Benjamin Granja
The Root of All Sins
The Human Experience is a constant struggle of good versus evil. One’s own vices do not make the battle any easier; they are a day-to-day challenge of one’s character. Greed and generosity are put before us everyday and entangle themselves with all other vices and virtues.
Greed is our unhealthy want of material possessions. In the Oxford English Dictionary it is found that greed is “the eager desire to keep to one’s self.” Avarice, greed’s counter part is defined as “inordinate desire of acquiring and hoarding wealth.” Greed makes in necessary to establish the difference between a healthy want and an unnatural craving. In 1386 Chaucer is one of the first people sited using avarice in his works. It is mentioned in the Canterbury Tales. The character not only has avarice for land but for science and glory. This shows that avarice is perverted yearning that only focuses on the individual.
Scripture gives warning about greed because is has many forms. In The Gospel of Luke the apostle tells us to “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” This perfectly explains this deadly sin and how dangerous it is to a person. There are 7 in the in the Catholic Church, greed is one of them and is not taken lightly. Jesus himself addresses the issue many times. In another story he tells a man to leave his riches because it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to go through the gates of heaven. He recognizes that when greed takes full control over someone he or she will do anything to attain what the individual wants.
One of the founders of Tao, Lao Tzu, commented on many issues of humanity in his book, Ibid. One of these topics was greed. He says, “There is no greater disaster than greed.” In the line before he places this vice on the same level as guilt of discontent and lavish desires. This wise man’s quotation is valuable advice to all of us. Lao Tzu knows that when greed is made natural it stems our to other vices. This is why he claims that there is no greater disaster. The Lao Tzu gave advice on many topics of daily experiences this however may be some of his most valuable advice.
Avarice was one of the most prominent reasons for the founding fathers to declare independence from England.
The author C.S. Lewis wrote a series of books to illustrate Christian values to adolescents. In the Second book, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe he illustrates the conflict of greed and generosity. In the story the evil White Witch has in slaved the people of Narnia and enslaved them in an attempt to take over the entire country. When the King Aslan returns events unfold that require him to sacrifice himself in an ultimate act of generosity for Edmund. In the Witch’s blind greed she kills Aslan not realizing that his sacrifice is more powerful thus defeating her. The Witch in her desire for power does not understand the virtue that defeats her.
This vice claims people from all walks of life. The actor Wesley Snipes, a famous American actor born in Florida was recently accused of tax fraud. He has been in movies such as The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals. In addition he has produced works of Mark Wahlberg and ABC’s Futuresport. With all this economic wealth and power avarice was still able to claim this star. His greed many result in three years of federal prison. Snipe’s life shows that no one will ever be above sin and its suppression is a constant battle.
In the movie Four Brothers an innocent woman’s life is claimed. As the brothers dive deeper into this conspiracy they find money is at the root of the crime. They find that their mother complained to the city council when the eldest son refused to pay more money to the gangs that his business had territory in. Her courage results in her death. The greed that her murderers hold bring them to commit many more sins such as bribery and murder. This movie illustrates perfectly that greed, as in real life results in many innocent people suffering.
In 1763 The Bristish Empire found it hard to finance defending their colonies. They were also in debt from the 7 years war. As a result the greed of the country forced many unnessesary taxes on the colonist. They were taxed on goods such as prinitng goods, paint, glass, and tea. The avirice the King of England demonstrated made the settlers revolt. This revolution created a new nation which became one of the only super powers in the world.
There is always balance in the universe; greed’s counter is generosity. This virtue is defined as “liberality in giving or willingness to give” or may be defined as “amplitude or abundance.” In 1896 Scott notes talks of generous donations being paid back. These large donations that where given where not meant to be repaid as noted by the word donations. Where as greed is used to show selfishness, generosity on the other hand shows selflessness.
The word generosity is not found specifically in the bible but the concept well explained. In the book the Acts of the Apostles they remind us “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.” The first book of Corinthians further explains why one is required to be generous. The writer states “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” This explains that people are required to be generous because their processions do not belong to themselves but instead belongs to God. This virtue is important to living a rewarding Christian life.
Mother Teresa was a woman who knew the definition of generosity like the back of her hand. After dedicating her life to the people of Calcutta for 51 years she is a prime example of selflessness. This nun was never discouraged in her giving; she once showed this by saying “if you can’t feed 100 people then just feed one.” Her life was an everyday struggle against poverty but her generosity of time, life, and joy mad the people of Calcutta just a little better.
Greed’s enemy is found in the book The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy. In one scene Avaris is about to be attached by the lion, Aslan. Shasta overcomes his fears and jumps in front of the great lion without fear. He generously sacrifices himself to save the girl. He is saved only to to go on another mission. He must find the King of Archenland. Again he is generous in a much higher sense than money his willingness to give pushes him forward to save the country he is a refugee in. Shasta shows a much more personal form of generosity that takes a strain on the spirit and will of a human being.
A woman by the name of Colleen Bramhall has been volunteering for Accenture Development Partnerships since she graduated from college. She a generously given her time for nonprofit organizations in different countries such as Sri Lanka and South Africa. Her example has made the corporate world think. As a result many businesses are giving more time off for volunteer work. They are creating way in which the workers will be able to give their time to better their own careers and communities simultaneously. Development of character trough self sacrifice is becoming important to the corporate world and will create a better future and example for generations to come.
In Mimi Leder’s Pay it Forward generosity is personified by a twelve year old boy. His teacher gives Trevor McKinney a challenge, think of a way you change the world in your everyday life. He decides that instead of paying people back for favors he will pay it forward. His concept is that by helping other people when one is helped the whole world will be able to give without asking “what’s in it for me?” This boys concept of unselfish generosity shows that it is possible to change the world one step at a time.
World War II was a time of generous sacrifice and hardship for many Americans. Women for example would mark their legs with marker to give the illusion of wearing stockings. They did this because silk was being used for the creation of parachutes. In addition many supplies such a meat and sugar were rationed to make the life of the soliders easier at the expense of home comforts. Much of the generousity that people showed would have been unthinkable in time of peace, but war times call for extraordinary to become ordinary.
The continual theme throught the human experience is that generous sacrifice will counter act selfish greed. Generousity shows a selfless outlook on life that benefits everyone and inevitably the individual. Greed gives a disillusioned view of the world that makes one’s percesion individualistic. As a result avarice effects many other decisions that are made thus becoming the root of all sins.
The Root of All Sins
The Human Experience is a constant struggle of good versus evil. One’s own vices do not make the battle any easier; they are a day-to-day challenge of one’s character. Greed and generosity are put before us everyday and entangle themselves with all other vices and virtues.
Greed is our unhealthy want of material possessions. In the Oxford English Dictionary it is found that greed is “the eager desire to keep to one’s self.” Avarice, greed’s counter part is defined as “inordinate desire of acquiring and hoarding wealth.” Greed makes in necessary to establish the difference between a healthy want and an unnatural craving. In 1386 Chaucer is one of the first people sited using avarice in his works. It is mentioned in the Canterbury Tales. The character not only has avarice for land but for science and glory. This shows that avarice is perverted yearning that only focuses on the individual.
Scripture gives warning about greed because is has many forms. In The Gospel of Luke the apostle tells us to “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” This perfectly explains this deadly sin and how dangerous it is to a person. There are 7 in the in the Catholic Church, greed is one of them and is not taken lightly. Jesus himself addresses the issue many times. In another story he tells a man to leave his riches because it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to go through the gates of heaven. He recognizes that when greed takes full control over someone he or she will do anything to attain what the individual wants.
One of the founders of Tao, Lao Tzu, commented on many issues of humanity in his book, Ibid. One of these topics was greed. He says, “There is no greater disaster than greed.” In the line before he places this vice on the same level as guilt of discontent and lavish desires. This wise man’s quotation is valuable advice to all of us. Lao Tzu knows that when greed is made natural it stems our to other vices. This is why he claims that there is no greater disaster. The Lao Tzu gave advice on many topics of daily experiences this however may be some of his most valuable advice.
Avarice was one of the most prominent reasons for the founding fathers to declare independence from England.
The author C.S. Lewis wrote a series of books to illustrate Christian values to adolescents. In the Second book, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe he illustrates the conflict of greed and generosity. In the story the evil White Witch has in slaved the people of Narnia and enslaved them in an attempt to take over the entire country. When the King Aslan returns events unfold that require him to sacrifice himself in an ultimate act of generosity for Edmund. In the Witch’s blind greed she kills Aslan not realizing that his sacrifice is more powerful thus defeating her. The Witch in her desire for power does not understand the virtue that defeats her.
This vice claims people from all walks of life. The actor Wesley Snipes, a famous American actor born in Florida was recently accused of tax fraud. He has been in movies such as The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals. In addition he has produced works of Mark Wahlberg and ABC’s Futuresport. With all this economic wealth and power avarice was still able to claim this star. His greed many result in three years of federal prison. Snipe’s life shows that no one will ever be above sin and its suppression is a constant battle.
In the movie Four Brothers an innocent woman’s life is claimed. As the brothers dive deeper into this conspiracy they find money is at the root of the crime. They find that their mother complained to the city council when the eldest son refused to pay more money to the gangs that his business had territory in. Her courage results in her death. The greed that her murderers hold bring them to commit many more sins such as bribery and murder. This movie illustrates perfectly that greed, as in real life results in many innocent people suffering.
In 1763 The Bristish Empire found it hard to finance defending their colonies. They were also in debt from the 7 years war. As a result the greed of the country forced many unnessesary taxes on the colonist. They were taxed on goods such as prinitng goods, paint, glass, and tea. The avirice the King of England demonstrated made the settlers revolt. This revolution created a new nation which became one of the only super powers in the world.
There is always balance in the universe; greed’s counter is generosity. This virtue is defined as “liberality in giving or willingness to give” or may be defined as “amplitude or abundance.” In 1896 Scott notes talks of generous donations being paid back. These large donations that where given where not meant to be repaid as noted by the word donations. Where as greed is used to show selfishness, generosity on the other hand shows selflessness.
The word generosity is not found specifically in the bible but the concept well explained. In the book the Acts of the Apostles they remind us “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.” The first book of Corinthians further explains why one is required to be generous. The writer states “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” This explains that people are required to be generous because their processions do not belong to themselves but instead belongs to God. This virtue is important to living a rewarding Christian life.
Mother Teresa was a woman who knew the definition of generosity like the back of her hand. After dedicating her life to the people of Calcutta for 51 years she is a prime example of selflessness. This nun was never discouraged in her giving; she once showed this by saying “if you can’t feed 100 people then just feed one.” Her life was an everyday struggle against poverty but her generosity of time, life, and joy mad the people of Calcutta just a little better.
Greed’s enemy is found in the book The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy. In one scene Avaris is about to be attached by the lion, Aslan. Shasta overcomes his fears and jumps in front of the great lion without fear. He generously sacrifices himself to save the girl. He is saved only to to go on another mission. He must find the King of Archenland. Again he is generous in a much higher sense than money his willingness to give pushes him forward to save the country he is a refugee in. Shasta shows a much more personal form of generosity that takes a strain on the spirit and will of a human being.
A woman by the name of Colleen Bramhall has been volunteering for Accenture Development Partnerships since she graduated from college. She a generously given her time for nonprofit organizations in different countries such as Sri Lanka and South Africa. Her example has made the corporate world think. As a result many businesses are giving more time off for volunteer work. They are creating way in which the workers will be able to give their time to better their own careers and communities simultaneously. Development of character trough self sacrifice is becoming important to the corporate world and will create a better future and example for generations to come.
In Mimi Leder’s Pay it Forward generosity is personified by a twelve year old boy. His teacher gives Trevor McKinney a challenge, think of a way you change the world in your everyday life. He decides that instead of paying people back for favors he will pay it forward. His concept is that by helping other people when one is helped the whole world will be able to give without asking “what’s in it for me?” This boys concept of unselfish generosity shows that it is possible to change the world one step at a time.
World War II was a time of generous sacrifice and hardship for many Americans. Women for example would mark their legs with marker to give the illusion of wearing stockings. They did this because silk was being used for the creation of parachutes. In addition many supplies such a meat and sugar were rationed to make the life of the soliders easier at the expense of home comforts. Much of the generousity that people showed would have been unthinkable in time of peace, but war times call for extraordinary to become ordinary.
The continual theme throught the human experience is that generous sacrifice will counter act selfish greed. Generousity shows a selfless outlook on life that benefits everyone and inevitably the individual. Greed gives a disillusioned view of the world that makes one’s percesion individualistic. As a result avarice effects many other decisions that are made thus becoming the root of all sins.
