“Just as in a physical body the operation of one member contributes to the good of the whole body, so it is in a spiritual body such as the Church. And since all the faithful are one body, the good of one member is communicated to another; everyone members, as the Apostle says, of one another [Eph 4:25]. For that reason, among the points of faith handed down by the Apostles, is that there is a community of goods in the Church, and this is expressed in the words Communion of Saints.” ReasonWholeBodySpiritualCommunityChurchMembersSaintFaithfulOperationsGoodsCommunionApostlesPhysical Body Author:Thomas Aquinas
“For as long as human beings are forced to live in a system that at every turn impedes the fulfillment of their basic human needs - not only for love but for creative and spiritual expression - they will try to compensate for this in other ways, including the compulsive acquisition of ever more material goods.” WayNeedsTryingHumansLongSpiritualTurnsHuman BeingsLossCreativeExpressionMaterialsIncludingDisasterFulfillmentGoodsAcquisitionHuman NeedsBasic Human Needs Author:Riane Eisler
“It was with the Industrial Revolution, as society plunged ever more eagerly into the conquest of material riches and bent all its energies to the accumulation of goods, that material poverty became a major problem. Obviously, this meant abandonment or downgrading of spiritual values, virtue, etc. To share or not to share in the increase of the collective wealth-this was the Number One question. It was the desire to acquire wealth that prompted the poor to start fighting.” ProblemSpiritualDesireValuesFightingEnergyWealthPoorNumbersPovertyVirtueShareMaterialsRevolutionMajorsIncreaseRichesAcquireEtcCollectivesGoodsConsumerismBentConquestAbandonmentAccumulationOverconsumptionIndustrial RevolutionMajor ProblemsSpiritual ValuesDowngrading Author:Jacques Ellul
“Men are tending to materialism. Houses, lands, and worldly goods attract their attention, and as a mirage lure them on to death. Christianity, on the other hand leads only the natural body to death, and for the spirit, it points out a house not built with hands, eternal in the heavens... Let me urge you to follow Him, not as the Nazarene, the Man of Galilee, the carpenter's son, but as the ever living spiritual person, full of love and compassion, who will stand by you in life and death and eternity.” MenPersonsBodyHandsSpiritualSpiritHouseHeavenNaturalAttentionCompassionChristianityLandHe ManSonEternalBuiltLet MeEternityLife And DeathUrgesMaterialismGoodsWorldlyLureLove And CompassionCarpenterMiragesNazarene Author:James A. Garfield