The story of the Israelites, or the entire Old Testament really, can be seen as man’s constant fleeing from God toward idolatry, both inward and out. Instead of worshipping their God, they turned away and worshipped others, including those they made with their own hands. They were easily turned to that which they could physically see and away from what they must have seen as a harsh God, rather than a just one.
Turning away from the comparison of Yaya to a hand-carved “God,” I see an allegory of man and God between the master and doll in Unbreakable Machine-Doll, one of this season’s new anime. But instead of Yaya, the subordinate, representing man and Raishin, the puppeteer, representing God, I find it to be more aligned historically and with real life experience the other way around.
And that’s troubling.
Certainly throughout history, and many anti-religious folk will point this out, God was used by those in power to suppress others and gain further strength. The Inquisition, the Crusades, and slavery come to mind when we talk about the misuse of biblical teachings and inherited religious power. Man takes along a god that he’s “carved” into some other image that fits with his worldview.
Sure sounds a lot like Raishin taking Yaya along for his revenge plot.
Today, similar comparisons might be made, though I’m more concerned with subtle connections. Are we common, every day Christians doing something similar? Are we making God into our own dolls, and using Him as we see fit? That’s certainly often true of those who haven’t studied the Bible or who don’t spend time thinking and praying about their faith. For instance, they might turn to God as a genie, praying to Him as if He exists to grant wishes that line up with our own plans rather than His.
And that’s kind of the issue, even with those of us who take our faith seriously. Are we using God as our unbreakable machine-doll, or are we letting Him be our LORD? God is there to hear our concerns, lay our burdens before, and plead to. But our hearts should be drawn to Him and his plans. As Christ prayed in Gethsemane, not my will, but yours be done.
Never forget, God is not an unbreakable machine-doll. He is the Almighty King-Savior.
Excellent read!
Thank you!
Hmm…Religion was sometimes used by those in power so that they could consolidate their authority, especially in the High Middle Ages and Renaissance, where nation states started to form. But, the anti-religious love to trump up these things to be worse than they were, and ignore the damage done by the atheist communists in the twentieth century, whose crimes far exceed those done in the name of all Western religions put together. Don’t let anyone tell you that the Crusades were a bad thing. Islam’s military expansion took most of the Middle East, North Africa, various Asian countries, and Spain by the time of the first Crusade. So, it was only natural that the Pope would respond to the Emperor of Constantinople’s request for aid in the way he did. Eastern Europe was certainly next on Islam’s list as the following centuries proved! (As someone of Croatian descent, my grandfather made sure to inculcate that into my mind!)
But, it is certainly hard always to follow the will of God or perceive it, but that is were humility is formed.
Thanks for the information! And certainly, the atrocities done in the name of other religions (and no religion at all) is considerable and still on-going. My mind always comes back to genocide and other brutal events whenever someone takes shots at Christianity and espouses humanism, perhaps selectively forgetting the evil that lurks in the hearts of ordinary men.