The Profit Motive is a sign of spiritually undeveloped soul?

[Bartolome_Casas]

Catholic Social Doctrine, unlike Communism, says that the “profit motive” is permissible in business enterprises.

Yet, must it not be the case that the profit motive is a sign of a spiritually immature or undeveloped soul?

Consider:

–Can you imagine, during the ceremonies for the canonization of a saint, that the pope included in the list of things that led to the person’s canonization, that he/she ran several businesses that were very profitable?

–Can you imagine your reaction if it were revealed that Blessed Pope John Paul II’s major activity while pope was investing successfully in the stock market as a day trader?

Catholic Social Doctrine says the profit motive is permissible, but does not, as far as I know, say that it is required of any anyone, and does not say that it is the highest motive that a Christian can have for his actions.

I read the old Catholic Encyclopedia’s article on “Heroic Virtue.” Here’s the link: newadvent.org/cathen/07292c.htm

That article made it very clear to me that the profit motive is a very INFERIOR motive compared to the motive of love of God and/or neighbor. That article made it very clear to me that ALL Christians are called by God to develop themselves to the point wherein EVERYTHING they do is motivated SOLELY by motive of loving God and/or neighbor.

Thus, the only conclusion I can reach is that the profit motive, while acceptable, while not thrusting a soul out of the minimal State of Grace, nevertheless is a rather shallow, shabby, degraded motive in the scheme of things. A true holy Saint would NEVER let the profit motive be involved in his life in any fashion. And we are all called to be true holy Saints.

Yet, Libertarians seem to have elevated the Profit Motive up to the highest motive, or one of the top few of those motives or virtues that are admirable, clean, noble, and healthy.

I conclude therefore that Libertarians and certain other Pro-Business Theorists reject the Holy Catholic Faith and wish to justify and sanctify their shallow, degraded lives.

It seems like the unavoidable conclusion, based on what the New Testament says, and what the writings of the saints and popes say, that, if we were all the saints that God is calling us to be, there would be NO profit motive in the world at all.

Is it not a sound view to say that there is no profit motive whatsoever in Heaven?

Is this not logical and based on authoritative Catholic teaching?

*Note: I am not attempting to be a teacher here. I am not attempting to start an argument. I am personally trying to think all this through in a Catholic way. I am posting this here to invite thoughtful and caring Catholics to give feedback. If what I’ve written here upsets you, just ignore it and move on. I am no one special. I am not worth arguing with. I’m just a ordinary Catholic who goes to Mass every Sunday. To find authoritative Church teachings, read what the bishops and the popes write. I am not a good prospect for canonization or election to the office of St. Peter. *

 

[Qoeleth]

Catholic Social Doctrine, unlike Communism, says that the “profit motive” is permissible in business enterprises.

Yet, must it not be the case that the profit motive is a sign of a spiritually immature or undeveloped soul?

Consider:

–Can you imagine, during the ceremonies for the canonization of a saint, that the pope included in the list of things that led to the person’s canonization, that they ran several businesses that were very profitable?

–Can you imagine your reaction if it were revealed that Blessed Pope John Paul II’s major activity while pope was investing successfully in the stock market as a day trader?

Catholic Social Doctrine says the profit motive is permissible, but does not, as far as I know, say that it is required of any anyone, and does not say that it is the highest motive that a Christian can have for his actions.

I read the old Catholic Encyclopedia’s article on “Heroic Virtue.” Here’s the link: newadvent.org/cathen/07292c.htm

That article made it very clear to me that the profit motive is a very INFERIOR motive compared to the motive of love of God and/or neighbor. That article made it very clear to me that ALL Christians are called by God to develop themselves to the point wherein EVERYTHING they do is motivated SOLELY by motive of loving God and/or neighbor.

Thus, the only conclusion I can reach is that the profit motive, while acceptable, while not thrusting a soul out of the minimal State of Grace, nevertheless is a rather shallow, shabby, degraded motive in the scheme of things. A true holy Saint would NEVER let the profit motive be involved in his life in any fashion. And we are all called to be true holy Saints.

Yet, Libertarians seem to have elevated the Profit Motive up to the highest motive, or one of the top few of those motives or virtues that are admirable, clean, noble, and healthy.

I conclude therefore that Libertarians and certain other Pro-Business Theorists reject the Holy Catholic Faith and wish to justify and sanctify their shallow, degraded lives.

It seems like the unavoidable conclusion, based on what the New Testament says, and what the writings of the saints and popes say, that, if we were all the saints that God is calling us to be, there would be NO profit motive in the world at all.

Is it not a sound view to say that there is no profit motive whatsoever in Heaven?

Is this not logical and based on authoritative Catholic teaching?

*Note: I am not attempting to be a teacher here. I am not attempting to start an argument. I am personally trying to think all this through in a Catholic way. I am posting this here to invite thoughtful and caring Catholics to give feedback. If what I’ve written here upsets you, just ignore it and move on. I am no one special. I am not worth arguing with. I’m just a ordinary Catholic who goes to Mass every Sunday. To find authoritative Church teachings, read what the bishops and the popes write. I am not a good prospect for canonization or election to the office of St. Peter. *

What you have said is all obviously true. “Seek ye not treasure on earth, but seek ye treasure in heaven”.

A spiritually mature person, as exemplified by the saints, will surely esteem worldly wealth as no more than dross. and indeed, consciously eschew it. I am reminded of a an image, in both the Fransiscan and the Buddhist literature, of souls striving to cross a river, The river is this world. The souls who fill gather wealth fill their boats with useless weights, and thus sinks in the river of this world, whereas those who are unburdened reach the other sure safely. Similarly, Lao Tzu says “It is easier to carry a vessel when it is empty.”

Thus Jesus say, “Blessed are you poor, but woe to you rich.”

 

[Bartolome_Casas]

What you have said is all obviously true. “Seek ye not treasure on earth, but seek ye treasure in heaven”.

A spiritually mature person, as exemplified by the saints, will surely esteem worldly wealth as no more than dross. and indeed, consciously eschew it. I am reminded of a an image, in both the Fransiscan and the Buddhist literature, of souls striving to cross a river, The river is this world. The souls who fill gather wealth fill their boats with useless weights, and thus sinks in the river of this world, whereas those who are unburdened reach the other sure safely. Similarly, Lao Tzu says “It is easier to carry a vessel when it is empty.”

Thus Jesus say, “Blessed are you poor, but woe to you rich.”

Qoeleth, do you perceive that some people in our country (USA), even some lay Catholics in leading positions, are constantly exalting the Profit Motive up the level of the Greatest Virtue, up to the level of a sanctified and holy and highly noble thing? Ayn Rand spent her life doing that, yet she at least had the intellectual honesty to be an atheist and anti-Christian.

Qoeleth, do you perceive that many Catholics are getting misled on this issue?

 

[Qoeleth]

Qoeleth, do you perceive that some people in our country (USA), even some lay Catholics in leading positions, are constantly exalting the Profit Motive up the level of the Greatest Virtue, up to the level of a sanctified and holy and highly noble thing? Ayn Rand spent her life doing that, yet she at least had the intellectual honesty to be an atheist and anti-Christian.

Qoeleth, do you perceive that many Catholics are getting misled on this issue?

Well, the USA is not my country, so I will leave it to others better informed to venture an answer…

 

[underacloud]

Aquiring and having material things in not wrong in itself. Running a profitable business is how people can get their “daily bread”. It is not true that money is the root of evil, but “love of money” (as below).

1 Timothy 6: 6-10 “6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Christ was a carpenter. His work would have involved supplying goods and services for a profit. His disciples were fishermen, who would have provided fish for a profit. Many convents today, as they have always done, make goods to sell for profit, to help provide for the material needs of the community.

Christ Himself used profit as a metaphor for good. His parable of the talents shows that God expects a profit from each of us on the talents He gives. Would Christ use such an analogy if profits were in themselves evil?

Where profit comes by way of unjust wages, there is grave injustice. Where profit comes at the expense of our neighbours wellbeing, there is injustice. Where profit establishes an unfair distribution of our planets resources, there is injustice. Where profit leads to or is driven by greed, the rich man needs to be wary and ponder the many warnings that it is hard for a rich man to enter heaven. But richness is a sliding scale though…how rich is rich enough or too rich? How comfortable should I be before deciding that what I have is enough? How much profit is OK and how much is unjust? These are difficult questions…

 

[Bartolome_Casas]

Christ was a carpenter. His work would have involved supplying goods and services for a profit.

Is it really conceivable that Jesus soul experienced a passion for profits in a way that was essentially the same Donald Trump’s soul does, or the souls of the big investors and big fund managers on Wall Street?

Is it conceivable that Jesus, and Mary and all the saints in Heaven still have the Profit Motive?

May original question pertained to the Profit Motive, not to profits per se. I believe a person could have a business, or work for business, or invest his money in a business, and earn a profit from that, and yet NOT being doing that to “get rich.” To me, doing things to get rich, to have luxury items, or to be able to retire before old age has arrived, demonstrates that the Profit Motive is present.

Based on the New Testament, and on the writings of the saints and popes, it seem to me like it is IMPOSSIBLE for Our Lord Jesus or any true and holy saint to ever do anything based on the Profit Motive. I believe our Catholic Faith makes clear that any perfected person would be motivated ONLY by love for God or love for neighbor.

Thus, Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary or any other saint could own and run a business, but their ONLY motive for doing everything they do in connection with the business would be to express a love for God and neighbor, and to serve God and serve neighbor. They would NEVER be moved by the selfish motives of such things as gaining private luxuries for personal use, or being able to retire and do no work before old age prevents working, or being to enjoy the status of a being known as “big shot” in town.

Isn’t this sound reasoning based on the teachings of Our Faith?

In America, where getting rich is the Highest Goal promoted by our secular culture, it seems like there are many who want to “sanctify” the Profit Motive. It seems like there is a never ending effort to agree with adage “greed is good.” The former Catholic Dinesh D’Souza does argue in his book What’s So Great About Christianity? that Capitalism transforms selfish motives into social good. Maybe that view is part of why he is a former Catholic. Many leaders in the business community (including some Catholics) do openly argue that the desire and drive to get personally and privately hugely rich is good for people and good for the whole world.

Our Catholic Faith, while it permits the earning of profits, and even permits the Profit Motive within certain bounds, at the same time makes clear that anyone who wants to be more spiritual advanced towards perfection will not indulge the Profit Motive at all.

Many people cite Jesus’ Parable of the Talent as evidence that Jesus was pro-Capitalism and pro-Profit Motive. Yet, every Bible scholar I have ever heard of says that this parable is about producing spiritual fruits.

Jesus spoke these words:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:19-20)

If Jesus meant the Parable of the Talents to be an approval of the desire to get rich, why then did He say the above?

The Catholic Church has always taught that the most perfect way to live is to live by the Evangelical Counsels (vows of poverty, obedience, and celibacy). That explains why virtually all the canonized saints have been priests, nuns, friars, or monks.

I think the relevance of all this is that in America, we are all under constant bombardment from our culture with message, “It is great to get rich! Get rich! Get rich and you’ll be happy! Go for it, get rich! The rich are better than the rest of us! The rich have fun! Only the rich are free!” TV is constantly full of news reports and fiction shows about the rich.

But Jesus says to all that:

Luke 6:20-26

20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

In sum, I conclude that although our Catholic Faith teaches that the Profit Motive is permissible within bounds, the Profit Motive is not the way of the greatest spiritual perfection. Rather, it is the way of spiritual imperfection. Much suffering or Earth and in Purgatory would seem to be associated with the Profit Motive. Greed is still one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

If we were holy as we all called to be holy, so much suffering would be avoided, I believe.

Instead, we all long to get rich!

P.S. I take little joy in this teaching of Christ. It is hard. I am tempted in this area.