american faith in money by Lapham
.... If one fulfills the American dreams that mean that the person has accumulated some property or wealth. The phrase “Right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” basically focuses about America’s materialistic tendencies. How one pursue happiness in order to be happy? The phrase therefore implies the pursuit of property or pursuit of wealth. However true, all these ideas may be irrational to the opponents side. Even more importantly, it is a fact that the American Dream for immigrants deals with money matters. They thought that money could solve their problem especially poverty. People are workaholic that signifies lack of family values. In other countries such as Europe, people has longer days of paid vacation unlike in the United States, people always work that sometimes they do not have the time to spend for their love ones’. Media also plays a major role in regards to spirit of materialism; people are willing to take risk just to get a bundle of money. Some people would rather choose an easy income job with unethical work rather than a blue collar jobs with lesser pay. That is why prostitution cases are increasing, the adult entertainments are increasing, as well as STDs. It is true that majorities of the Americans are materialistic. There is a saying that says “it is better to give then to receive,” that contradicts toward the attitudes of the Americans. Only few people give free services to others; they always think about money or the return for their generosities. Hard work signifies maturity, maturity signifies responsibility, and responsibility is related to ability to collect money. Even more importantly, money oftentimes becomes the center of life of the Americans; they value money more than everything even to God. Jesus said in the bible, “what would gain if he gained the whole world but lost his soul,” which implies that all the material things in this world cannot save a single soul. Money will not exempt a person when judgment day comes. There are so many people here in the United States that have no place to lay a head that believe as in the days of Noah that people need ...