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Question: What would be an example of america being materialist and not trusting the non-tangible things such as faith!?
im doing this for an assignment and i rele need help thanks =]Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Faith isn't the only "non-tangible thing" thing Americans don't value!. Read Susan Jacoby's The Age of American Unreason!. She's got a different take on your subject!. Americans don't read anymore!. We don't value intelligence, learning, critical or rational thought!. Go to any store and you'll see examples of American materialism!. For example, how many T shirts does the average American own!?

America uses the largest percentage of all the world's resources (energy, water, products, etc), even though our population is relatively small!. Each one of those resources is an example of American materialism!.

From http://www!.globalissues!.org/TradeRelated!.!.!.

… Inequalities in consumption are stark!. Globally, the 20% of the world’s people in the highest-income countries account for 86% of total private consumption expenditures — the poorest 20% a minuscule 1!.3%!. More specifically, the richest fifth:

* Consume 45% of all meat and fish, the poorest fifth 5%
* Consume 58% of total energy, the poorest fifth less than 4%
* Have 74% of all telephone lines, the poorest fifth 1!.5%
* Consume 84% of all paper, the poorest fifth 1!.1%
* Own 87% of the world’s vehicle fleet, the poorest fifth less than 1%

Runaway growth in consumption in the past 50 years is putting strains on the environment never before seen!.

— Human Development Report 1998 OverviewWww@QuestionHome@Com

The perfect example, in my opinion, would be a popular TV evangelist who is a gifted and powerful speaker on things concerning God, who gets caught up in the materialistic!.!.!.!.!.the million-dollar home, BMW's, Rolex watches, etc (not to mention the high priced hookers)!. In cases like these, to which there has been several over the years, you have men who had their lives swept away by materialism!.!.!.losing everything!. Had they only continued strong and steadfast in the non-tangible faith that got them there, all would have been blessing!. Hope that helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Check out www!.cnn!.com!. How many headlines focus on morality!? I'm not talking about headlines that focus on people's legal situation, but rather how many of the stories actually try to focus on the "nontangible things like faith!." Now compare that very small number to the number of stories that focus on who's done/said what to whom or who's getting what money or what new miracle gadget/drug gets invented!. If you get my meaning cnn!.com is the perfect example of our focus on materialism!.

If you don't like the CNN example, go to eBay!. How many millions of people are buying/selling!. Now check out http://prayer!.ag!.org/!. Do you see a volume difference here!? Which is more important to American society, prayer or purchasing power!?

You can do the same thing with almost every newspaper or magazine, TV or radio station!.

We live in a materialistic society!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The sub-prime mortgage fiasco is a good example!. A lot of people who wouldn't normally qualify for a mortgage and home ownership were all suddenly granted loans, which started with low interest rates, but went sky high a year after they signed up!.
People were buying property beyond their means when they really couldn't afford to, and now a lot of them are just walking away from their no-money-down mortgages, leaving the banks on the hook!.
In some cases, these borrowers were just greedy, trying to have the biggest and best house in the neighbourhood!. A pretty deluded way of thinking!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

1) The development of the US after WWII, into the country that had "the biggest and the best" of nearly everything!. Cars became bigger!. Suddenly families had two cars each!. Soon a TV in every room was common!. We used more energy than the rest of the world put together!. Keeping up with the Joneses was big!. We turned into a country of material excesses!.

2) War due to oil!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

All of the data suggests the contrary!. America is the most religious first-world country in the world!. It's the rest of the first world who is waking up to the reality of materialism!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

THE TAKING AWAY OF PRAYER OUT OF OUR KIDS CLASSROOMS RESULTING IN VIOLENCE!.ITS LIKE IT WAS SO EASY FOR THEM TO GET RID OF PRAYER BUT ITS LIKE THEY DONT CARE ABOUT THE VIOLENCE!.THIS WORLD IS SO BADLY EVIL,THE WORST THING WE CAN DO IS STOP PRAYING!.GOD IS SO REAL AND SO IS SATAN AND SATANS PROOF IS THE DESTRUCTION OF THEWORLD!.!. I PERSONALY WILL NEVER LEAVE MY HOME WITHOUT JESUS BY MY SIDE!.!.!.GODBLESS!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

John Dewey's materialist perspective!.

Contra: "Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer," Yvonne von Fettweis,
http://www!.divinecosmos!.com and
Mark Prophet's "The Path of the Higher Self!."Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Supreme Court not allowing the 10 Commandments to be displayed publicly (or the Nativity); the fact that Americans own so much useless stuff (such as ATVs)!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Christmas!. It is now so very materialistic!. There seems to be no value left in the meaning of Christmas!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Removal of the ten commandments from the Alabama state house !.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The war in iraq!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I always thought it was funny that the dollar bill has "in God we trust " written on itWww@QuestionHome@Com