Most of society is geared to materialistic pursuits. We see this is most major universities and colleges. Most all the academic majors are for materialistic careers. Many have turned to open atheism. After all, if God, spiritualism and religion are so difficult to understant how can we sit around worrying about these things, better to spend all our time coming up with material solutions to our material problems? But, are our material solutions such as building skyscrapers, highways, and so many machines really solving all of our problems? This extreme dedication to the machine and industrialization may be providing us with so many nice things, but what are the disadvantages?
2006-12-07 00:41:20 · 9 answers · asked by devotionalservice 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Come now, things are not so bad. Eat a donut, hug your teddy bear. See? Doesn't that feel better?
Okay, now the bad news: we haven't solved anything! Building skyscrapers were not meant to make us more spiritual--no more than computers were made to eliminate paper waste in offices and homes.
Our mechanical world only looks more advanced and shinier. We only look busier but are less fulfilled.
We even look away from the cost of this civilization, that not everywhere is as 'advanced' and there are millions who do not even have easy access to clean running water, a basic human necessity.
The good news: you can choose to act and give. The real spirituality is in helping in ways big and small every day. If your major makes you financially comfortable, then donate that talent and fortune to others.
Don't let gazing at a skyscraper/highway/machine depress you. Find a way to use it and make the world a happier place.
Oh, and I'm not kidding about the donut.
2006-12-07 01:31:09 · answer #1 · answered by jont 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A proper answer to your question would take volumnes, and of course you don't want that. You want simple, cut-and-dried, quick answers.
Our non-spiritual pursuits have done us quite well, matter of fact. We now live better and longer thanks to chemistry, biology, physics, engineering. Those skyscrapers, highways and machines have turned the lives of a great many people from bitter and unrelenting toil at the edge of starvation into lives of good health and prosperity. That, in turn, grants us the leisure to begin the task of providing those blessings to all humanity. The disadvantages are that doing so takes time and a great amount of money. But the answer to that is, it's worth waiting for.
2006-12-07 00:56:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
hi..I think that in the beginning materialistic pursuits were very basic and were only meant for comfort and an ansewer to broken backs.Over time these pursuits have been magnified by people in the age range of 20 something believing they should already have the things their grandparents(60something)had worked all their lives for.In the mix religion and spiritualism was forgotten or used as a reason for the expansions(God's will,God given talent,etc....)I don't think it's a dedication as much as I do an addiction.People have just forgotten what it's like to live without "luxuries"or never knew the difference.
2006-12-07 01:04:58 · answer #3 · answered by jen_n_tn 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Interesting question. While industrialization has solved some of the past problems with expediency and efficiency, a whole new generation of problems has resulted from our technological advances. We have in effect sterilized our environment.
Materialism yields isolation. Gone are the days of sitting on the front porch drinking lemonade and greeting neighbors as they pass by. Gone are the days of using our own talents to create something unique for someone special in celebration of Christ's birth. The madness of holiday shopping has won the battle. The word relaxation no longer fits into our vocabulary much less into our busy schedules. Instead of spending Sunday mornings in fellowship at church, we're spending them with strangers at Wal-Mart.
In the name of self-sufficiency, we are too busy in their pursuit of monetary wealth to acknowledge the importance of close personal relationships. It's all about me and mine. Is it self-sufficiency or greed? We justify our actions by saying that the less fortunate don't work hard enough. Yet, somehow they seem to be happier in their lives. They have friends, family and a charitable spirit. They have heart and faith. They have something to believe in rather than to spend on themselves.
Maybe Charles Dickens had something when he wrote "A Christmas Carol". We now have a Scrooge pandemic on our hands. Most regrettably, our society is in denial.
2006-12-07 01:21:05 · answer #4 · answered by AileneWright 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In reality, using materialistic items gets society nowhere; it allows society to depend on many useless things. It is but a hindrance to the evolution of mankind and, therefore, should be avoided.
2006-12-07 00:45:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus said "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?"
Materialism is certainly many people's "god" these days. Coupled with a false belief of evolution, many people think that mankind can advance themselves right out of all suffering and discomfort...they are sadly mistaken.
god bless!!
2006-12-07 00:55:16 · answer #6 · answered by happy pilgrim 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As far as I am able to tell no pursuit has yet led to freedom from rotting in the grave (unless you believe in cremation, corpse freezing etc) . ..what is more likely to work-since we are part of nature-working with it or against it-always look for the bigger animal and try not to be the bigger animal
2006-12-07 00:53:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
with a score of 1----10
I would just give us.....( 2)
greed, envy, hatred, poverty , war and global warming.
are the distaff side,
of any good ,that has come from our materialistic "progress"
Amazingly, It is all for-cast in the book of Revelations
>^,,^<
2006-12-07 01:05:51 · answer #8 · answered by sweet-cookie 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Disadvantages? Besides pollution, deforestation, and environmental destruction?
Naw, I think it's all good.
2006-12-07 01:26:58 · answer #9 · answered by Voodoid 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋