Modern Religion: How Tech CEOs Became Gods

Innovation, advancement, and the human need to believe in something

I was in 6th grade when I first learned about Greek mythology, a subject that still interests me as an adult. I still remember the way that my teacher presented the topic. She turned off the lights and had everyone close their eyes. She then began to paint a picture describing a world where the modern organized religions of today did not exist, a world that was ruled by many gods for different aspects of life.

In the years that followed, I often attributed ancient polytheistic religions like ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology to the need to explain things that were not yet proven by science or technology. Things such as the four seasons and the patterns of the sea were often explained by fickle gods that would bend humanity to their will. Today of course we have the benefit of science and technology that has explained much of life’s phenomena. But in modern times, I would argue, we still have the gods that we worship. Only instead of worshipping at altars and sacrificing to their holiness, we buy their products and invest in their stocks. The gods of our time are tech CEOs and their religion is the brands that they represent.

The Flaws of Gods

The interesting thing about ancient deities is that they were incredibly human-like, capable of jealousy and emotional reactions. They are not the all-knowing master of the universe that monotheistic believers follow. In Greek mythology, in particular, gods and goddesses are often the reason for humanity’s suffering and also their triumphs. The mythology has heroes and villains much as real life does.

In a sense, it is nothing more than excellent storytelling, which would explain why so many movies about these gods and goddesses have been made over the years. We root for these entities much how we root for characters in books and movies. It is if nothing else captivating, which can lead to passion which then harbors belief.

It is the worship of these gods that then leads to loyalty and the defense of their myth. Ancient cities that…