Is Money a Curse or a Blessing?
I doubt if there is anyone who would dispute the fact that money is the most important commodity in any persons life. It is right up there with gravity, light and water as necessities for survival and comfort in a modern day life on earth. Of course, happiness and health are more valuable when it comes to true meaning of life but they are not commodities. Money is a commodity and it has control on most aspects of a human existence both for good and evil.
It has stood the test of time and is still thriving in the oldest profession in the world. The dichotomy with money is people who horde it have no real use for it and people who don't have any get into debt by borrowing and being the biggest spenders.
Money builds friendships, creates hatred, arranges marriages and orchestrates divorce. Lucky people gain money thanks to inheritances, while the luckless gamble it away. It is the life-blood of every business and when it becomes scarce, businesses evaporate from the face of the earth. Lack of it brings down dynasties and defeats superpowers. When used for progress, money can eradicate poverty and fund research to find cures from deadly diseases. It is said, to receive money for good use is a blessing - to give it is divine.
There are many contradictions in the bible. One saying is, money is the root of all evil. However another says-Wine maketh merry but money answereth all things ... Therefore, in religious terms it can be regarded as a gift from God or a servant of the devil.
Money materializes itself in every aspect of human existence both tangible and non-tangible. It can buy power, fame, lifestyle, sex, independence, shelter, food, consumables, luxury, employment, liberty, security and many other requirements of modern-day living.
In itself, money is neither good nor bad, but how it is applied to each
aspect associated with life on earth can and does alter the course of history.
Money can elevate humanities enjoyment by the buying of time and space to invent
new ways to manifest the bounties of the creative mind in art, music, writing,
hi-tech and communications.
Alternatively, it can be used by ideals formulated by inept doctrines, that destroy and dismantle societies natural way of life. Both systems use money to their own ends and the effects of money so far seems to be more loaded on the side of merit and goodness, although many people may disagree if they read the headlines of the newspapers in recent years... Nevertheless, good deeds are seldom reported ... Most people are charitable and do help others as best they can.
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In a recent meetings of world leaders in the U K, 50 billion dollars was pledged to aid Africa so that poverty and disease can be eradicated. At the same time this was going on terrorists killed and injured many people by exploding four bombs in crowded areas of London. Both actions took money to perform and had a leadership financed by money. Money does not have any sentiments how it is used ... The people who use it inject their beliefs into it by using it for good or evil.
It needed a large amount of money to setup the G8 meeting of world leaders and it also needed money for the terrorists to plan end execute their evil deeds. The money given by the richest countries will be paid by the people of those countries through taxation, not by the leaders. Likewise, the money to repair the damage caused by the terrorist bombs will be paid by the people of United Kingdom. It is always the people who foot the bill for any actions of their leadership.
The largest terrorist group is Al Quaeda, which is financed in the hundreds of millions of dollars by a few rich, dogma driven leaders and their allies. The terrorists, who are in the minority believe they are doing good with their money by killing the infidels who do not live by their holy book standards. Their victims who are the majority of people on earth believe the opposite is true. It is the terrorists who are against everything good and decent. Money is the tool they both use to attack and defend each others crusades, standards and beliefs.
Foremost, before any actions or plans can proceed, money is required to form the groups and elect a leader. In a democracy elections are held, but the amount of money spent by each party grows in leaps and bounds and can foreshadow the outcome. The party with the deepest pockets has more chance of being elected by paying for all the modern technology, communications and PR services available to get their message across to the public.
In countries with dictatorships, the leader needs money to finance his army of henchman to back his doctrine. It seems that in democracies and in dictatorships poor people always suffer at the expense of rich peoples greed and it is they who continue to pay for their leaders upkeep, like it or not. The cruelty and deaths in a dictatorship may be more pronounced than that of a democracy, however, in a democracy people have more money to kill themselves by too much of a good thing such as the gluttony of overeating and obesity.
In a rich democracy, many people are dying from too much money that encourages their disease to develop from over indulging in an erroneous lifestyle ... Is that any more decimating than thousands of people being blown up in terrorist explosions? One ends in a quick devastating, wasteful deaths and the other ends in slow devastating, wasteful deaths. Both occur as a result of misspent money ... In regard to the premature demise of the loved ones, which one is more hurtful and a bigger loss to their families?
Financially speaking, are people who are in a place of power and feed their greed by cheating millions of people out of their life savings any more evil than dictators who keep poor people oppressed by brute force?
From a monetary perspective, are company executives with gigantic payout's in the millions of dollars, whilst millions cannot afford health insurance, any more ravenous than tyrants that keep their subjects in poverty and do not allow women equal rights?
Yet again, from a monetary viewpoint, are politicians in a democracy, who are paid by the public, to protect the public, but prefer to put corporate financial agenda first, before the consequences of pollution and health care, any more deceitful than communist leaders who do not allow people to vote and keep them held down?
Are the monetary donations given to religious organizations helping or hindering humanities quest for truth and honesty or do they just help proclaim doctrines that may inflict more harm than good?
Is the money that funds scientific research helpful to the progress of humanity or is it being used for finding quicker and easier methods of detonating explosions that dispatches all earthlings into oblivion?
It seems wherever you go, wherever you look, money is becoming more and more significant in every persons life. Within the next few decades, third world countries will become more affluent and people in them will have more money to spend on things they think they require for a successful life. Earths assets will become more stretched and strained ... As peoples buying power increases, earths bountiful resources will diminish.
Unless world leaders start to learn how to deal from the top of the deck, not from the bottom, authentic quality of life on earth will become poorer and trashier, whist peoples lifestyle becomes more opulent and luxurious ... Will money become humanities savior or saboteur?
Still, no matter what, people will proceed in the pursuit to obtain large amounts of money regardless of the consequences to their lives. They will continue to compare their wealth to the allotment of others and idolize their fashion fabricating stars. Some people may still find a few moments of tranquil serenity to think about their personal meaning of life regards to money ... however, in the bright light of the midday sun, they will go out to chase after their elusive pots of gold.
Before anyone can declare that their monetary intent is going to be used for good or evil, they should first determine who it is in their mind that makes their financial decisions for them ... Who is it that has educated their mind since birth and how reliable is that information? If they think they know the answer to whom that inner-being is, then the question remains...How well has that inner-character looked after their money, health and happiness so far and is it giving them a significant, eloquent life?
Maybe somewhere hidden in one of the differing quotes that follow may give more clues to the real significance of money and then again, maybe its value will always be justified in the intent of the holder? Whatever value you put on it, there is no question it is here to stay and your intent with monetary gain may make all the difference in the world to future generations.
•• For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? - Matthew 16:26
•• With money in your pocket, you are wise and you are handsome and you sing well too. - Yiddish Proverb
•• Money is the last enemy that shall never be subdued. While there is flesh there is money - or the want of money; but money is always on the brain so long as there is a brain in reasonable order. - Samuel Butler
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Michael Levy is the author of "The Joys of Live Alchemy." To read more of Michael Levy's work visit the website: www.pointoflife.com