ENVY IS JUST AS BAD AS GREED

 

By Bill Dunn

 

Greed is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. We hear about greed a great deal these days, as in “greedy insurance companies,” “greedy Wall Street bankers,” and “greedy oil companies.”

 

It seems whenever progressive politicians need a handy scapegoat, they play the “greed card,” claiming their political opponents are guilty of unbridled avarice and covetousness.

 

However, the greed accusation is not just for ultra-rich CEOs and investment bankers. Struggling middle-class folks are also labeled as greedy—if they dare to oppose progressive, big-government policies. For example, a typical citizen, say, a Tea Party participant who is trying to support his family and pay his mortgage on $70,000 per year, is called greedy if he objects that almost half of his gross income already is swallowed up by multiple layers of taxation, fees, surcharges, and license renewals. Only if he enthusiastically supports turning over a much higher percentage of his income to the government—in the name of fairness, of course—will he be free of the greed label.

 

This is ironic since people such as Al Gore and Bill Clinton are never accused of being greedy, even though they receive well over $70,000 per speech—speeches often devoted to accusing middle-class Tea Party participants of being greedy and selfish.

 

The fact is, those who claim that greed is a sin are correct. Greed is a terrible personal character trait. It not only makes the greedy person miserable, it makes everyone around him miserable, too. This is why greed was included in the original list of Seven Deadly Sins many centuries ago.

 

But there is another Deadly Sin that is equally as destructive: envy. The sin of envy not only causes people to desire things that others possess (which means it contains an element of greed and covetousness), it also takes delight in depriving those other people of what they have.

 

Resenting successful people, and then being gleeful when they encounter problems, may keep tabloid magazines in business, but it is a terrible foundation for public policy. In the long run, envy and resentment are extremely destructive emotions. In the Bible, the book of Proverbs says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

 

We’ve all heard the stories about inner-city schools, where resentment toward hard-working, successful students is so strong, the prevailing attitude discourages academic achievement. If a student tries to get good grades, he’s in danger of being beaten up for “acting white.”

 

What’s the liberal, progressive solution to this problem? Why of course, take more money from successful people and throw it at the schools, as if mere dollars can stem an envious cancer that “rots the bones.”

 

This same attitude of demonizing successful people while excusing the self-destructive behavior of unsuccessful people—all borne of envy—is now the prevailing mindset of our nation’s political leaders. Have you noticed the gleeful venom in the voices of certain politicians when they vow to “tax the greedy rich,” as they pander to our envious impulses? Do we really want to spread the same attitude found in our inner-city schools throughout ALL of society?

 

Yes, greed is bad. We should work for fairness and justice, and most of all, opportunity for all citizens. But greed is not the only sin. We shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking envy is somehow good, even if it’s an effective political tactic. Taking delight in “beating up” those in society who dare to achieve is neither fair nor just. It’s a bone-rotting sin. And it’s a recipe for cultural suicide.