In continuation of yesterday's blog the writer mentions that humanity has two desires: one for material goods and the other for health. In the world in which we live money is the yardstick by which we measure everything. Our position in life is governed by money; we can, after a fashion, buy health and extend life with money. All we do, even our faces are determined by our efforts to attain material goods. This is all very natural, but to what degree do we have to acquiesce to it?
Humanity is in search of material things for happiness. Not only for food, clothes and shelter but for better food, better clothes and a better house in which to live. We seek to satisfy our desires; to make a profit we try to maximize everything we do; the virtues of this enterprise are competition, efficiency and rationality-- words fitting the economic man.
The Christian is one who is diametrically opposed to this way of looking at life. It is not the amassing of goods but ridding oneself of goods that brings happiness and prosperity. Christians believe true prosperity does not come from our strength, but is a gift of grace.
There is no other people like Koreans that work so hard for development and growth. We live in a society in which financial value and financial growth is the greatest earthly virtue.
The Church does stress that quality of life is important; working for the common good and not the free market is what is important. Spiritual growth will bring us happiness is the constant message of the Church. However, in the jungle in which we live, does this have any drawing power for those that hear the message? Is the Church's job only to make this message known; or to live the very life that it preaches?
Secularists said religion would disappear, but what has happened is that it has thrived and is growing. The churches have picked up the capitalistic know-how, and have used it to advance the cause of religion. To draw people to the churches they are using efficient and very competitive means. The churches are imitating the business world. Religious people are polishing their products to fit the wants of the consumers. They are emphasising a spiritual product but selling it in a material way. Christianity has become a big business--Christianity Incorporated.
We are told that what is small does not last long. Only what is big will last. More than the values of the Gospel are we trying to increase the numbers at the expense of the Gospel? Has our own Catholic Church been assimilated into using the principles of the market? Is the Catholic Church using these principles of the market to compete with the other churches and trying to be more efficient in raising the numbers of our Christians? It isn't that we are only interested in the increase of numbers is it?
