The Love of Money in America: The Costs of Affluence through the Eyes of Faith

We present a treatise on the fallacy in trusting in and loving money. Many contemporary authors and researchers have confirmed truths communicated in scripture about the personal and social costs that result from the pursuit of riches, and we discuss these findings in the paper. We discuss what the pursuit and achievement of affluence has cost us in America, spiritually, personally, and socially. This paper will interest CBFA members because of its relevance to our work with identifying and adopting biblically-based values in the character formation of business students. By explicating the hidden and faulty assumptions underlying acquiring and living with affluence we hope readers can begin a dialogue with students as they embark on making consequential life choices. In the paper, we explain that even though Americans are becoming more religious, at the same time they are becoming more materialistic. We discuss the influence of “mammon ” in our society, how it is an idol that can swiftly take God’s rightful place in our lives. We then discuss research that has shown that “money can’t buy happiness. ” Further, we discuss the negative psychological effects of seeking riches, as shown in recent research. Striving for riches can actually lessen people’s well-being. We assert that affluence can cause us to trust in economic performance and lose sight of God and, subsequently, to ignore or dismiss the plight of the poor, something God cares deeply about, according to scripture. W