Hi AmericanCrusader, welcome to Christian Chat.
About your question about the tower of Babel and what you heard about why God stopped it:
There's no mention of the people taking idols into the tower or planning to. It's more so making an "idol" of the tower itself, or perhaps making an idol of "ourselves", our own ability to build such a tower ("that reaches the heavens"), etc.
Notice also God said woooaa... if, united as one people, speaking as one language, they've been able to do this, then nothing will be impossible for them. So it appears that the Lord decided to slow down technology (by scattering the nations with different languages). Why? Perhaps one reason is because if He didn't, we would have already destroyed ourselves (e.g., with nuclear weapons)? Though it doesn't say that in the text. But what it does seem to clearly say is that man, being made in the image of God (e.g., with intelligence, creativity, etc.), when united with one language and purpose, can accomplish incredible things (e.g., reaching the moon or even mars!), and for some reason(s) God decided to slow that down. I think one clear implication is the whole "make a name for ourselves" attitude. The more advanced we are in technology, the more we get way too confident in "ourselves" and our technology (medical technology, building technology, etc.) and want to "make a name for ourselves" rather than call on the name of God and rely on Him.
I remember when the World Trade Center was suddenly destroyed -- both mighty towers, symbols of American power, suddenly, without warning, within minutes decimated -- it was in the news soon after that many Americans started to turn back to God and go to church, after that very humbling national tragedy which was a reminder of how even man's greatest corporate technological feats with all our pride and confidence are not something we can rely on.