This document discusses the conflict between serving God and serving "Mammon", which represents greed and material wealth. It argues that pursuing economic growth and consumption above all else goes against the teachings of Jesus, such as loving your neighbor and seeking justice for the poor and oppressed. The document provides three action steps based on gospel teachings: 1) serve the community and work for the common good, 2) connect salvation with justice, and 3) train ourselves in gratitude as an alternative to constant consumption and worry over material goods.

1. Jesus Against Mammon

2. “ You cannot serve both God and Mammon” (Matthew 6:24)

3. “ I believe in one god: Economic Growth , maker of all goods, seen and unseen.”

4. “ I believe in Economic Growth’s only Son: Capitalism , who was conceived by the power of Greed…”

5. “ I believe in happiness through owning and using more.”

6. It’s not just about owning …

7. It’s about owning MORE and more…and more…

8. “ Go Shopping”

10. Mammon also performs creation ‘out of nothing’!

11. “ I believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic economy , and in the communion of unaccountable corporations.”

12. In rural communities, everyone depended on each other and was thus accountable to the community…

13. In the global economy, MNCs’ (with ‘limited liability’) can create environmental havoc and wash their hands of it…

14. Ok Tedi, Papua New Guinea

17. “ If nations want to avoid war over diminishing resources…they must both consume LESS and become MORE self-sufficient .”

18. But theo-capitalism says the opposite : “We should become LESS self-sufficient and MORE globally integrated as part of the overriding quest to consume ever MORE.” Herman Daly, Ecological Economist

19. Jakarta, INDONESIA

21. West Virginia, USA

22. All that the true God provides, false gods also offer…

23. Identity Transcendance Community Security REST! Ecstasy

24. Jesus vs. Theo-Capitalism: 3 Action-Steps from the Gospels

25. Don’t be like the rich fool! (Luke 12:13-21)

26. 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops….This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. ' SELF-INTEREST! NEGLECT OF OTHERS! CONSUMPTION- ORIENTED

27. “ You fool!” “ This very night your life will be demanded from you…This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God ."

28. “ What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Answer: Love God…and love your neighbour as yourself (Luke 10:25-27)

29. a.k.a. the parable of the unexpected neighbour

30. #1 Serve the community and work for the common good

34. “ Today salvation has come to this house . For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost ” (Luke 19:9-10)

35. “ Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor , and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount ."

37. #2 Connect ‘salvation’ with ‘justice’

38. 1,020 THE NO. OF TIMES ‘JUSTICE’ APPEARS IN THE BIBLE

39. “ Do not worry…but seek first the kingdom of God and His justice and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

40. #3 Train Ourselves in Gratitude

42. Gratitude is an exercise in contentment

43. “ Gratitude is an act of defiant contemplation ” Brian McLaren, Pastor/Author