Nietzsche was mainly looking at modern cultures, but he observed that all cultures - even self-styled 'secular' ones - promote moral absolutes and transcendent values to which (they said) all people must conform if they are to have worth or meaning. These cultural ideals are truly idols in the biblical sense; they are not commended as simply good ideas. Rather, they are treated as holy and unassailable, and promoted with religious fervour and passion. They are said to bestow happiness and fulfilment (earthly forms of salvation). All people are obliged to serve these ideals, and those who despise them are themselves to be rejected. So while ancient cultures ostracised anyone who disbelieved in the gods, modern culture castigates anyone who is thought guilty of bigotry or appears to be an enemy of equality and individual freedom.
...Christians seeking to work faithfully and well must discern the shape of the idols functioning in their professions and industries so as to both affirm the beneficial aspects and offset the excesses ad distortions.
...Endeavour... p137
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