By Elder George

Bringing about change necessitates having an enemy that can be readily railed against.

While any movement requires a positive message to bring about change, the positive message requires direction against a common enemy ─ thinking that holds true in advertising and sales promotion as well. Even in dieting, holding up the image of a svelte figure as the result of an improved lifestyle has its motivational benefits, but the biggest motivator consists of efforts to get rid of the fat and unhappy self ─ the enemy.

This is a positive message of spiritual awareness, gender understanding, and family focus, with an emphasis on gender, but this positive message must be directed against the common enemy of gross materialism.

Gross materialism has destroyed the family, spiritual awareness, religious influence, ethical standards, moral behavior, civility, and mental, physical, and emotional health. Materialism is the antithesis of spiritual development; all spiritual texts warn of the evils of materialism. “What does it suffer a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” and “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” serve as warnings by Jesus of the dangers of materialism.

The motivations of society have a materialistic basis. A young manicurist said to me. “I’m going to school to get an education, then get a good job, make some money, and be somebody.” One of the primary activities of feminism is “like pay for like work.” Money is the motivator, the goal, the be all and end all. These money motivated Western women are the unhappiest, most physically and mentally diseased women in the world. Previous essays have dealt with their lot as will future essays.

Materialism has altered the entire way of life of the Western world. The only option for people who recognize what has happened requires learning to live outside of the mainstream until such time as it self-destructs. The guide for living outside of the mainstream consists of spiritual awareness, gender understanding, and family focus.

Let us never forget the enemy as we move forward with positive thinking and living.

Elder George can be reached at: mensaction@aol.com. His blog: http://mensaction.net/