by Tom B. Tomer
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
In our culture, it is commonly assumed that people should continually try to improve their condition in life and should reasonably expect to do so. “Live long and prosper” is more than an extraterrestrial benediction from a popular TV series of a few years ago; it expresses the serious expectation of most Americans. For most people, this means material prosperity. We expect to have more than our parents did, and we expect our children to have more than we did. We may disagree on which things are more important to possess, but the measure of progress is seldom challenged: it is more, not less. So the ideal of the “good life,” where we find our joy and fulfillment in consuming things, is continually held out before us as something positive to which we should all aspire. It is, after all, a life that finds its realization not in evil or harmful activities, but in wholesome things that harm no one. Furthermore, it is assumed that the “good life” is necessary because it supports our economy and provides jobs for countless people who would be out on the street were it not for the economic opportunity provided by our consumption ethic. It is almost synonymous with the “pursuit of happiness,” which is a right enshrined in the American Declaration of Independence. However, it also poses a serious threat to our spiritual well-being