Greed is the cardinal sin that is among the most dangerous of the seven deadly sins that includes pride, lust, gluttony, sloth, envy and wrath. When you become greedy, you engorge yourself with excess and debt, and in most instances, the greedy cut someone else off in order to satisfy their greed. For this reason most pastors consider greed as one of the most dangerous of the sins.
"When it comes to the cardinal sin, greed, the Bible tells us that we should not worry about what our neighbors have and how they got it. When we do not follow this simple rule we can easily get caught up in this sin," said Father Ivan Eldon, rector of the St. Michael's Anglican and St. Nicholas Anglican churches in Grand Bahama. He says people can quickly destroy their lives by giving into the temptation of greed instead of depending on God to provide all their needs.
"It happens when we want something we don't have, and have so great a desire to get it we go as far as to misappropriate money or forget our priorities to get it done. It happens in governments, companies and in the personal lives of everyday people. What you crave is often something you really don't need and only want it because you see it."
Much like a child will be happy and content with his small ball, until he sees another child with a larger ball and wants it so much he takes it, so he can have two and the other child none, Fr. Eldon says it is the same with the average adult. He says many times people put themselves in debt for clothes, shoes or other fine things that they do not need. And they do not give away or share what they do have to make space for new purchases because they want it all. That kind of attitude of not sharing he says is not something Christians should be indulging in, because it goes against the humble and unconcerned nature God wants his children to have.
"God says He will take care of you and provide for your every need, so stocking up on things you want, but do not need, is going against His plan for us. Many of us have become overzealous with the thought of having something others have, and that results in many of us placing our priorities in the wrong place in order to acquire that which we do not need. Greed in my opinion is one of the most deadly of sins, because we want too much and we destroy ourselves by not adhering to God's intentions for us. We become corrupt and will do anything to get it -- even harm one another." He continued, "We need to work harder to just be satisfied and overcome the moments of weakness when we feel we must have something that is beyond our means. We cannot keep putting our baskets higher than we can reach because we endanger ourselves financially and spiritually by doing so."
Reverend Moses Pennerman, senior pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Mangrove Cay, Andros, says the line between greed and gluttony is thin, but there is a bigger danger in indulging greed than the average person realizes.
"When it comes to gluttony you tend to just eat a lot or harm yourself for the most part. You are very selfish and self-destructive. On the other hand, with greed, you are going out of your way to harm another person by taking what belongs to them, so you have more than you will ever need and they have none. This can be seen in food, but more so in money and business. You get greedy and cheat someone out of what is theirs. You cause them to suffer. You destroy their life to get something you don't even need. This is something far too many people fall prey to, but with the help of God, it is something you can overcome."
Learning to suffice with your lot in life and following the 10 commandments, especially the 10th commandment which states "Thou shalt not covet..." is something Christians should aspire to if they truly wish to rid their lives of this disasterous sin says the minister.
Having avaricious tendencies are not evil on their own, but when you go overboard and have evil intention and act on your emotions, then the problem arises, says Father Scott Brennen, priest at St. Patrick's Anglican Church in Central Eleuthera.
"Many people naturally always want to have something better or different, especially if they see someone else with it," he says. "While this is wrong as it falls into covetousness it is not evil. When you constantly act on these feelings and do whatever it takes to have these things despite your financial situation makes it wrong. Greed is an excessive desire for something someone else has, even if you don't need it. You really want more and more, and even when you get what you want it is never enough because you still want even more. The Bible speaks against giving into greed in 1 Timothy 6:10 which states that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."
The Anglican priest says it is essential for people to learn to be satisfied with their blessings and thank God for what they do have when they feel the need to obtain more than they need. He also says working toward getting what you want honestly, will make receiving the thing you desire a delayed gratification. He says the fault too many people have is that when they want something excessive they want it immediately and will rob, lie or even kill to have it.
"While it may be hard for adults to get into better habits, especially if they are not close to God, it is something you can work on with your children now so they grow up following the right path," says Father Brennen. "Instead of giving them what they want immediately whenever they ask whether they need it or not, force them to earn it -- be it with good behavior, school grades or better yet chores. I support letting kids go out and be helpful in the neighborhood or the house to earn a few dollars so when they finally can afford to buy the thing with their own hard-earned money they appreciate it more."
The minister warns Christians not to get caught up in the commercialization of life. He says it is not healthy to trade in something perfectly working for the latest version of it just because your neighbor has one. He says people should carefully evaluate what they want and decide if it is something they really need and are willing to work the extra time and make the necessary sacrifices to obtain. If it is, instead of obtaining it right away, he says it is better for people to set attainable goals so their wants can become a reality, but in a way that they would appreciate and value more in time.
Over the next three weeks, The Nassau Guardian will engage a number of ministers of religion on the topic of the Seven Cardinal Sins, as they dissect each one and talk about the relevance of the deadly sins to the twenty-first century society.
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