Pope Benedict XVI and Consumerism - Research Paper Example

Pope Benedict XVI and Consumerism Consumerism is a universal problem that baffles solution. The politicians, the sociologists, the economists, the religious leaders—all are worried, because it has turned out be the life-threatening issue now. Consumerism, in the broader sense, has been responsible for the loss of ecological balance, and major disasters are predicted on account of issues like global warming. The crying question before the world leaders is how to cope up with the situation? Nature seems to have declared war on humanity and surrendering to the forces of nature and to fall in line with its well-established principles seems to be the only alternative. Man once believed that economic growth alone will bring forth happiness in the lives of people. But men, women and the youngsters of the prosperous nations stand destroyed as for their inner convictions today. They feel themselves useless, helpless and trapped. This great crisis hopefully will unite the world-leaders to initiate a concerted action to save humanity from the evils of consumerism. Biographical section: Bonnie Malkin, is a journalist and has written about 594 articles since May 2007. The articles have been published in MailOnline, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph. Dennis M. Doyle is the Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Dayton, and author of The Church Emerging from Vatican II. Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press Writer Introduction: Many think-tanks with their faith in the virtues of materialist civilization believe that the natural resources are meant for human aggrandizement. That the nature is the enemy and humanity should be at permanent ‘war’ with it. Mindless exploitation of the natural resources is considered as entrepreneurship. Let us take a simple illustration. Visit a super market. You will come across hundreds of varieties of toothpastes, soaps, detergent powders—each company manufacturing these items has substantial advertisement budgets, sales promotion staff and they try to attract the customers to their company’s products, by imaginative advertisement campaigns. Management of such companies is responsible to plan and promote cut-throat campaigns to subtly down-play the merits of the products of their competitors. Every company, every individual wishes to become prosperous, as quickly as possible, even by employing dubious means. The pursuit of goodness and virtue has taken the backseat. Universal prosperity and the single-minded pursuit of wealth are the supreme goal of life for such materialists. Spirituality has been considered as the after-retirement project to be thought over by an individual, when one’s one foot is in the grave. Is such thinking conducive to universal peace, plenty and prosperity? This is an unscientific, unrealistic and irrational hope. Products sold through, not merit, but through advertisement campaigns, can fool some for all time, all for some time but not all for all time! Evils of consumerism are growing like the octopus—in all directions and embrace all the segments of human life, destroy good and promote evil. Dennis Michael Doyle, in his book, The Church Emerging from Vatican II: A Popular Approach to Contemporary Catholicism lets us know the thinking in the Vatican and about the mind of Popes as for consumerism. He writes, “ An year after the 1990 Day of Peace message the Pope seemed to his previous approach to environmental issues—that of benign neglect. In Centimus Annus (1991) John Paul continued to focus on consumerism as the reason for environmental devastation. In this letter the Pope is supportive of market structures while he also urges people to avoid consumerism. The market system is dependent on consumerism, so, it is hard to have it both ways….The Pope turned his attention from ecological devastation to focus on “more serious” destruction of the human environment. (p. 391) Consumerism believes not in fulfilling the normal and essential demands of the consumer, but in creating artificial, over-the- counter demands. Consumer buys not only to fulfill his needs, but what the advertising forces consider to be one’s needs. Such campaigns create the demands in the heart and minds of the consumer, and the consumer goes to buy such goods, not applying much thought, whether his budget permits such expenditures or not. Over a period, he lands himself in debt; pays interest, compound interest, and the worst effect of reckless consumerism begin to show. Materialistic civilization, impacted by the industrial and internet revolution has created unprecedented changes in the lifestyles of people. What is accepted today becomes outdated soon. This creates business uncertainties as well. On account of the internet, the world has ‘shrunk’, and the concept of ‘world is one family’ though seems impossible from the political and religious perspectives, from the commercial and economic viewpoint, it seems to be an attainable reality. The progress of science, without the incorporation of the concepts of wisdom in it, has given further impetus to consumerism, with no one to check the reckless spree of purchasing. Those with abundant purchasing power enjoy a heyday, and the philosophy of consumerism is not much favorable for the poor when goods are not manufactured that are cheap enough, to enable the common man to go for them. The result is dissatisfaction and heart-burning, that increases the gap between the rich and the poor. Pope Benedict XVI uses every important platform to air his views on consumerism. From the previous balanced approaches of the Church on the issue, the pontiff now seems to have hardened his stance. In his first pubic address at World Youth Day in Australia, he issued a stern warning against consumerism, and reminded about the duty of the Catholics around the world to work with added determination to protect this Planet Earth. He condemned television and the internet, the dominant agents that promote consumerism. Speaking to 150,000 pilgrims gathered on the shores of Sydney Harbor, the Pope said the world had "grown weary of greed, exploitation and division". He said, “There were signs indicating "something is amiss" in modern society. Referring to consumerism and the lure of "false idols", he said: "In our personal lives and in our communities, we encounter a hostility, something dangerous; a poison which threatens to corrode what is good, reshape who we are and distort the purpose for which we have been created." (Malkin, 2008) It is a highly encouraging sign that the religious leaders are taking up the cudgels to speak on the important socio-economic issues like consumerism. For protecting the moral and ethical values of the society, religious and spiritual platforms need to be used. This is the opinion of the UNO authorities as well. They are on record to say that the important issues that threaten the health of the society can be addressed properly by the religious leaders as their opinions are respected by the society. The Pope took exception to the destruction of natural resources for the never-ending consumption patterns of the people. He reminded the vast gathering that they have a responsibility to protect the environment, and called for putting a stoppage and terminate all such activities that take humanity to the downward spiral. He cautioned, "Perhaps reluctantly, we come to acknowledge that there are scars which mark the surface of our earth - erosion, deforestation, the squandering of the world's mineral and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption." (Malkin, 2008) The evils of consumerism can not tackled in isolation. Evil tendencies go in a team and support each other, and they mutually thrive. The related issues are non-violence, justice, sustainable development and care for the environment. All these are of vital importance for the healthy growth of the society. Mindless consumption is cruel on the economically poor section of the society. For them tomorrow’s bread is not assured from today’s labor, the votaries of consumerism, those who have the excess purchasing power, make merry of their fortunes. The class in between, which can not afford to join the race of consumerism, and yet joins by borrowing, high interesting bearing bank loans, soon pays the price for its mindless act. Nature has thus far tolerated the reckless adventure of human beings on its resources, but one should not think that nature has accepted the ‘insults’ heaped on it by humanity. It has begun to hit back. The wise saying goes, ‘do not strike; if you strike, strike so hard and see that there is no need to strike again.’ Nature seems to be seized of the issue and it is on the warpath against humanity. The Tsunamis, the global warming and its possible devastating outcome, are all to be understood in the light of reckless pursuit of consumerism by human beings. Pollution is also the by-product of consumerism. Man has a clear warning by the forces of Nature—pollute at your peril! The concern of the church about consumerism is not something new. It is now reiterated with emphasis by Pope Benedict XVI, in view of the alarming developments, in Western Countries that have a large Christian following. The appeals are now direct. Doyle writes, “All Christians are called to reject materialism and consumerism and to have a special concern for the poor” (p.168) “Christians should grow beyond materialism and consumerism to embrace lifestyles of creative simplicity. Gaudium et Speu, laments that “many people, seem, as it were, to be ruled by economics, so that almost their entire personal life is permeated with a certain economic way of thinking.”(p.311) Pope Benedict XVI is only taking forward the legacy of anti-consumerism passed on to him by Pope John Paul II who once stated, expressing concern at the change in lifestyles, “In many parts of the world society is given to instant gratification and consumerism…” (p.337) He goes a step further to criticize materialistic styles of celebrating Christmas, and initiates the Vatican’s campaign against unchecked consumerism. “His brief comments, delivered from the window of his private studio to pilgrims below in St. Peter's Square, built on his dismay expressed on [Saturday] that even-younger boys and girls are caught up in consumer pursuits…The way of living out, and perceiving, Christmas unfortunately quite often suffers from a materialistic mentality," he said.(D’Emilio,2007) Pope was greatly concerned about the children and the combustible younger generation going astray, influenced by the false role models who do not possess the capacity to teach the correct ideals to purse in life. The younger generation is going directionless and destination less. The multinational giants through their clever advertising campaigns will take them to the path that has only the dead end. He called upon the younger generation to celebrate Christmas in an imaginative way, in the true spirit of the festival, and not through reckless exhibition of wealth, spent on promoting consumerism. Being the supreme head of a mighty Christian empire, which has strong presence in almost all countries of the world (except some Muslim countries), the Pope has to do the balancing act and tight-rope walk. The consequences of unchecked materialism are seen now on morality, especially that of the younger generation. The morally corrupt younger generation is the greatest tragedy that can happen to a Nation. Pope’s problem is some of the important rich Nations of the world, where the majority religion is Christianity; they are the Nations pursuing the materialistic philosophy as well. The Pope cannot downplay their importance and condemns them for their materialistic approach. At the same time, on the basis of true Christian principles, he owes a duty to his poor co-religionists, in whose presence he has to speak against consumerism. The concern of Pope Benedict XVI and other important Christian leaders is right from the individual perspective of consumerism. Let us try to examine this, by an example. Suppose one enters the dark room, and switches on the light. Does one know what the things are, the glow of the light sees in the room consequent upon the switching-on process? One can just guess, but one will never be able to know the complete details. Only the light knows. Similarly, the impact of global consumerism on the life of an individual, especially the one practicing the Christian religion, needs to be thoroughly understood. Conclusion: “It is better t have a world united than the word divided; but it is better to have the world divided, than the world destroyed,” said Mr. Winston Churchill at the time of II World War. War in those years meant, capacity of a particular country as for its arms build up and the strength of the fighting forces. The situation in the world has undergone total transformation in view of the rapid advancement of technology and internet revolution. A consumer product produced in America, may affect the economy of Russia. The glaciers melting in Greenland may affect many European countries. The challenge of the human beings to Nature, and the stiff counter-challenges by Nature, now visualized by the humanity and the grim forecasts, has united the humanity to initiate collective, corrective actions. The root cause of all these evils is excessive consumerism. ************************ Works Cited: D’Emilio, Frances: Article: Benedict XVI: Warns flock against consumerism, but Prada-Gamarelli ...December 10, 2007 - Retrieved on September, 25, 2009. Doyle, Dennis, M: The Church Emerging from Vatican II: A Popular Approach to Contemporary Catholicism; Twenty-Third Publications: 1992 Malkin, Bonnie: Article: Pope Benedict XVI urges pilgrims to fight climate change and…17 July 2008 Retrieved on September 25, 2009 Read More