There is ordinary idolatry, and then there is militant idolatry. Ordinary, garden variety idolatry is everywhere. People conceive of a deity and give it their loyalty and devotion and obeisance. But militant idolatry is a step up the scale. Militant idolatry is where a devotee says, "My god must meet certain requirements that are important to me, or I will not worship him." Either the idol first bows down to me, or I will not bow down to it.
Militant idolatry exposes the essence of all idolatry--which is self-worship.
Former archbishop Desmond Tutu has just come out of the closet, exposing himself to be a militant idolater. Sad really, but there it is. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And Desmond has spoken.
South African peace icon Desmond Tutu has said he would rather go to hell than worship a homophobic God, likening the fight against gay prejudice to the anti-apartheid struggle. Tutu made the comments on Friday at the launch of a United Nations gay equality campaign in Cape Town. "I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven. No, I would say sorry, I mean I would much rather go to the other place," the retired archbishop said. "I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this," he said, condemning the use of religious justification for anti-gay prejudice. (Al Jazeera)Desmond has a cherished ruler--about which he feels deeply--and God has to measure up to it. If He does not, Desmond refuses to worship Him. Thus Desmond Tutu shows himself to be deeply in the thrall of idolatry.
True Belief has it the other way around. God has a ruler; He measures us. God's ruler is a manifestation of His own character. He is holy, just and good. He is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable.
As Job found out, we answer to God, not the other way around. It's a pity Desmond has missed that.
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