Tag: consumerism
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Should Christians Participate in Black Friday?
Allan Bevere and I discuss materialism, and Black Friday specifically.
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Practically human: Can smart machines do your job?
Associated Press: Practically human: Can smart machines do your job? … To better understand the impact of technology on jobs, The Associated Press analyzed employment data from 20 countries; and interviewed economists, technology experts, robot manufacturers, software developers, CEOs and workers who are competing with smarter machines. The AP found that almost all the jobs…
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Slumdog Tourism
New York Times: Slumdog Tourism SLUM tourism has a long history — during the late 1800s, lines of wealthy New Yorkers snaked along the Bowery and through the Lower East Side to see “how the other half lives.” But with urban populations in the developing world expanding rapidly, the opportunity and demand to observe poverty…
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Is Consumerism the Real Quesiton?
Consumerism. Everywhere I turn, I confront articles, blog posts, and books reflecting on the evils of consumerism. There is concern that consumerism has overtaken the church. A cottage industry now exists to address these issues, offering resources and seminars for your … well … consumption. So what, exactly, is consumerism? Wikipedia says, “Consumerism is the…
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Consumption vs. Consumerism (Final Part)
The following quote comes from David Cowan in Economic Parables: The Monetary Teaching of Jesus Christ. I almost jumped from my chair and shouted "YES!" when I came to this passage; it expresses my sentiments so well. Economic life, in part, is about aspirations. How are we to balance our economic goals with our aspiration…
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Consumption vs. Consumerism (Part 2)
Scot McKnight completed a great series on Adam Hamilton's new book Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics. I have the book but haven't read it yet. I have a lot of respect for Hamilton, and I'm looking forward to reading it. However, in the course of…
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Consumption vs. Consumerism (Part 1)
Activism against consumerism is all the rage these days. But what is meant by consumerism? I've been reading Economic Parables by David Cowan. He makes these observations: "… Critics of the free market system believe that materialism is an essential element of the system. They argue that the drive toward materialism is a necessary, and…
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Is Consumerism Harmful?
Acton Commentary: Is Consumerism Harmful? Among secular scholars, there is some debate as to whether consumerism (excessive desire for material consumption) is a real problem. James Twitchell, in his book Lead Us into Temptation: The Triumph of American Materialism, argues that consumerism is a beneficial phenomenon because it provides a meaning for people to replace…