Thursday, July 10, 2008

The Cult of the Next Thing

Mark Buchanan, in an article entitled “Trapped in the Cult of the Next Thing” wrote this:

"I belong to the Cult of the Next Thing. It's dangerously easy to get enlisted. It happens by default—not by choosing the cult, but by failing to resist it. The Cult of the Next Thing is consumerism cast in religious terms. It has its own litany of sacred words: more, you deserve it, new, faster, cleaner, brighter. It has its own deep-rooted liturgy: charge it, instant credit, no down-payment, deferred payment, no interest for three months. It has its own preachers, evangelists, prophets, and apostles: ad men, pitchmen, celebrity sponsors. It has, of course, its own shrines, chapels, temples, meccas: malls, superstores, club warehouses. It has its own sacraments: credit and debit cards. It has its own ecstatic experiences: the spending spree. Most of us spend more time with advertisements than with Scripture. The Cult of the Next Thing's central message proclaims, ‘Crave and spend, for the Kingdom of Stuff is here.’"

No comments: