Christopher Emme
Junior, major: Economics!
EDGE Fall 2002
Tuesday 1:15 section
The Current Religion of the American Economy as a Barrierand Substitute for Christian Living
Thenature of this paper, which deals with the presence of a subconscious set ofparticularly American beliefs, inherently involves more reflection than thegathering of data. Whatsimportant is the way we live, not the historical manufacturing of facts whichis more evidence, not description, of the
current Religion of the AmericanEconomy. And while most ofthese truths should be self evident (like any good preamble), some statisticswill be cited to illustrate their culmination in everyday life. To set this new dogma in context, Iwill also describe the founding principles of Christian living, with particularattention paid to the economic reality of what such living entails.
Current Church of State
Whatthe U.S. has done, indeed what most of us have endorsed, to traditionalreligion is well ! described by Jeffrey Haynes in his essay on religion andpolitics: Almosteverywhere, modern states have sough to reduce religions politicalinfluence, to privatize it and hence significantly reduce its political andsocial importance. But . . .states have also recognized the importance of religion for politics by seekingto create civil religionsthat is, bodies of state designatedreligious dogma. The purpose wasto engineer consensual, corporate religious forms that could claim to be guidedby general, culturally appropriate, societally specific beliefs, notnecessarily tied institutionally to any specific religious tradition. The development of civil religion wasoften part of a strategy not merely to avoid social conflicts but also to tryto promote national co-or! dination in countries with serious religious and/orideological divisions. (ReligionIn The Modern World, 317) The primary drawback of a civilreligion is that nobody closely identifies it with a spiritual process. Instead, it is handled by thepoliticians and media in an environment where we have already separated churchand state.
Embedded Goals
Thus,spiritual goals are substituted with more tangible economic goals, becausetheyre easier to sell on the political scene and more profitable in thecorporate arena. On the Federalside, morality is merely a function of threat to punish, and there exists noreligious doctrine exacting why we are to be lawful. It is simply assumed that each person will choose their ownreasons, spiritual or otherwise, to abide by them (which are exceptionallynumerous in an ethnically, religiously and financially distributed country likeAmerica). And because each hastheir own set of reasons, national morality is not a solidified entity, andthus cannot act towards unification. Therefore, as anation (not necessarily as individuals), we have inherently latched onto acreed entirely more visible that which is seen 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek on television, radio, billboards; it is worn, driven, lived in. ! Smell it in the cosmetics section. Read it in the morning paper. Eat it, drink it, rent it or buy forlife. Millions of differentproducts on the shelf and trillions of dollars in the bank. The realization of Americassubconscious sanctification of its economic system.
. . .and WhereThey Lead Us
Init, the career path is ones primary journey. The spiritual journey generally gets just couple hours or soin church (if that), compared to our working lives which a! re on call nearly allthe time. This indicates the culturallyunconscious belief in the 24/7 lifestyle, seeking more money to spend more, allon the downsized and materialized version of heaven which idealizes youth andbeauty (look down the cosmetics aisle), sells sexuality in tablet form or elseuses it to sell beer and clothes lines. The media has taken the pulpit, where clergy used to leadcommunities, and broadcasted itsidealism to every home in America. Everything is sold with the implication that youre getting morethan the product. Its alifestyle. Its striving tolive up to the product as seen on TV. The American Dream isthere, always in front of you, and you’!
;ve got one life to piece ittogether and live as much of it as you can. Thats opportunity and thats freedom.
JustifiedInequality
Weare told over and over to try and live up to the picture of the happy securefamily by investing in a mutual fund. We give the money we dont save to one firm and what we do saveback to another. We trust thecorporations because they have money and goddammit theyre going to getus some too. Primary savings arenot reinvested in communities or given to the poor because we believe that t! herich are more deserving, and rightly so, because they generally work harder andmanage their resources better. Inequality is expected and acceptable. Ann Swidler, in an essay entitled Savingthe Self: Endowment versus Depletion in American Institutions, notes that despite Americas currentlong economic expansion, the past twenty-five years have been a period ofintense economic pressure, both for middle-class couples, who have kept evenonly through women working many additional hours, and for the unmarried, theworking class, and the poor, whose wages and share of national wealth havefallen. (Meaningand Modernity, 45) Her point is highlighted by the 2002CIA World Fact Book which cites the poorest10% of our population as having control of 1.8% of national income while thewealthiest 10% control 30.5% of national income. Such normality of inequality also explains why the % of U.S.GDP going to world aid is around 5% while tithing in Christian systems expects10%.
Parallels with Christianity
Observehow the original 10 commandments have been morphed into new set of ideologicalfundamentals.
10 Commandments of the Bible
1. Thou shall not worship false gods
2. Thou shall not take the Lordsname in vain
3. Keep holy the sabbath day
4. Honor thy father and mother
5. Thou shall not kill
6. Thou shall not commit adultery
7. Thou shall not steal
8. Do not bear false witness against yourneighbor
9. Thou shall not covet thyneighbors property
10. You shall love the Lord, your God, withall your heart and soul
10 Commandments forthe Religion of the American Economy[1] and Explanation of the Parallels[2]
Just as worshipping idols is a disrespectful waste of timein the eyes of God, so it is wasteful to the Economy if one daydreams or avoidsw! ork at ones job.
2. You shall not speak ill of capitalism
Taking the Lords name in vain diminishes itsmeaning and power. One should notcry out for God unnecessarily in moments of insincerity. ~ Conversely, oneshould not belittle the meaning and power of capitalism, the system which setthe foundation for American success.
3. Work 7 days a week if thats whatit takes to get to the top
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On the seventh day, the Lord rested, and so should Hisfollowers, for remember that you too were once slaves in Egypt, and theLord, your God, brought you from therethat you may rest and give thanksto God. (Deuteronomy 5:15) ~ TheAmerican Economy was founded on hard work. Do honor to this principle and oneself by working as much asone can to achieve the highest possible status.
4. Provide more financial luxuries foryour family than your parents did you
Yourfather and mother are respons! ible for the nourishment of mind, body, and soulof their children. Children shouldcherish and respect, out of love, those who have loved them so dearly. ~ TheAmerican working class, especially the significant immigrant set, sacrificedfree time and personal desires to provide more for their families than they hadas children. Because they camefrom tougher labor markets of early 20th century Europe, theyrealized that having the ability to work was an opportunity. This is an important responsibility foranyone with a family.
5. Propagate capitalism in poorercountries (thru privitization, FDI, pol/econ restructuring)
Sin should never be propagated through the death ofanother. It is not within amans scope to judge his peers as unworthy of life decisions ofsuch magnitude are to be left in the hands of God. ~ Capitalism should bespread to other countries by eliminating their government and/or currenteconomic system through military power or by financially taking control oftheir market.
6. Do not allow others (relationships) tohinder your career
Do not break the bond which the Lord has made sacredthrough the sacrament of Marriage. Lust is cheap next to the trust which is held between husband and wife.~ Your career is the most important c! ontribution of your life and will be yourlegacy after death. Do notdisgrace it by longing for the momentary and superficial satisfaction of humanrelationships.
7. Merge and take over other companies tostreamline your business
Noperson needs more than the Lord has given them. ~ You shall take under yourfirms control what your company can manage in a more cost effectivemanner.
8. The side of the story in agreement withAmerican interests is most true
Coveringthe truth brings about injustice which is objectionable to the Lord, who lovesall His children ~ It is for the maximum net benefit that all citizens shouldtrust news which presents domestic and international events in a light which favorsthe well being of the most productive nation in the world.
9. The welfare of American business comes first (with regard toneighborcountries)
Notonly is stealing an abomination in the eyes of God, but so to is jealousy inbelieving that the Lord has slighted you. ~ Less well-off countries got thatway because they waste their talent and resources. It is! therefore just that American corporations should rootout indolent cultures and implant their own to capture foreign resources.
10. Seek to expand the American ProductionPossibility Curve with every working hour
Thelast commandment is heralded in Deuteronomy, Ch. 6 as The GreatCommandmentbecause to love God innately entails following all the othercommandments while simultaneously being content in doing so (rather thanmimicking the Pharisees in mechanical obedience to laws). ~ So too it ishypocritical in the RAE to follow any of the previous laws if one is notcommitted to the true spirit of them, which is to seek increase in the potentialfor American productivity.
A Christian America
Truly,such a change would require a descent of the holy Spirit similar to thatdescribed in Chapter 2 of Acts, when thousands were baptized in a single day atPentecost: And they wereall filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as theSpirit enabled them to proclaim. Today, the miracle of the apostles speaking in tongues can again beduplicated. David Lehman explainsthus religion is redrawing old frontiers all the time, and in theprocess drawing new frontiers, because r! itual or religious communities cannotexist without drawing frontiers. In this spreading, almost promiscuous, propagation of religious formsacross the globe in all sorts of directions . . . the resources of modernityare powerfully dynamic vehicles. Modernity offers the indispensable tools of this propagation: fastlong-distance transport and communications, the availability of English as aglobal vernacular of unparalleled power, the know-how of modern management andmarketing. This does not mean thatimpersonal rationality is the content of globalization; rather it serves as aninstrument which may be used and translated in different ways and in diversecontexts. (Religion inthe Modern World, 300) The chu! rch has the same tools as theRAE, however uniquely contrasting goals and means of accomplishing them.
Therole of the church is overcoming spiritual poverty. We know humankind is tormented and divided. Part of this torment is loneliness,which can be overcome by the living church. This church cannot be identified with a specific group ororganization, but it does exist; it lives and comes down to humble, seekingpeople. (Discipleship, 89) Asthe emphasis is on opening oneself to the intangible holy Spirit, m! aterialgoods are simply not the focus.
Commonality of Goods
InMatthew 19:21, The Parable of the Rich Young Man, Jesus said to him,If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor,and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. Again in Matthew 6:19-20: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moth and decay destroys, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, whereneither moth and decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.! Possessions are distracting andimpermanent. In fact, they shouldbe held in common. It isillustrated that during Pentecost, all who believed were together andhad all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions anddivide them among all according to each ones need. (Acts 2:44-45) Unlike the RAE where the production ofand distribution of goods is an underlying principle, Christianitysdecision on how to distribute goods is the result of a greater commitment tosurrendering to Gods love. The result, economically, is a society with perfect equality. The other Christian system of reducinginequality is tithing ! which stems from the early church, when the Israeliteswere obliged to contribute a tenth part of their produce for the support of thetemple and priests. This custommay be traced back to patriarchal times, and it was known in ancientBabylon. According to the MosaicLaw, tithes were prescribed on the increase in flocks, fruits, and grain as ameans of support for the Levites. While not as dramatic as complete commonality of goods, such anationwide policy would be a significant step in the right direction.
Christianperspective sees current economic beliefs as self-interested, seeking more thanwe need, recognized biblically in Mt. 20:1-16 (the parable of T! he Workers inthe Vineyard seeking additional compensation from the landowner) The landowner (representing God)responds to their grumbling saying, What if I wish to give this last onethe same as you? Or am I not freeto do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous? This contrasts the RAE which constantly pushes us to seekever higher compensation and evokes a much more socialist idea of government(although embraced and not forced which has been socialisms typicalfailing to enforce goodness invites laziness and unrest).
World Role ofthe U.S.
! Welive too well. We should eat lessand do with less, so as to share with the poor. The early Christians fasted for one or two days a week so asto give food to the hungry. We arenot doing enough by sharing just among our own brothers and sisters. We should appoint at least one brotherfrom each of our communities to seek out people in need, to bring them food andclothing, and to see that they have adequate heating, and so on. (Discipleship, 219) In Matthew 25, Jesus refers to all deeds which are done to theseleast brothers of mine(symbolic of all the United Statesstrugg! ling neighbors) as being done to him. To love God, as the greatest of the 10 Commandments asks, isto love the least of those in his Kingdom. The role of our government as a world leader would entail adeeper vow of service, no longerwielding our position of power for national benefit. Luke in chapter 12 verse 48 says, much will berequired of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded ofthe person entrusted with more. This requires investing in the total community of poorer countries(diminishing focus on our own corporations), not just supporting, say, thehydrocarbons industry in the Middle East for our own profit, but buildingschools, sharing technological refinements in not only science and businesssectors, but! in agriculture to increase self sustaining capacity. The RAE supports that the poor are notworthy of help. J. Arnoldresponds, You say that the poor have no longing for God, that they arecompletely dull and indifferent, that you yourself have spent time in aboarding house for tramps, and that they wanted nothing else than to get to thetop themselves, to oppress others, and so on. You even say that there is no point in trying to help suchpeople they want nothing else anyway. Dear brother, this is not the spirit of the love of Jesus .. . [their] apathy is an expression of their need. (Discipleship, 219) No more can we reserve excessiveconsumption and hold surpluses to ourselves, tha! t we may constantly try and oneup our neighbors, fearing they may judge us as lesser Stopjudging, that you may not be judged (Matthew 7:1).
Terrorism
Withregard to the ever present civil conflict and terrorism, the only answer theBible offers is the most difficult to follow. Forgiveness. And on a scale of such magnitude as to require complete nationwidesolidarity. Continuously buildingand helping the countries which the terrorists claim k! inship with. Responding to attacks and flag burningwith repeated kindness until the hatred is erased, no matter how long ittakes. But I say to you, loveyour enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children ofyour heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:44-45) The endof the War on Terrorcan begin with us, for how can a war existwhen one side will not fight.
One Love
Thefinal answer to all questions about what a change to Christian living wouldinvolve for Americans is this: Be the change you want to see in the worldGhandi
Summary
Toseparate the RAE and Christianity as bluntly as possible; the RAE is founded onseeking a success which we can own and drive, to be masters of the life we seein front of us. Christianity isfounded on seeking the Kingdom which can only be felt through community, to besubjects in a life beyond this. Asa note to any seeming partiality of this paper, it is difficult to present twosuch sides objectively for who will say he is against brotherhood andlove? (Discipleship, xv) Weare already entrenched in the RAE, and therefore even words without action drawrebuke. To its credit, the RAE isa powerful system of beliefs, and to those who neglect their spiritual life itis certainly more real than, and as omnipresent as, God. In addition, it has the advantage ofmomentum. To the credit ofChristianity, however, it has stood a much greater test of time and its founderwas willing to die for it. Theprivileged class of RAE founders, on the other hand, are mostly unaware oftheir religion (scattered throughout the airwaves and public policy) and notlikely to defend its doctrine at gunpoint.
Works Cited
TheNew American Bible. Fireside Bible Publishers. ! ; Wichita, KS. 1995-1996 edition.
Arnold,J. Heinrich. Discipleship. PloughPublishing House. Farmington,PA. 1994.
RichardMadsen, William Sullivan, Ann Swidler and Steven Tipton, eds. Meaning and Modernity: Religion,Polity and Self. University of California Press. Berkeley, CA. 2002.
LindaWoodhead, ed. Religions in theModern World. Routledge. New York, NY. 2002
CIAThe World Fact Book ! 2002 (online) http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
[1] may besubstituted by RAE
[2] Explanationsof the original 10 commandments are drawn from what I have heard, read, andexperienced, not cut and paste versions from any particular source.