As I have been traveling, I have seen the devastation in America brought about by the great sins of greed and lust. Consumerism, the relentless desire and accumulation of things, has killed the souls of so many Catholics.
The reason why consumerism is so evil is simply that it is idolatry.
The things made by humans cannot bring life to the soul, and, in fact, take life from the soul.
Consumerism hides many other sins, such as materialism, the belief that there is no afterlife, but only the here and now.
Of course, most of us know that things cannot make us happy, so why the relentless striving after things?
I am so sick of psychological double-speak about people being deprived of love in youth so they seek compensation in things.
Americans are among the richest people in the world. I hear people say to me that they are "poor" when in any other country, their lifestyle of eating too much, drinking too much, buying too much and having too much entertainment would be the lifestyle of the rich.
I know people who have food, clothing, housing, entertainment, alcohol, more food, more clothing, complaining that they are poor.
Consumerism has made them lose perspective.
Every American should travel to other countries and see the lower standards of living.
Consumerism has killed creativity as well. It deadens the imagination, the mind, the will.
It kills love.
James 4:3-4 You don't get what you want because you don't ask God for it. And when you do ask he doesn't give it to you, for you ask in quite the wrong spirit--you only want to satisfy your own desires. You are like unfaithful wives, never realizing that to be the world's lover means becoming the enemy of God! Anyone who chooses to be the world's friend is thereby making himself God's enemy.
Do you want to know who your god is? What do you think about most of the day? Self? Pleasure? Things? Another human? Status? Comfort?
God?