by Mark K Hall

Created on: March 20, 2009   Last Updated: March 21, 2009

Money, the driving force behind most anything we do. We go to work for money, we invent things for money, we go to war for money, some people even steal or kill for money. In a society based on economic values and material goods, it is hard if not impossible to live without money. Over the course of thousands of years people have become dependant on money to provide, food, shelter, and entertainment. This is not our choice but what we were born into. It's a fact we accept blindly. Money is one of the most important things out there.

Now, is it the root of all evil? No. That's because it depends on the definition of evil. Everyone has a different concept of what evil is. One of the main things people think of when they speak of evil is war. So a lot of people will say that money is the root of war, so therefore money is the root of evil. Well religion is also the root of some wars, so does that make religion evil as well? Probably not.

The fact is that the root of all evil is mankind. The only reason the concept of evil exists is because mankind exists to reinforce it. It is a concept made up in our own minds due to increased intelligence and compassion. When a person is killed by another person it is viewed as evil, but when an animal is killed by another animal it is viewed as a natural way of life. We don't see it as an evil animal attacked an innocent animal. That's just life. Just because we have the mental capacity to understand that killing someone for no reason is wrong doesn't make it evil. It just makes it wrong.

We need to understand that in a society based on money, we are always going to question whether it's a good thing, whether we need it. Unfortunately, our lives are so far rooted in the economy that we will never do away with it.

There are groups that have tried to get rid of it. Look at communism. In its purest form, there is no money involved. People work to better the community, and everything is split equally to those who need it. It would do away with crime, poverty, hunger, and money. Unfortunately there is one flaw in that too. In order to get all these thing to give out for free, the government has to spend money and therefore the people have to pay them back until it becomes just another money driven ideal with the facade of communism. Not true communism.

But I digress. To answer the question, no. Money is not the root of all evil. Evil is a concept and conception is a man made thing. Therefore mankind is the root of all evil and money is a way of life.

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