Catholic Spirit and the Ethic of Consumerism*

27Aug07

We get invitations to indulge in low APRs and transferred balances and Platinum Elite Membership Reward Programs, but how many of you have helped the Lord?

Just the other day I got an invitation to do just that, and more. For example, I can “share the good news”, “change lives around the world every day”, “bring the Good News of Jesus into the world’s most challenging areas”, and “provide clothing for 10 Catholic school children in Sudan for an entire year” (but not the Protestant ones). In short, “[I] can really make a life-giving, faith-filled difference in the lives of those in need. Each dollar [I] spend gives hope to the poor and suffering, and helps to spread the word of God” this is because “all [I] need to do is apply for the new World Missions Visa card and use it. Once [I] use [my] card, a donation of 1% of [my] purchases* is made to The Society for the Propagation of the Faith.”

That lil’ asterick there refers to a line which states “Please see Terms and Conditions on back of letter.” When you do so, you’ll find that there’s a 1% transaction fee on each purchase outside the US, and that you generate a donation of one cent for each $1 of net purchases you make, and that this donation is provided to the charity every sixth month, starting in February or August after you initiate the account.  They also, unsurprisingly, may modify or discontinue this program at any time.

Can you buy your way into heaven?  By acquiring credit card debt?  Is this like getting a role in a musical by getting fat? Worse, I think.  Well, I welcome your thoughts on this…just FYI, I thought of comparisons with the selling of indulgences, George Sanders’s excellent work on the transmogrification of funeral services into “entertainment”, and a comparison of Calvin and well, credit card company owners.

* This title dreamed up by Dr. Tammy Smith

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