What are they? Where are they? And why is this important?

False gods are whatever deny what we know to be true or good. False gods destroy, they do not build up. They compound problems and give only the impression of a solution. They deceive, not clarify. They offer easy options to situations that can only be addressed with the willingness to accept painful reality. They give the illusion of strength, when in reality they rob us of real strength. Like drugs, false gods distort our lives and fill us with false hope.