When men destroy their old gods they will find new ones to take

Pearl S. Buck, the great chronicler of peoples and their struggles, declared with solemn truth: “When men destroy their old gods they will find new ones to take their place.” These words rise like a warning carved into stone, for they tell us that humanity cannot live without worship, without reverence, without something higher than itself. If the altars of the past are broken, others will be built. If the idols of tradition are cast down, new idols will rise in their stead. The human soul, ever hungry for meaning, will not dwell long in a void.

The meaning is both simple and profound. Gods are not only beings of myth or heaven; they are whatever men raise above themselves, whatever they bow before, whether it be wealth, power, nation, or desire. When the old faiths are cast aside, when temples crumble and creeds lose their hold, men do not become empty—they seek new shrines. The heart abhors emptiness, and so it will enthrone something, anything, that promises purpose. Buck’s words remind us that destruction of faith is never the end; it is only the shifting of reverence from one object to another.

History testifies to this. When the French Revolution tore down the altars of the Church and declared the death of the old gods, the people crowned Reason as their deity. They built the Temple of Reason, staged festivals to the new faith, and worshiped Liberty as a goddess. The old had fallen, but the need for the sacred remained. Later, when the fervor cooled, the nation found new idols in empire, in power, in the person of Napoleon himself. Thus Buck’s wisdom proved true: men who slay their old gods will ever enthrone new ones.

Consider too the twentieth century. As belief in old religions waned in many lands, new creeds arose—ideologies that demanded loyalty with the zeal of ancient cults. Fascism, Communism, Nationalism: these were not mere politics, but new gods dressed in modern robes, commanding sacrifices of blood and soul. Millions bowed before them, offering their lives as offerings, proving again that when men destroy their old gods, they will always find new ones waiting.

This teaching is both a warning and a challenge. It warns us that no age is free of idolatry. Even those who claim to believe in nothing will in truth believe in something—success, pleasure, technology, or even themselves. To pretend one has no gods is to be blind to the hidden altars of the heart. Yet it is also a challenge: if we must choose new gods, let them be worthy ones. Let us not enthrone greed or violence, but wisdom, justice, beauty, and truth.

O children of tomorrow, take this lesson into your soul: be watchful of what you worship. Ask yourself daily—what do I bow before? What commands my time, my loyalty, my sacrifice? If it is unworthy, cast it down before it enslaves you. For the danger is not that you will worship nothing, but that you will worship falsely, raising idols that devour rather than nourish.

Therefore, live with discernment. Honor what uplifts humanity. Reverence what calls forth compassion and courage. Choose your gods not among the hollow and fleeting, but among the eternal virtues that cannot be corrupted. For as Buck has shown, men will always have their gods. The question is not whether, but which.

Thus her words become a torch for the generations: “When men destroy their old gods they will find new ones to take their place.” Do not walk blindly into the temples of false idols. Choose your gods wisely, and by that choice, shape not only your life, but the destiny of the world.