Making Idols of Ideas

I posted this image (below) yesterday on multiple social media platforms. When I created the image, I was specifically thinking of some of the more outlandish conspiracy theories that people fiercely hold onto despite almost universal opposition, despite all physical evidence, despite all reason. Within minutes, somebody--not Hebrew Roots, by his own assertion--replied with a long list of ideas that he believes other people make into idols. It just went on and on, point after outlandish, bizarre point. This guy took my generic admonish not to hold so tightly to an idea that you become incapable of rational thought, to vomit this morass of paranoid delusions onto my readers.

My immediate reaction was incredulousness. How could anyone read this image and think *that* is the appropriate response? But as I read on, I could tell that he was perfectly serious. Not only was he serious, but he was angry, bitter at a world that refused to acknowledge a truth that was plain as day to him. By the time I got to the end...I was angry and disgusted that there are people lost in such hopeless fear and intent on pulling other people down with them. 

I deleted his comment, hopefully before anyone else saw it. Despite the obvious absurdity of his assertions, clearly a lot of people are eager to believe. My sincere hope is that I can intercept some of those people before they get lost in fear and confusion, help lead them back to solid ground in reality.

I felt sorry for this commenter and sorrier that experience tells me there is probably nothing I can do to help him. His beliefs are religious in nature, not rational. He didn't arrive at any of them by objectively analyzing evidence or Scripture. He is so thoroughly convinced of so much patent nonsense that he's far more likely to be helped by a psychiatrist-exorcist tag team than by a conversation with anyone on the Internet. I'm sure some time in prayer and Scripture reading--a pious-sounding solution, to be sure--would help, but I suspect he's already got that covered in spades.

But what he really, really needs more than anything else, is to get off the Internet and connect with a meatspace community of people who care about him enough to love him in spite of his insanity.