Every thousand years or so somebody comes along to utter the unthinkable truth and risk crucifixion. With rare exception, we deny, avoid and ignore the truth because it threatens us. It challenges our prevailing beliefs and exposes the demons that live within us all. Of all God’s creatures, we are the only ones that can’t stomach the truth. So you might as well get out the Pepcid now. Given birth by perhaps the most divinely inspired political document in recorded history, America pays homage to God. We base our freedoms on the principle that our Creator has endowed us with specific inalienable rights. We erect churches and temples throughout our largest cities and in our smallest hamlets. Above all else, we worship Almighty God. Sorry to tell you, Pilgrim, this declaration is a blatant lie. The truth is we Americans worship the Almighty Dollar, not a Heavenly Father. Money is everything, an all–consuming passion. At best, God is in third place behind money and television, the twin rulers of our land. The evidence is staggering. Parents leave their children in institutions to earn money for material “essentials,” like SUVs, implants, plasmas, Caribbean cruises and Starbuck’s. Gluttonous corporate execs rape their companies and fellow workers. Spouses murder spouses and children murder parents for the insurance proceeds. Sibling heirs fight in court and become sworn enemies. Money is the motivation for almost all crime. Speaking of which, the federal government has only one purpose — to siphon money. States want more. Cities want more. Professional athletes will do anything and go anywhere for another million bucks; being highest paid is the only measure of success. Collegiate athletics is about bigger conferences and greater TV revenues. Meanwhile, Vegas proudly markets sin. Poker, porn and drugs rake in billions. Wealthy business owners risk health and life chasing the world for one more dollar. The Church always has money on its mind, lusting to grow, to build congregations and sanctuaries and stature. Charity is a money machine that ingeniously fuels more need, not less. Lotteries feed on greed. In the thoughtful lyrics of Kerry Livgren, we know that “all our money won’t another minute buy.” But, Kerry, we want to enjoy the minutes we do have and that means we want all the stuff only money can buy. We want to do and go as we please and then we want more of the same. We want total comfort, total control and total security for now and evermore. Money is the stuff of life. When we have lots of it, we feel like Gods. Untouchable. Confident. It is simply common sense that we must worship the Almighty Dollar. We do trust that God is out there and we do have faith — sort of; but life is here and now. We’re not absolutely, positively sure what comes later, are we? If we were dead certain, we would have more in common with some Muslims. They blow themselves and others up because they truly believe in Almighty Allah and they hate all people who worship money and what it can buy. Which means they hate just about everybody and everything. Which means we will always be at war defending the Almighty Dollar. Of course, none of us can know if God really minds playing second fiddle. At least not now. Let’s worry about that later. For now, life beckons. As Abba sang: Money, money, money; Must be funny, in the rich man’s world. Money, money, money; always sunny in the rich man’s world. Aah-ahaaa, all the things I could do If I had a little money. It’s a rich man’s world.