'Must have' society

Oryx

I seem to be developing a habit of starting threads that then go way beyond me..

Its a common thought these days that religious faith and practice has fallen out of favour, and is being replaced by consumerism as the new church. I think all but the most high minded of us aspire to the newest tv, or car, or fashion. Ours is a must have society, where we are all putting ourselves in outrageous debt to afford the things advertising says we cant live without. Are we filling the gap that religion has left with things?

I know that things dont make you happy and you sure cant take them with you but we see hundreds of ads a day, and the cult of celebrity makes it seem that beauty is success, its so hard not to want what we see. Bar sackcloth and ashes, how do you beat this disease? Or am I the only one here so shallow

McGinty

I don't think your shallow, marketing is everywhere around us, and its set up in such a way as to make people want, companies spend billions on marketing and branding in order for you to feel the need.

I decided long ago to remove myself from that constant I wish I had this, or that, it's not easy and a continuous work in progress. I avoid as much advertising as possible, so I don't buy women's magazines, I rarely watch telly and zone out radio ads. I've stopped caring if I don't have the latest stuff and ask myself 'do I really need this', and the really hard one, is pay cash for everthing, you feel the pain of parting it much more so.

As to whether consumerism is the new God, I believe yes it is and no it isn't. Yes because so many people believe happiness and solace can be got from things or being beautiful, however they are left with an emptiness. No, because more and more people are questioning things now, as the pressure builds up, more and more people will become aware of the empitness of consumerism.

stevenmu

Kinda makes me feel bad for wanting a new car

If I was more paranoid I'd suspect that certain groups don't want us to be concentrating on deeper thoughts so they've created a society that gears us towards concentrating on aquiring material possesions. Either way, society has "evolved" to the point where it's pretty much neccessary for two people to be working full time to buy a house and provide food, let alone the million and one other things we need. I think we spend so much of our time trying to get the things we really need, that we just accept it when we're told we need something else and march off dutifully to buy it.

I think though that it's materialism that's pushing religion out, not religion failing and materialism replacing it. Personally I'd love to give up my job and go live up the top of a mountain somewhere meditating and doing research and stuff all day but I can't. I need to work to get the money to get somewhere to live and food to eat. And god forbid I'd try and find a bit of disused land that nobody cared about to build myself a little house and grow some food around it, people would be lining up to have me locked up for it.


Welcom to the machine !

Gillo

I think the two go hand in hand, but are not acutally causes of one and other.

I don't go to mass but would consider myself religious. People have more money these days and they like too spend it (afterall they have had to work so hard to get it). We also live in a much more hectic enviroment and as a result have to deciede what to do and what not to do; because people are working longer hours they have to deciede what to sacrifice in there personnal lives. You can see this in the fact that fewer people excerise and don't take the time to prepare healthy food- rise in obsetity (spelling??).

I don't think people make the decision not to be religious or believe in God. Going to mass isn't the most attractive concept, so people are decieding not to go and save a bit of time there. Since most people equate going to mass with been religious they just give up on religion.

Considering also all the scandal in the recent year within the church both in Ireland and abroad combined with the church attitudes to alot of things affecting people today (eg; contraception) people are inclined to turn away from the church, simply because the current state of organised religion is not desireable to todays society.

The church's need to change their image and teachings to match the needs of todays society. A friend of mine who is gay once stated that he didn't believe in God because the church said he was wrong for loving another man, how can the chruch survive with an attitude such as this to so many area's of life.

At the moment going out on a Saturday night is much more appealing than beliveing in God.

Sorry as I've gone slightly off topic, but that my tu-pence worth

Oryx

I understand the reasons why religion is failing these days, society is more openminded and is seeing through the male oriented dogma! We still have religious need, tho, look at the rise of Kabbalah et al, and all of us here seeking our higher selves .My original post was based on looking around and seeing everyone (myself included) like rats on a treadmill, working too hard to buy things we can do without. Depression is an epidemic, so all these things must not be making people happy. Not that catholicism ever did in Ireland, either, so whats missing?

who007

KatieK wrote:

looking around and seeing everyone (myself included) like rats on a treadmill, working too hard to buy things we can do without.

Don't immediately dis this idea when I state it... but look at the part of your paragraph I chose to quote... now imagine how I feel, after quitting smoking (after 21 years) and looking around at the world for the first time as an adult and seeing how my mind/will/spirit was twisted and warped by the nicotine drug which affected how I saw reality... I now feel more frugal and feel I am seeing life as it really is for the first time... now here's the bit you may start having a go at me about: It feels like the bit in the Matrix film, where Neo is unplugged and starts seeing reality for the first time rather than the "life" the machines (consumerism/drugs) were making him see previously! I know there is a lot of buddhist influence in the film but I think it's great as a modern 'opener' of sorts to spirituality... ok that's gone way off topic.... :cool:

Talliesin

KatieK wrote:

We still have religious need, tho, look at the rise of Kabbalah et al, and all of us here seeking our higher selves

True. Yet ironically our consumer society is adept at turning those aspirations around into more consumerism, "hey, my new religion matches my couch!".

Take the red thread bracelets that are being sold now and linked to the Qabbalah. There isn't a single Qabbalic text that mentions them, and one Talmudic work appears to perhaps forbid them, so while it is something practiced by some devout Jews its being labelled as Qabbalic is primarily marketing.

Further examining the red thread and how it is meant to ward the evil eye, we find the tradition that to ward the evil eye reliably one must live modestly and refrain from boasting. It is perhaps even the point of such a simple adornment as a single thread, particularly since the dye comes from a "lowly" worm, to remind one of this modesty. How modest is it to spend €30 on something that is now well-known because Madonna wears it? Never mind silver jewelry incorporating such a thread!

Looking at my own path, Witchcraft isn't a particularly anti-consumer practice. We like shiney things and little presents (and big presents). We're down with celebrating what we can enjoy right here and now as well as concerning ourselves with spiritual matters. Indeed we don't even have as clear a distinction between the two as many. Consumption is fine with us, quite literally since food and the fertility we need to have food is one of our concerns. Yet there is a world of difference between that and what our consumer society has now produced for the newly discovered Pagan demographic. Teen Witch Kit, only €19 or €40 hardback, "everything you need to make magic", nope, just everything you need to be €19 poorer.

judi

In my opinion, the Cathloic Religion does contradict itself in many ways. & yes i agree we "DO" live in a must have society! it's actually very sad to see so many people in need for material things which does not make them happy in any way(or maybe till the newness wears off, but even then its something else)this only encourges greed, jealousy and power in some cases!! thats the public tho! the church on the other hand....Take the "Vatican" for instance, was on the tv so much recently we couldnt have but noticed the decor?? Fancy or what?? im not sayin that the church sould go without what we have BUT just how much cash do you think it cost for that place to be the way it is today...what about giving to the poor? the needy? the less well off than us? the Pope i do understand is a very important man but hello... why does he need to live in such luxury, and as for "Rest In Peace" i think not... i.e. the Pope's funeral, what's goin on why would you have a dead man on display carrying him around for days holy or not in my opinion thats ridiculus!! thats a contadiciton on power, in the bible arent we all the same no one person better that the other??