As we move around, we need portable ways of measuring our worth. We quickly establish ourselves in our communities by where we live, what kind of cars we drive, how we dress and how much money we make. We raise our status, and our implied worth, by buying bigger houses and cars. Yet, this ethic of infinite consumption is destroying our ecology, and isn't really doing much for our sense of self-worth. I struggle with how to find other ways to help people feel worthfull.
Religion seeks to deal with the whole of life.
The first of our Unitarian Universalist Principles speaks of affirming the worth and dignity of every person. Our culture, primarily through the advertising industry, tells us that all needs can be met materially. We are told not only that buying things will bring us happiness, but that it is right, it is good to buy, because consuming fuels the economy. Religious groups meet for one hour per week to consider the deeper questions. If we want to balance this plethora of advertising with other messages, We need to incorporate this into our lives in more than one hour per week.