Fans of Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni are building a temple to worship him. The temple in Ranchi, in eastern India, will feature a white marble statue of the sports star and relief carvings of the player in action looking down on his disciples (“Temple Built to Cricketer,” Anaanovacom, Jan. 1, 2009).
Jitendra Singh, president of Dhoni’s fan club, says, “Dhoni is God to cricket and we have decided to construct a temple; he will be worshipped like other gods are worshipped.” Indian cricket historian and Oxford scholar Boria Mazumdar said, “I think the act exemplifies what cricket means to India.” It is not only Indians who worship sports stars.
This idolatry is committed by Americans and Canadians and British and Germans and French and South Africans, you name it. Professional sports is one of the gods of modern times. Can a born-again child of God commit idolatry?
Indeed, otherwise why did John write, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21)? And why did James write, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4)?
No comments:
Post a Comment