and especially by womenfolk. Johann Strauss, the “waltz king,” was idolized by many in the late nineteenth century, even as many idolized Frank Sinatra some sixty years later. In more recent times Elvis Presley was the idol of myriads of young women, and still more recently the Beatles became such, as well as their imitators.

Those who achieve unusual or spectacular success in the field of sports are likewise often idolized by many persons. Thus in the World Series of baseball in 1967, the enthusiasm of many of the ardent supporters of the competing teams bordered on idolizing, as with the woman who changed her name from Mrs. St. Louis to Mrs. Red Sox, hoping thereby to help her favorites to win. But they did not. In particular did the St. Louis fans go wild when their team returned to St. Louis after winning the pennant in Boston. A crowd of 15,000 admirers tuned up at the airport, jammed the downtown streets and got so emotional that eleven persons were injured and eight had to be arrested because of their disorderly conduct.

And then there are the many political as well as religious idols. How many Germans idolized Hitler! Many Russians still idolize Lenin, as can be seen from the mammoth statue of him that they erected in Moscow at the beginning of November 1967. Masses of Chinese idolize their chief of State, Mao Tse-tung. And what creature worship was extended to Pope Paul VI when he visited the United States and the United Nations! A literal frenzy of adulation was showered upon him by 90,000 as he rode around Yankee Stadium in an open auto.

WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR IT?

What accounts for this ‘perpetual fact of creature worship,’ as it has been called? Among the various causes that might be mentioned is a feeling of unworthiness on the part of some. This feeling causes them to regard with unreasoning admiration those who have distinguished themselves in such things as music, sports, science or war. It is as if by exalting a fellow human creature they are lifting themselves up also.—Rom. 1:25.

Another reason no doubt is the need to love someone. Persons lacking in emotional maturity are unable to love deeply an ordinary or average person and so they pick someone that has achieved distinction by reason of special gifts or accomplishments and idolize him or her. Thus when a social scientist asked some of a screaming crowd of thousands of teenage girls why the Beatles affected them the way they did, the girls replied that it was because they “loved” those four youths.

Then, again, a lack of proper perspective, of knowledge and understanding, both on the part of those idolizing and on the part of those idolized, may well account for their deporting themselves the way they do. True, those who excel deserve some recognition. A skillful man has the right to ‘station himself before kings,’ the Bible tells us. But is that a reason for his own heart to become exalted or others unduly to exalt him? Israel’s kings were commanded to read God’s Word daily lest they lose perspective and become exalted in their own minds.—Prov. 22:29; Deut. 17:19, 20.

While still other causes could be cited for the tendency to idolize humans, doubtless one of the most basic is a lack of understanding of one’s relationship to one’s Creator; how truly great he is and that in comparison with him all humans are but specks upon a speck. As Jehovah’s prophet long ago wrote: “Surely the people are green grass. The green grass has dried up, the blossom has withered; but as for the word of our God, it will last to time indefinite,” that is, forever.—Isa. 40:7, 8.

Originally the Creator implanted in man the need to worship as one of the means to tie his creatures to their Creator. But as the result of the rebellion of our first parents this instinct of worship has been sadly perverted, misdirected. As the Christian apostle Paul tells us: “Although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings