is materialism mankind's greatest sin?

Answer 1

Nutshell: No, it's mankind's greatest boon.

I'm fifteen in this scene.
"Pa, buy me that!" I told dad, pointing at a brand new Apple iMac. "What is that....a video game?" said he. "It's a computer made by God himself!" I asserted. Dad:"Okay,(laughs), our computer's gotten old. Let's see that heavenly thing of yours." And then the Apple salesgirl, showed us all about the mac. She looked to be more of the cool-type than a salesgirl, though not prettier than what she was selling us. Dad: "That's really nice, I'm impresed. And..." (now comes the toughest part) "... the price is?". "Ninety four...thousand with the taxes. No installation charges though, you see.....blah". All I gave dad then was this sheepish smile "eeeee".
We were back home. We didn't talk for about an hour. Then finally at supper time: "You know, I don't like you reading all those computer mags, digit and all that stuff". "But Pa..." "NO ! We looked so stupid in that mango...what's that? Apple stall. You know what's 90000 worth?" And then I said it: "Yeah! and you know what a mom worth?" I left the kitchen table and walked away. Then this dark cloud of "ot-being-able-to-get-what-i-wanted" came upon, that bitter miserable feeling coupled with feeling bad about what I told dad. We didn't talk for three days. Fourth day I come back home, go to my room, drop off my bag, turn on the lights and....whoa! what in hell is an iMac doing beside my bed? Emotional blackmail works....that aside, I realised a very important thing in life, that I valued a computer to my dead mom, I felt really bad. I wept hell in my dad's arms, "There, your mom" he said. That day on, I sort of developed an atheist relationship with this thing. I look at it as my mom, I keep it glowing clean, don't even let my dad touch it. Is this materialistic, yes. But it "filled up a blank" in my page of life. I see my mom in a machine. That mac now is outdated technically, but it works for me, it knows that I need it, it knows what I'm going through, it's ticking hard for me, just to be with me.
I'll never let go of it.....sorry, her.

Materialism, one might bluntly put is something that makes people spend. Now that's a pathetically dumb proposition. Just because people don't want to spend, they call someone who buys something that has substance as "uh that materialist". Branding materialism as something negative is evidently just a dull excuse people give to not buying things. For example, I see this marwadi neighbour of mine, (who makes money just as much as my dad, ) cramming his seven strong family of his in a dinky little car, when I ask him, he says, okay give me your SUV. For this I had to rudely reply "Sure, buy it from us, we don't make donations".

I ask, If materialism is uncool, why don't we give up life and become "naked sadhoos" who spend their lives in the Himalayas, begging for alms? On one hand we want a car as a requirement, some of us say "a car is a car, it needn't be big", on the other hand we complaing about someone with a bigger car as "oh so richy rich".

The universe is a very "give and take" thing. My dad slogged it out when he had to, the feeling that kept him going was "With all this I'll give my family a better life", he's a reputed man now. Fine. You want a bigger car, earn for it, work hard, then go buy it. that's the logic. You can't cope, you lose, you don't get that big car.. and then you get to crib about the whole thing as "Oh so materialistic"

Why is it that India isn't progressing the way it should be?
Because of utopian thoughts like this. We feel "I've come this far and that's enough" AND NOT "Let's see what's further up the ladder".

Who funds for research in medicine? Inventing something like Crocin tablets would've take millions of bucks in research, that's why we get it for as little as a rupee a tab., we dont show our gratitude towards the people who made it. Rita Wilson, one of the administrative heads of CISCE, in one of her speeches told me this magical phrase: "and some more". This is what mede me accelerate in life like never before and here I am answering this question despite a days hard work towards achieving what my dad set out to......and made it!

A positive attitude, a willingess to strive and some support from your loved ones is all you need to conquer your life.

Answer 2

I don,t think materialism mankind,s greatest sin, but it,s use for our selfish causes and greed's is great sin, and actually a definition of sin is very critical because a action of a human beings always depends on circumstances,time,and needs some times action is treated as sin in other times is not sin so i can say only that we must know the correct usage of materialism is correct.

Answer 3

No. but being greedy would be greatest sin.
Materialism become sin when you want something you don't deserve and posses things from illegal earnings.

Everybody has right to own all available material in world but not at price of deserved person.

Like Government official own many things which is actually out of their reach from bribe they take.Authorities misuse power and get facilities which is not available to a common man easily(without paying)
That's sin.

Answer 4

No. You can be materialistic without being an evil person & abusing others. You can have a nice car & a nice house & as long as you don't hurt other people, what harm are you doing?

Deliberate cruelty is man's greatest sin. It is the source of all violence & crime.

Answer 5

Disobedience is mankinds greatest sin.

Answer 6

its not a sin atall, even if u think it is then its the least of a sin that mankind can do

i would guess believing in god and religion could be the biggest sin, or say biggest foolishness of mankind as nothing has killed as many people, nothing has troubled so many people than religion and god...

Answer 7

Not a sin at all. But, materialists believe what is existed and had any basic proof of it's entity. It develops practical mind. As long as things go in his favour, he enjoys his theory. But, when things go wrong, he make him-self responsible for the worst and go in to deep depression. In such a state of mind, no one can bring him out and help him. He feel him-self alone. It not with the religious people. They keep vicissitudes on god and feel, what-ever happen it is result of karma. So they get relief in their belief.

Answer 8

Materialism might cause mental anguish, but still ; picture this

A group of well dressed individuals moving around with a purpose

as against

A group of half naked saints loitering

Which would you rather prefer

Answer 9

I'm Sandeep kandulna from Bangalore, India.
yes, yes, definetly it is materialism mankind's greatest sin.
materialism means your **** or urinary bladder as per my suggestion answer, becoz this had happend in my life when I was staying in INDIRANAGAR , Bangalore in a rented house.

with regards

Answer 10

We feel it, we do it, we see it, we are it, so whats wrong with valueing what we have? I mean what else do we have to live for, but the things and people around us? Its also an instinctive thing to ya know. If no one wanted what would we do? would we just fulfill our basic needs? but what then? we just kind of maintain a state of sustainment? that would be kind of boring dont you think?

Answer 11

the greatest sin of humans is that they have mortal bodies. Because we requested them, we will experience death. All evil comes because of matter.