Jesus rejected the American dream
The American Dream isn’t anything better than a self-centered concept of prosperity. For many Americans, myself included, it’s not even a possibility. I’ll have acquired too much debt after my schooling to ever have my own house with a yard and a dog and a family. Not that I really want it, but I’m at least aware that it’s not financially feasable for me. That in itself isn’t really that bad though. It’s no different than a devout existentialism, which isn’t that bad. What’s bad about the American Dream is that it’s so forced on us from a young age, that any alternative lifestyle is seen as deviant. Communal living, Monastic life, Chastity, and Hermitages should be reverred as pious lifestyle choices, but instead are frowned upon by society at large. Don’t believe me? It’s near impossible to become Pastor of a church without a Family
As far as Christianity goes, The American Dream is particularly evil because it presents itself as a reasonable compromise. I mean, part of the American Dream means going to church on sunday morning. Unfortunately, Jesus never asked anyone to go to church. In reality, the American Dream in no way relates to the life of service Jesus encourages. Not only that, but the emphasis on poverty in the New Testament is particularly contrary to the financial security of the American Dream.
Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
Abbreviation of Luke 6
All you need for the American Dream is; designer human growth hormone in cream form, just like Barry Bonds. Then you’ll be able to get to the top!! http://www.epicguide.com/2006/02/19/barry-bonds-good-bye/
Oh, my bad, you’re right, Jesus doesn’t like cheaters, and Bonds is a cheater. It is hard for average Joe in America.
Things aren’t always so clear, Luke 16.
You freaking liberal. There was no american dream to reject, america wasnt around. The American dream is nothing more than cultural tradition. American’s want a house with a white picket fence, a dog and 2.5 children because there is an inharent hapiness that comes with preserving tradition. American Indians wanted to be one with nature and to preserve their traditions too; They were trying to acheive the Indian Dream. You don’t have to live or try to achieve the American Dream, but don’t bash it; its part of American culture.
Heres one good thing the pursuit of the American Dream does: It promotes hard work, we dont take siestas in America, we work hard just to get by, and as a result, we have acheived a level of prosperty, nationwide, that has never been seen in history. I’m pretty sure hard work isnt frowned upon by the Bible.
Christains are called upon to follow Jesus’s example, but I don’t think that means we have to live his same lifestyle . If everyone lived the way Jesus did, we would all be homeless.
Obviously America wasn’t around then. The point was to say that the American Dream is specifically not Christian.
I’m completely willing to bash part of a culture that forces values and levels of “success” on its members and then alienates both the ones for who reject them and those for whom those achievements are not possible.
Just because something promotes “hard work” doesn’t mean it’s good. The problem is that the motivation for “hard work” in the American dream is for personal prosperity and financial security. The motivation for “hard work” in scriptures is eternal prosperity.
I never said we all had to live like Jesus, I just pointed out some consistent themes in scripture that contradict the values of the American Dream.
Don’t be offended, Jesus isn’t comfortable. Think about the rich young ruler Mark 10.
Jeremy, on your noted verse, I picked up on, “You cannot serve both God and Money”. I think one part of the American Dream is that you can serve God on his terms in America, but not on secular American terms at the same time. I agree the the Christian view of the “American Way” has been crushed in modern times, however, we still control our lives in America and can still choose our path, whether Godly or culturally. I agree that the American dream is not very Godly, it is mostly selfish. We need to do more to protect our choice of lifestyle.