Worshipping money: The new faith sweeping England today

[LeftishBrit]

Protesters camping outside St Paul's Cathedral have been urged by the mayor of London, Boris Johnson: "In the name of God and mammon, go." It's an odd comment, given Jesus's remark in the Gospels that "no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money", and the warning (long attributed to St Paul) that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils"...

If mammon-worship were a dominant religion, just as political leaders in ancient Rome sought the gods' blessings for their endeavours, those of today might turn to the financial sector. Even rivals for public office might be expected to share this faith. Likewise top bankers, because of their supposed access to esoteric knowledge, might be put in charge of areas of policy, such as welfare reform, of which they know nothing. Even when it seemed that the high priesthood had failed, and indeed brought ruin upon the nation, the faithful might continue to turn to them for salvation...

Likewise, value systems that might pose an alternative might be quietly subverted, efforts made to persuade senior figures to refocus their energies. For instance, in universities and medicine there might be pressure to prioritise finance over love of learning, education of the young and healing of the sick. This would go far further than prudent stewardship – indeed, in the longer term, it might cost more than it brings in – but it would have symbolic significance and help to clarify what matters most.,,

Avarice might be seen as a virtue to which all should aspire, though this might not be emphasised to avoid offending non-believers and those whose faith was weak. After all, in many religions, certain aspects of doctrine and practice might provoke more controversy than others, especially among those not fully initiated. If worship of mammon had such an exalted position in national life, the end result might not be entirely unlike today's England.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/nov/25/worshipping-money-new-faith-sweeping-england

[PETRUS]

1. K&R

[rrneck]

2. I guess I rail against the outrages of religion and capitalism

as much as anybody, but I don't know if any social structure or system is up to the task of dealing with the wealth we have stumbled onto.

I think we were designed to manage scarcity, and we have yet to figure out how to manage abundance. We may not get the opportunity since we are burning through our surplus resources at a phenomenal rate.

[rug]

3. Good read. K&R.