Capitalism - false teaching that God is a capitalist and supports the present capitalist system, and the present USA dominated capitalist world order.

This subject has been dealt with in some other sections of these web pages. Provided for you are some hyperlinks to pages that explain this matter.

If you want to read the whole matter regarding the idolatry of the nations of Canada and the United States then go to Idolatry.  It is very, very clear that one of the major false gods of this general society we live in here in Alberta, Canada as of 2013, is money, and the material goods money will buy. Socialism is also a very powerful force in Canada, and in this writers judgment it is right up there with money and material goods - as one of the main false gods of Canadian society.

The way most of the people in these two nations of Canada and the USA  view themselves is a reflection of the idolatry of their general society. People become like the god they worship. In fact many people are pressured into exhibiting the character traits that this idolatrous, capitalist system demands.

The roots of capitalism go back to Calvinism. In places like Alberta we can see there is a curious marriage between the idolatrous worship of money and material goods, and Calvinism. Please click on Marriage between Idolatrous Worship of Money and Calvinism.

There has been a tremendous misunderstanding of the parable of the talents. Get the real meaning of the Parable of the Talents.

Capitalism is a tremendous economic engine. There are a lot of incentives built within the system. Yet it is just another ism, like Socialism, Communism and Fascism.

If proper checks and balances are placed on the capitalist system then it can be a very useful tool, and can provide a good climate for economic freedom, which will then help men be more in control over their lives, and thus more free to worship God. The capitalist system can be a very useful aid, or catalyst to help generate more economic independence, and therefore freeing people up more so they can freely worship God.

However, the present capitalism we see here in Canada and the USA is slowly degenerating into a form of slavery for the many, and lavish riches and freedom for the wealthy few. Too many find themselves on a perpetual work, work, work, buy, buy, buy, and consume, consume, consume treadmill. It is an endless, weary struggle for more and more material things, and more and more consumption.

The capitalist system has turned traditional Christian virtues into vices, and turned traditional vices into virtues. Let me explain.

Greed is generally regarded by almost all Christian denominations to be bad, and even sinful. Yet the capitalism system encourages greed. The more you can accumulate for yourself, the more successful you are viewed as being. Bill Gates is the richest man in the world, but few regard such enormous lavish riches as wrong. Greed in the pursuit of wealth in the USA and Canada is regarded as a social virtue.

Selfishness is generally regarded in Christian circles to be wrong, and one of the works of the carnal mind we are supposed to overcome. Of course the correct form of self-love is fine - we are commanded in the Bible to love our neighbours as ourselves after all. So we are to love ourselves.

However, in the capitalist system people are encouraged to selfishly push themselves ahead in the business, and social world. Invest in yourself, don't sell yourself short, get ahead - are just something's people are encouraged to do by the system. It is nothing much more than ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME and I, I, I, I, and me, myself and I.  The business world particular encourages and advances those who push ahead, who are aggressive, and who want to get ahead materially. Businesses are advertising for and seeking individuals, who want to make more, and more money. This unfettered capitalist system has turned the vice of selfishness into a social virtue.

Lust is also turned into a social virtue by the idolatrous worship of money. People are encouraged to shop, and shop and shop until they drop - especially around Christmas. In fact in the aftermath of the destruction of the World Trade Center in the terrorist attacks - citizens here in Alberta were encouraged to do their patriotic duty by shopping. There were fears that people would be so afraid that this would dampen consumer confidence, which in turn would lessen the demand for consumer products, which would then it was feared lead to an economic recession. So we were told to go out and do out patriotic duty by shopping. Lust and greed for more and more things and consumer products was therefore turned into a societal virtue.

What we are seeing here in Canada and the USA is an unholy marriage between idolatry (the setting of too many people's hearts on more and more money and materialism) and professing Christianity. It is a very, very serious spiritual disease.

In fact the Laodicean era of God's true Church has been deeply affected by this idolatry and gotten caught up in it.

Revelation 3:14-22 is Christ's message to the Laodicean era.

Revelation 3:14-17  "  (14) And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (15) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: "

 In verses 15 - 16 they are described as being spiritually lukewarm. Christ spits them out of His mouth, which symbolizes rejection ! Here is a church era, which is spiritually smug and apathetic.

In verse 17 they are described as being  spiritually wretched, spiritually miserable, spiritually poor, spiritually blind and spiritually naked ! This is an era that is in absolute horrible spiritual condition. Spiritually blind and naked - a very powerful condemnation indeed.

Why are they in such awful spiritual shape ? Here is the key.  Revelation 3:17 " Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;......."   They are rich in something. Obviously they are not rich spiritually. So what are they rich in ?  It seems that what they are rich in has served to blind them spiritually. Now this era is obviously a contemporary of the Philadelphia era. They both survive up to the return of Christ.

The last days are very corrupt times. Countries like Canada and the United States are very rich materially. This materialism is also present in other lands as well, but it is especially strong here. Canadians and Americans are living in perhaps one of the most materialistic societies in all of human history ! We are witnesses to the triumph of capitalism. The me generation.

There is an odd marriage between the idolatrous worship of the almighty dollar and professing Christianity.  A sort of throw back, or remnant of Calvinist, where it was believed that material prosperity was a sign of Godliness. A sure sign that God was with you and pleased with you. Poverty being a sign of God's disapproval. You see it everywhere. The poor are despised here in Canada and no doubt also in the U.S.A. Poverty is a sin against the god of money, and a sure sign of laziness and indolence to many, many people. The Laodiceans have gotten caught up in this idolatry.

Also there is very much knowledge of the scriptures these days, so a church group can easily become smug and conceited due to their rich knowledge of the scriptures. Knowledge of the scriptures and prophecies is fine, but it is useless if it doesn't include obeying God's laws.

The Laodicea era is suffering from an extremely serious spiritual disease. It's the disease of conceit, smugness and apathy. Doesn't that describe American and Canadian society to a tee? Canada is one of the most smug, self-satisfied, conceited, hypocritical nations you will come across. Obviously the church is influenced by the general society it lives in.

The church is supposed to resist the corrupting influence of the world. Real Christians are not  supposed to be part of the idolatry of the greater society they live in.

Hopefully you can appreciate the serious spiritual consequences to real Christians getting caught up in the idolatry of the nations of Canada and the United States. These are very serious matters.

My advice is to follow Christ's advice in the scriptures.

Matthew 6:19-20  "  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; "

Matthew 6:24   "  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. "

Matthew 6:25-34  " Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.   Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. "