It's not only religious organizations that build their kingdoms from the labor and lust of the poor; the secular world does as well. In fact, that's largely where religious organizations learn their strategies--their business model. Both religious and secular corporations feed into lust, need, and greed.
They dangle the carrots of possessions in your face constantly and through all forms of media to make you long for a certain lifestyle. But pursuit of that life will strip you of your true value as well as your money.
They are taking away the essence of YOUR LIFE. And in almost all cases, it's a pipe dream. It's only attainable for a very small group of people. The rest are encouraged to continue jumping through hoops, paying for various schemes, lying and being lied to while cheating themselves and each other. They are told they are to blame for not achieving the promised wealth and are psychologically pushed to keep jumping... working... and dreaming, dreaming, dreaming.
Proverbs 1:10-19
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
If they say, come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; as whole, as those that go down into the pit:
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
And they lay wait for their own blood;
they lurk privily for their own lives.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which
taketh away the life
of the owners thereof.
Following are lyrics to a late 80s song expressing a common perspective on power and possessions:
The life I've always wanted
I guess I'll never have
I'll be working for somebody else
Until I'm in my grave
I'll be dreaming of a life of ease
And mountains - Oh, mountains o' things
Drag my furs on the ground
Oh, they tell me
And have a maid that I can tell
To bring me anything
Everyone will look at me
With envy and with greed
I'll revel in their attention
And mountain - Oh, mountains o' things
Sweet, lazy life - Champagne and caviar
I hope you come and find me
Cause you know who we are
Those who deserve the best in life
Know what money's worth
And those whose sole misfortune
Is having mountains o' nothing at birth
There's still time to save my soul
They tell me - Renounce all
Renounce all those
They tell me - Renounce all
Renounce all those
material things you gained by
Exploiting other human beings
Consume more than you need
Exploiting other human beings
This is the dream
I'll be
Make you pauper - or make you queen
I won't die lonely
I'll have it all prearranged
A grave that's deep and wide enough
For me and all my mountains o' things
DREAMING... DREAMING... DREAMING...
In stark contrast, here is a song with a different perspective on wealth and possessions:
Perhaps it's all a matter of how one chooses to live.
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