GREED: IS IT GOOD?

“But they who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.   For the Love of Money is the root of all evil:  which while some coveted after, they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

-      -  I Timothy 4:9-10

The financial crisis.   The job market.   The NHL Lockout.  The prosperity gospel.    These four phenomena is not only big news, but a reflection of how Western culture has evolved into the state of where it is right now.   Money seems to make the world go round and round.   But to what expense do we allow money to control our lives?  Does it make us happy?   Does the lust for more money help people as a whole or to the one who has all “the toys”?

My goal in this short expose is to analyze these four key points of                                                                                                                            contemporary culture to effectively show that greed, whether for power, fame, or money, does not serve the good of the individual or society, but it is a deterrent to the conscious development and harmony of the individual and society.   In other words, greed ultimately kills, destroys, and tears apart both the individual and society if the reins are not pulled in time.

THE NHL LOCKOUT

The NHL Lockout is a classic, contemporary example of illustrating why greed is not good for the whole of society.   In this case, the ones who are affected the most by this strike are the fans who pay money to go game after game cheering on their favourite teams and athletes.   However, what we see in this lockout is a tug of war between the millionaires and billionaires who won’t agree to budge in any direction.

This lack of budging shows their complete and utter stubbornness and lust for more money and monetary power.   This really shows that they do not care about the fans, the game, or serving one another.    All that it is you have a group of billionaire owners versus a group of millionaire players fighting for a piece of the pie in terms of gross revenue sharing.

I say that the easiest way to get this resolved is to go 50/50.   It seems fair, just, and will make everybody in the end.    But to cancel a season where both parties want more of the pie, it just shows sadly it is not about the love of the game and love of the fans anymore.   It is for the love of money, which is rooted in all kinds of evil.

THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL

One of the most banal examples of greed portrayed in recent memory is the onslaught of televangelists declaring that monetary gain is a blessing from the Lord.   They would go as far as to say that if you give enough, pray enough, and decree it enough, you can ask God to give whatever your hearts desire for without any regard to moral or spiritual consequences.

I do not think we have learned after the scandals of the two Jim’s, Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker.   I think that televangelism has evolved into a gospel that is palatable to the trends of the day.   NO repentance, no simple living, no giving until it literally hurts.  Basically the prosperity gospel is a Christianized version of the Las Vegas casinos where the receiving end has all the benefit, not the giver.

THE JOB MARKET

Layoffs.   Out-sourcing.   Early retirements.   Cost Cutting.   Work is not what it used to be many moons ago, where hard work and company loyalty were things to be admired and rewarded.   In the era of greed, work is not about who works the hardest, but on who screws the hardest.   

It is saddening and maddening when one gives years of employment to a reputable company only to have it snatched away over the advent of company restructiing.  I say why fix what is not broken?   I feel that the capitalist job market should have its regulations set in place by the government.    The government should step in to ensure that jobs are protected and not fall onto the onslaught of company greed.   The main purpose of work is to ensure the well being and survival of the common man, not for the sake of producing a few dollars more.

THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

Finally, the fourth main cause of greed not being good, is the whole financial crisis that started in 2008.   It all started when predators wanted to bank on the reality that people cannot pay back their mortages and loans given to them by the banks.   Thanks to this example of greed, people are losing their livelihood and their futures thanks to a legally operated casino style operation put on by the banking systems of the world.   

I say this and I will say this again.  It is time for governments to impose standards and controls over the free market system.   Capitalism must be regulated, must be standardized, and must be reigned in to avoid people’s lives being crushed by the gambling rich.  With such regulations, we will have a better system, a better market, and a better means of achieving wealth that is ethical, practical, and doesn’t lead itself into a state of total collapse.

CONCLUSION

Money has a funny way of defining ourselves and society as a whole.   What we fail to realize that money is just a tool in which used the right way, can do a whole lot of god for society (i.e. charitable giving).   It can also be a tool for evil, as outlined briefly in the four points that contribute to the moral and spiritual crisis of our times.    In order to make ourselves better citizens and a better society, we should rethink money and possessions and means of accumulation, but as means to benefit, nurture, and build a better society where we can secure a better future for those that dwell therein.

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