PrintThe Mighty Dollar God.
Have you noticed that many decisions in our society are dictated by the mighty dollar god? I can't help but notice how many decisions are justified on the basis of the money that they will generate.
Governments can rationalise almost anything if they can claim that those decisions will mean more dollars for the economy. Other considerations like a negative impact on people and the environment must yield if it can be demonstrated that more dollars will be forthcoming. It is as though economic considerations were the only and best way to measure the worth of a decision and to hell with the negative impact on people, families and the community at large?
Although the words are never spoken overtly, we are told that it is OK to rape the environment and pollute the air so long as these activities produce more dollars. Efficiency in business measured in dollar terms has become more important than the welfare of flesh-and-blood people. Let's build bigger and better casinos because they will generate more money for the economy. But let's ignore or, if we must, let's rationalise the social disasters that will result.
People are retrenched or offered redundancy packages so that the insatiable appetite of the economic system to produce more dollars can be appeased. Our health system has reached the place where hospitals staying within their budgets is now a more important consideration than patient care. Let's get patients in and out as quickly as we can. Why? Because the mighty dollar god commands that we do so.
The way our decision-makers worship at the altar of the mighty dollar god has become fanatical. Ordinary people are being sacrificed to the mighty dollar god. Families are being offered up in a frenzy of dollar worship. The mighty dollar god is the master and we have become its slaves.
Jesus Christ once said that it is not possible to worship both God and money. I take that to mean that we cannot serve both but we will serve one. That reality confronts us with a choice between God or money. We must choose between the values and priorities of God's Kingdom or we will worship at the altar of the mighty dollar god. There's no third option.
