Tag Archives: greed

Seeing Red

Hundreds of thousands of people are dead or dying in the wake of the recent tsunamis.
Why then is the richest and most powerful nation in the world spending
$40 million to celebrate Bush’s second inauguration
and buzzing
Iranian airspace
? Our resources are already spread too thinly. Should we really
be partying or contemplating another costly war?

Oil For Food Means Investigation for Money

I’m glad some effort
is being made to keep the U.N. accountable.

Congress May Block UN Budget Over Oil-for-Food Probe

More than 100 members of Congress will try to block some United States funding of the United Nations unless U.S. officials are allowed to begin an open and complete investigation into a U.N. humanitarian program in pre-war Iraq — sooner rather than later.

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) noted Monday that it has been more than a year since the public first learned of fraud and abuse allegations directed at the U.N.’s oil-for-food program in Iraq. Flake and his colleagues are unhappy with the U.N.’s apparent lack of progress in its investigation of those charges. Now they are actively promoting existing legislation that would punish what they see as willful inaction.

Green Chri$tma$

Miracle on 34th Street endeared Macy’s to celebrators of Christmas, at least
the secular holiday.
Now, Macy’s is saying “bah humbug” by refusing to use the phrase “Merry
Christmas” in their advertisements and store displays
.

It doesn’t bother me too much that Macy’s won’t acknowledge Christmas. I don’t expect
a secular organization to do so, especially in today’s litigious society. What bothers
me is the rampant consumerism among Christians.

Companies like Macy’s shouldn’t be making millions of dollars off this or any holiday.
The gift-giving at Christmas has gotten way out of control. Christians are far too
greedy and attached to the “things” of this world. I understand the importance
of expressing our love and appreciation for friends, family, and neighbors, but
I think Christians could find better ways to spend money at Christmas. Remember
Matthew 25? There are many who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned, and/or
lonely. The millions we waste on frivolities could be used to help them. Christ
calls us to give until it hurts. This is unlikely to go over well with some people,
but Jesus knew that when he told us that we must hate our families to follow Him.
There are countless other verses from Scripture that I’m sure you know that call
followers of Christ to reject the impermanent things of this world and embrace the
permanence of the Lord’s kingdom.

In past years I’ve given out the typical toys, gadets, etc that one expects for
Christmas, but this year will be different. I’ve been feeling increasingly convicted
to live more simply and give more to those who have less. My gifts this year will
start to reflect this conviction. I will only be purchasing gifts that are needful
to my friends and loved ones. Next year, I hope to make gifts and/or donate to charities
in others’ names. It won’t be easy, because I’m a selfish, sinful person, but I
really want to get away from greedy consumerism. I really think all Christians need
to think more carefully about why they go into debt every year buying wants when
so many go without needs.

The tile of this post, by the way, refers to a song by Stan Freberg. Read the lyrics
here.

Inconvenient

"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." – Mother Theresa

"It's not the back of a pickup at 16, but now I'm going to have to move to Staten Island. I'll never leave my house because I'll have to care for these children. I'll have to start shopping only at Costco and buying big jars of mayonnaise. Even in my moments of thinking about having three, I don't think that deep down I was ever considering [having all three babies]." – Amy Richards

Welcome to the culture of death.

I almost didn't blog about "When One is Enough", since so many other blogs already have. I decided I had to though, because the mentality described in it is recklessly and immorally selfish. It shows just how shallow and disrespectful of motherhood modern feminists can be.

Sed Contra has a very insightful and restrained analysis of this obscenity.