How Do You Reconcile Christianity And Consumerism?

[Kafziel]

I mean it's inherently worldly and destructive. They keep telling us we're going to invest in recycling technology but they never seem to get far. Tons of trash and are we really any happier for it? I think maybe the Amish have the right idea, not all technology is helpful. We're going to cause resource wars the way we're burning through materials. We need a simpler lifestyle, at least until the recycling technology catches up.

I'm sorry if you're not on the same page. I just think we're not doing the right thing and there will be vast consequences.

I think there's even a prophecy that the second coming of Christ will "destroy those who destroy the world" this may be what they were talking about.

 

[Lynx]

The Amish have a way of life I can respect. I can't follow it myself, but I can respect it.

Me, I never have been big on acquisition of stuff. I use what is useful to me, but I don't like a lot of junk cluttering up the place. A couple laptops, my phone and an earbud and I'm happy. They don't even have to be the latest, as long as they are doing what I want done.

One thing though: You can only decide for you. You can't decide for anybody else, and railing at people who decide different is counterproductive. It won't do a bit of good for me to fuss at someone who bought the latest smartphone just because it was new. All I can decide for is myself.

 

[Kafziel]

The Amish have a way of life I can respect. I can't follow it myself, but I can respect it.

Me, I never have been big on acquisition of stuff. I use what is useful to me, but I don't like a lot of junk cluttering up the place. A couple laptops, my phone and an earbud and I'm happy. They don't even have to be the latest, as long as they are doing what I want done.

One thing though: You can only decide for you. You can't decide for anybody else, and railing at people who decide different is counterproductive. It won't do a bit of good for me to fuss at someone who bought the latest smartphone just because it was new. All I can decide for is myself.

Yeah I was never a materialist myself. I mean my place is cluttered with stuff but I can't recall buying much of it that's how you know your mother is looking out for you. I just gave like 5 garbage bags full of clothes away to charity and I still have too many clothes.

I understand, your ways may not be my ways in a sense. The problem is should you say nothing to them about something so very important as the future of the planet? I mean I would want someone to tell me if I was doing something potentially disastrous. So in a way I am doing onto others what I would have done onto me (doesn't work so well for masochists).

 

[Mission21]

Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
- I visited..several times.
- Amish area.
---
I remember..the time when I did not have gas money for my car.
- To go to the meeting.. years ago.
---
Interesting to note:
When some people have/get enough money/assets..
- They want more..
It is the human nature (Greed).

 

[Lanolin]

one of the ten commandments that people often over look is to not covet what their neighbour has.
Unfortunately, many people do this and its even encouraged, which is why there are so many ads on tv and things like facebook.

While you get someone to repent of say commiting murder or adultery upon conversion, there are less testimonies of people repenting of coveting what their neighbour has.

I think its a real problem. While some people dont go as far to STEAL what their neighbour has, they may still desire it so much that they spend all their time trying to obtain it, or a copy of it, and even go into debt for something thats not even theirs. Your neighbour may have just been given it but its not for you to say well can you sell it to me, especially when you ALREADY have your own and you just want more.

 

[RichMan]

I mean it's inherently worldly and destructive. They keep telling us we're going to invest in recycling technology but they never seem to get far. Tons of trash and are we really any happier for it? I think maybe the Amish have the right idea, not all technology is helpful. We're going to cause resource wars the way we're burning through materials. We need a simpler lifestyle, at least until the recycling technology catches up.

I'm sorry if you're not on the same page. I just think we're not doing the right thing and there will be vast consequences.

I think there's even a prophecy that the second coming of Christ will "destroy those who destroy the world" this may be what they were talking about.

And what are you doing?
What wasteful practices have you put aside?
Have you gone off the power grid and use only solar power?
Do you conserve water by limiting your shower to only two gallons of water?
We have no business bringing this up until we have done our best to not waste.

 

[Kafziel]

And what are you doing?
What wasteful practices have you put aside?
Have you gone off the power grid and use only solar power?
Do you conserve water by limiting your shower to only two gallons of water?
We have no business bringing this up until we have done our best to not waste.

I repair everything I have. I do not buy things I do not need. I do not shower too often. I live on 12k a year, so I really have to do those things.

 

[Kafziel]

And what are you doing?
What wasteful practices have you put aside?
Have you gone off the power grid and use only solar power?
Do you conserve water by limiting your shower to only two gallons of water?
We have no business bringing this up until we have done our best to not waste.

I'm on disability because I have severe bouts of depression that sometimes get me hospitalized. So I really don't have that much to work with anyway. I do sometimes work when I can but they don't even ask me anymore to reaffirm my status as disabled.

That's why I identify with Kafziel, he is the angel of tears and killer of kings. Which matches with my sad disposition and rebellious attitude towards authority.

 

[Kafziel]

And what are you doing?
What wasteful practices have you put aside?
Have you gone off the power grid and use only solar power?
Do you conserve water by limiting your shower to only two gallons of water?
We have no business bringing this up until we have done our best to not waste.

I would also like to explain that I live in Canada and the disability claims are much more loose and I'm allowed to earn some money sometimes. Pretty much anything that makes you unattractive to an employer is a potential disability claim.

 

[Lanolin]

Last week I went to the recycling station near where I live, but it was closed for the holidays. I was trying to find a letterbox since our one is broken, and thought maybe someone had just chucked out an old still good one because it was too old fashioned or something, as the new ones in the shops are so expensive but also, they dont last that long. Every letterbox looks good new but in our climate everything rots or rusts.

Othewise, have to MAKE one, but I dont have the wood, unless chop down a tree to make one.
And I dont have any scrap metal or sheets just lying around to make one either.
I thought well I could maybe use a plastic tub with a lid and cut a hole in it.

Its a bit of an anomoly because...dont get much mail since people use email and msging on phones now and letters are so expensive to send. And the snails are literally eating our mail.

recycling isnt as easy as it looks because people still have to sort through what everyone chucks out. It also isnt really incentivised where I am. There needs to be some kind of reward system for recycling but our council doesnt and thinks as long as everything just gets chucked into their provided recycle plastic bins, they can send it to China to sort out. But China now refuses our recycling cos its often contaminated.

the goals is zero waste by a certain date but no way are people getting there as every week the rubbish bins in the street look full to overflowing. And it absolutely stinks on rubbish day.

Its the packaging that people use mostly the plastic stuff that everything is wrapped in thats the big problem.