Putting religion on
money
By Fr.
ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
June 16, 2016
WE have to learn how to
blend these two elements. We cannot be simplistic and put them always
in conflict. Yes, there are dangers to avoid. But we have to
distinguish the good from the evil involved in the use of money.
Otherwise, we might throw the baby out with the bath water.
It’s true that the Gospel
warns us to serve only one master. We cannot serve both God and
Mammon, the false idol of material wealth that exercises bad influence
on us. (cfr. Mt 6,24)
But this indication is not
an outright condemnation of money. We always need money, since we are
not angels. We are simply asked to avoid the extreme of considering
money as our God, and the other extreme of regarding money as
intrinsically evil. We have to be careful with money because, as St.
Paul warned, ‘love for money is the root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Tim
6,10)
Christ himself had to use
some money. When asked if he also had to pay taxes, he told Peter,
after alluding that strictly speaking he should be exempted from it,
to go to the shore to get money from a fish to pay the taxes. (cfr. Mt
17,27)
Money has to be used with a
growing sensibility to its moral dimensions. It has to fit our true
human dignity. It has to be related to our conscience, and ultimately
to religion. It has to serve both God and man. It can be a wonderful
tool for our material and spiritual growth.
In other words, money should
not just be used following exclusively practical and economic
criteria. We also have to consider higher, spiritual values, since we
are not purely economic creatures, but are persons and children of
God.
There’s no doubt that money
contributes to human progress. Imagine a world without money! We’d
hardly advance from the Stone Age. And with population growing and the
economy stagnant, there’s nothing much to expect other than chaos.
From my Economics 101 class,
I learned that money has to circulate as fast as possible to generate
economic activity, and thus affect more people and hopefully produce
more satisfaction.
But obviously this is not
only a matter of speed. There has to be proper direction, since as St.
Augustine once said, no matter how fast one runs, if he is off-track,
he will never reach the finish line.
We need to find the proper
blend. It’s a continuing task requiring us to pray, study, observe,
consult, and decide. It’s not easy, and never a perfect activity. We
often can’t see the forest for its trees. It thrives more on trial and
error. And so we have to be flexible also.
I remember that before I got
ordained – this was in Rome – I was asked to buy a new pair of shoes.
So I went around to look for the one I liked. When I finally found the
pair, I asked the saleslady if those shoes would last long.
She stared at me, as if I
was a Martian. Then she asked me, “But why would you like the shoes to
last long?”
That question stunned me.
I’ve always been taught to buy things that can last even as long as a
lifetime. But that remark led me to thinking more deeply. Of course,
if everyone would buy shoes only once in a rare while, how would the
shoe industry fare?
I concluded that the lady
had a very valid point. But I had to study things more
comprehensively. I had to integrate it with the requirements of
temperance and Christian poverty.
When I was in high school, I
hardly bought anything. I always thought I had everything that I
needed, since I was told not to create needs. I got this trait from my
parents who were very Spartan.
My younger sister, however,
would remind me it was time to change my wardrobe, or would introduce
me to products like skin lotions and colognes, and the new styles
around.
I was afraid I would fall
into consumerism and materialism which I thought would elude my
sister’s understanding. But since I did not see these anomalies in
her, I followed part of her suggestions. I concluded I exaggerated my
fears.
Now I realize she was
helping the economy, aside from making me look kind of good. She had
more common sense, was more down-to-earth, while I tended to be
cocooned with my books.
With all the recently
discovered ugly schemes and scams in our complicated economic
environment today, there’s a crying need to hone this skill of
properly blending money and religion.