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People turn to other things for comfort, escapism, stress relief, fulfilment because life isn’t how they expected it to be. Sometimes it’s to be part of the crowd, to be part of a group, peer pressure. To relieve physical and mental pain.
I very much doubt idolatry comes into it in the west. Possible in lesser developed countries where idols are intentionally worshiped it may do.
But back to the West. If it becomes a true addiction ie drugs, nicotine then it becomes a medical issue, the addiction is not imaginary at all.
If it’s addiction to food, gambling, shopping etc. Then it’s usually a mental health issue stress, depression, unresolved conflict, turmoil etc.
For example if a woman is raped then goes on to make herself deliberately unattractive to put on weight as an unconscious way of protecting herself and becomes addicted to food, no one would even suggest that was idolatry.
Here is the big one, all of the above can even happen to born again Christians and it does.
People need physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Unfortunately many churches are ill equipped to help even their own, let alone non Christians.
The reason being is most do not understand the true causes they are too quick to blame it on idolatry, unbelief, sin etc so people are ashamed to admit they need help.
Churches and Christians (us) should be places of healing and anointing, saving and uplifting, convicting and salvation.
Instead the Christian ethic is often one of judgement, condemnation and shunning.
Jesus gave us the example of touching leper’s, eating with sinners, speaking with tax collectors, revealing himself to shepherds (who were traditionally despised), talking to a woman who has several men etc (woman at the well).
But many Christians don’t follow this example, they would rather debate about whether addiction is sin, a disease or idolatry instead.
I very much doubt idolatry comes into it in the west. Possible in lesser developed countries where idols are intentionally worshiped it may do.
But back to the West. If it becomes a true addiction ie drugs, nicotine then it becomes a medical issue, the addiction is not imaginary at all.
If it’s addiction to food, gambling, shopping etc. Then it’s usually a mental health issue stress, depression, unresolved conflict, turmoil etc.
For example if a woman is raped then goes on to make herself deliberately unattractive to put on weight as an unconscious way of protecting herself and becomes addicted to food, no one would even suggest that was idolatry.
Here is the big one, all of the above can even happen to born again Christians and it does.
People need physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Unfortunately many churches are ill equipped to help even their own, let alone non Christians.
The reason being is most do not understand the true causes they are too quick to blame it on idolatry, unbelief, sin etc so people are ashamed to admit they need help.
Churches and Christians (us) should be places of healing and anointing, saving and uplifting, convicting and salvation.
Instead the Christian ethic is often one of judgement, condemnation and shunning.
Jesus gave us the example of touching leper’s, eating with sinners, speaking with tax collectors, revealing himself to shepherds (who were traditionally despised), talking to a woman who has several men etc (woman at the well).
But many Christians don’t follow this example, they would rather debate about whether addiction is sin, a disease or idolatry instead.
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