Is money the root of all evil?
“1 Timothy 6:10 – For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
That is of course a passage out of the New King James Version of the Bible, but what does that passage tell us of the root of all evil? It speaks of the love that we, as humans, have for money and of the greediness that we have in our hearts when it comes to wanting more than what is needed. It also talks about the sorrows that a person bestows upon themselves when they give in to said greed. It is true that, without money we would struggle to survive day to day, we need nourishment, sustenance and basic goods such as food and drink.
A poor man can live out his days with the minimal amount of money and be content to have his friends and family, but what of a man who has endless riches? A man with a bank account that seems to never run dry, is he happier than the poor man, or is he in a deeper state of unhappiness and misery?
Yes, he has the money, the cars, the houses and the stature of being a top businessman, but when he uses his money and power to corrupt others, and to trod upon those who have less only because he seeks to enrich himself further, is he not then an evil man?
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men…” This is a quotation of Lord Acton’s letter to Mandell Creighton from 1887. What gives men power, that is simple enough to answer, money. Money gives men power, and when men have power, they are seldom to not use it.
What of corruption? Corrupt policemen for example, will stop you on the road and demand a bribe, bribe in this case is just a nice word for money. Corrupt government officials also, because of greed, pocket millions and in turn damage communities. Because one Minister is pocketing money, one hospital is not receiving their medicine. Because one Mayor is holding back some money for himself, three schools are not getting repaired. There again, are reasons that prove that money causes acts of deceit and evil.
Dictators use their power and money to oppress their people. Warlords use their money to buy weapons to injure, and kill, hundreds of innocent lives. Business corporations who are renowned around the world use their money and influence to bully, for lack of a better word, the minority businesses. These are all acts of evil, yes, a business takeover is not on the same level as the murdering of lives, but that small business owner now needs to find another way of feeding his family.
Money is used as a tool by many to get what they want, when they want it, no matter the consequence. Another aspect to consider is this, is the lack of money not the true root of all evil? I don’t think so; a person can not have money, and be happy. A person who has money in abundance only seeks to gain more. A person would then likely say “What of crime? People do not have money so they resort to stealing.”
People who steal are not evil people, they re people like you and me, just far more desperate. Thieves can get jobs and work, but a rich man can’t forgo his riches. Greed, one of the seven cardinal sins of man. Sin, an act of evil. On the most basic level, money in itself is not the root of all evil. It is an inanimate object, paper with printed numbers on. Money is however the instigator of all evil. It is because of money that people do what they do.
It is clear to me, that had the invention of money not been considered in the first place, the world would be free of evil. Not all evil of course, as money does not force man to rape, but the world would sure be a happier place.
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