Vatican Lectures in Economic Morality
Well, let's face it, the Pope is absolutely correct in decrying the selfish greed of humanity. The proclivity of people to embrace as much wealth unto themselves as they can possibly achieve in a single lifetime. The better to prepare for the future, needless to say.
Who says you can't take it with you? Heaven forfend that after a life's work of careful accumulation of wealth it be left behind to be squandered by worthless descendants, or worse, put to bad use by charitable enterprises.
So, we miserable human beings squirrel it away for a rainy day. And let's face it, any day is a rainy day. Or has the potential for erupting upon our gleeful, money-grubbing horizon as a rainy day. Why, there could be a recession, a disaster on Wall Street, our wealth could collapse like so much worthless printed paper; irrelevant and irrecoverable. And then, what?
Well, invest in real estate. That's a solid, intelligent investment. Ask Duddy Kravitz; his Zayde told him so, and he believes it. We do need to be reminded from time to time, though, that the acquisition of wealth is not the only thing in the world of value. The jealous guarding of the wealth that we've spent all the hours of our dreary lives secreting away, while ignoring the quality of loving relationships and helping others translates to a life wasted.
The bible as much as tells us so, for after all, the rich man cannot pass through the eye of a needle. Nor can the thread I fumblingly attempt, time and again to bring successfully through the orifice of a slender steel pin which I propose to utilize for the simple purpose of mending a garment, thus practising the fiscal prudence that the Vatican preaches. But I digress, a stunt I practise with amazing regularity.
In its zeal to haul in wherewithal from the pockets of the faithful devotees of the late-lamented John Paul II, is admirers have cleverly sundered a garment worn by that soon-to-be sainted man, offering all one hundred thousand pieces (egad, that must've been some size garment, yes indeed) for sale to the first of the faithful to succumb to the lure of owning a piece of something that actually touched that human form with the soul of a divine.
This is a scheme hatched by the Vicariate of Rome, tasked with promoting sainthood for John Paul. With the purchase of said minuscule slice of garment comes a "holy card" containing a prayer with which to "obtain graces through the intercession of John Paul II". One can only wonder from whom this group took lessons in group gullibility. It does hearken back to times medieval. But I digress, do I not?
Now let's see, the Vatican and the Roman Catholic church exhibit a demonstrable tentacle-reach of real estate ownership of immense proportions, all over the world. They own priceless works of art placing them right up there with any resourceful, asset-craving international corporate entity. They are, moreover, the largest landlord in Rome.
A sample of their benign style of landlord-tenant relations is exemplified by their recent decision to unilaterally abrogate a rental agreement with modestly-financed renters of their properties. Successfully moving these unfortunately economically-unendowed people from an affordable $1-thousand a month rent to the "market rate" of $4,400 per month.
By-by, renters. Sorry you're so upset, and chained to your unfortunate income. We're not.
Who says you can't take it with you? Heaven forfend that after a life's work of careful accumulation of wealth it be left behind to be squandered by worthless descendants, or worse, put to bad use by charitable enterprises.
So, we miserable human beings squirrel it away for a rainy day. And let's face it, any day is a rainy day. Or has the potential for erupting upon our gleeful, money-grubbing horizon as a rainy day. Why, there could be a recession, a disaster on Wall Street, our wealth could collapse like so much worthless printed paper; irrelevant and irrecoverable. And then, what?
Well, invest in real estate. That's a solid, intelligent investment. Ask Duddy Kravitz; his Zayde told him so, and he believes it. We do need to be reminded from time to time, though, that the acquisition of wealth is not the only thing in the world of value. The jealous guarding of the wealth that we've spent all the hours of our dreary lives secreting away, while ignoring the quality of loving relationships and helping others translates to a life wasted.
The bible as much as tells us so, for after all, the rich man cannot pass through the eye of a needle. Nor can the thread I fumblingly attempt, time and again to bring successfully through the orifice of a slender steel pin which I propose to utilize for the simple purpose of mending a garment, thus practising the fiscal prudence that the Vatican preaches. But I digress, a stunt I practise with amazing regularity.
In its zeal to haul in wherewithal from the pockets of the faithful devotees of the late-lamented John Paul II, is admirers have cleverly sundered a garment worn by that soon-to-be sainted man, offering all one hundred thousand pieces (egad, that must've been some size garment, yes indeed) for sale to the first of the faithful to succumb to the lure of owning a piece of something that actually touched that human form with the soul of a divine.
This is a scheme hatched by the Vicariate of Rome, tasked with promoting sainthood for John Paul. With the purchase of said minuscule slice of garment comes a "holy card" containing a prayer with which to "obtain graces through the intercession of John Paul II". One can only wonder from whom this group took lessons in group gullibility. It does hearken back to times medieval. But I digress, do I not?
Now let's see, the Vatican and the Roman Catholic church exhibit a demonstrable tentacle-reach of real estate ownership of immense proportions, all over the world. They own priceless works of art placing them right up there with any resourceful, asset-craving international corporate entity. They are, moreover, the largest landlord in Rome.
A sample of their benign style of landlord-tenant relations is exemplified by their recent decision to unilaterally abrogate a rental agreement with modestly-financed renters of their properties. Successfully moving these unfortunately economically-unendowed people from an affordable $1-thousand a month rent to the "market rate" of $4,400 per month.
By-by, renters. Sorry you're so upset, and chained to your unfortunate income. We're not.
Labels: Life's Like That, Realities, Religion
posted by Pieface | 5:09 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home