Black Friday: In the sweet buy and buy



Photo by Jonathan McIntosh

Black Friday, so-named because it helps change the red ink of debt into the blank ink of profit, has become the high holy day of consumerism.

Worse than that, it has become the ultimate symbol of what Dr. John B. Cobb, Jr. calls “economism” - which he defines as “the conviction that economic values are the most important, and the restructuring of society to express that valuation.”  Economism not only encourages consumerism, but also fosters a clinging to wealth (investments, possessions, savings) as a means of insuring security and worth.

Since insuring security and worth used to be the purview (and lure) of religion, Cobb also defines economism as “the first truly successful world religion.”  He describes it as “the most powerful and successful idolatry of all time.”

Case in point:  Are people rolling out of bed and shivering on long lines in order to catch Sunday morning’s sermon?  How about Saturday morning’s minyan?  Friday’s noon prayers?  Are the masses stampeding the pearly gates the way they are the mall ones?  Do they come bearing gifts – or do they leave buying gifts?

A person’s true faith is more often revealed by a checkbook than by an autobiography.  Money not only goes where the mouth is, but also where the heart is.  The beloved Unitarian theologian, James Luther Adams, claimed that everyone has a religion, many just don’t know it.  Religion is focused upon that which people have confidence (faith) in.  This can often be determined by where they commit their time, energy, attention and resources.

Mart or heart?  For some, there’s a huge theological gulf between the two…

Resources

http://www.rochesterunitarian.org/2000-01/20010729.html

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1089

Copyright November 26, 2010 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved