I am a millionaire. That is my religion. To what extent has the pursuit of wealth become the modern goal?

Introduction: The statement pursuit of wealth becoming a religion implies how the acquisition of material possessions and the worship of money define a 21st century obsession. To a large extent the pursuit of wealth has been a time-honored value which has shaped the work ethic of our forefathers, spurring him to toil for the sake of providing for his family, obtaining material comforts for that illusive better life.

Point1 However, the modern man has often become disenchanted with his hedonistic pursuits, because he realizes that they may not always be the sole purpose for his existence. There are other intrinsically-rewarding goals such as altruism, charity and other noble vocations. In a word, his worldly possessions may not necessarily bring him happiness because unlike good deeds, they may only yield short-term rewards.

Point2 Man is now looked upon with respect for the wealth he holds in terms of money, education and skills. All of which cost a lot of money to gain in the world today. It has become an honorable thing to pursue wealth and wealth alone. Though this mad craze for wealth started with the West s conquests of the rest of the world, to rob them of their wealth when Industrial Revolution first sprang up, it has taken firm root all over the world as well. Point3 A successful man can take any form. He could be a writer, a great sportsman, an artist and so on. However, most often the purpose of a person becoming successful as a sportsman, writer or artist is to enjoy the wealth such achievements will bring. The main distinction of Tiger Woods is the millions he earns, the main claim to greatness of Bill Gates is that he is a multi-billionaire and the main thing we know about Stephen King is the millions he earns per book. Point4 However, this was not the case just a century ago. Actors and sportsman and writers had to work hard to earn what is just sufficient for them. They did not have the excess money then like they do now to be arrogant and defiant of the rest of the world. Today when we mention a successful actor we mean he is paid several million dollars per movie and not so much that he moves us with his acting skills. Point5 However, it can be argued that they were and they are stills souls in the world like Mother Theresa was who abhor money and wealth. But it is clear that she and others like her are in a minority. For every story covering great souls who live beyond money, we can find a few articles on stars making it rich and even richer. It is surprising that a movie star can demand over 50 million dollars for a single movie. However, no one is disturbed by this trend. On the contrary, we are filled with admiration. Often stories of people like Mother Theresa are likely to be smothered among other more important stories. Point6 It is therefore true that the pursuit of wealth has become the modern goal. Wealth is not meant by what one needs to live a good live. It refers to untold wealth, wealth more than one will ever need in a lifetime, more than even one can spend. Sometimes we are prompted to ask. What about people who have worked solely for the benefits of the world? What happened to the spirit of adventure and the other values of man which made human race so great? What about the spirit of great inventors and explorers who pursued their interests for the betterment of mankind rather than for wealth? Well such people are again a in a minority. The pursuit of wealth has overtaken all other pursuits. Conclusion: Modern man is constantly in conflict with what is and what should be. The pursuit of wealth is not necessarily a negative preoccupation but when it becomes the sole purpose defining ones existence, it may become insidiously self-destructive. After all, as a biblical truism aptly sums it up, Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through, and steal. But lay up to yourselves, treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth can consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal. (St. Matthew 6:19-20) Once we pass on from this earth, we take nothing along with us, just as we came into this world with nothing.