The America Dream

radio | 2/27/2013 | Alistair Begg

[EyeSalveRich]

The American Dream-

This morning on the radio I was listening to Alistair Begg preach about Naaman. He went on and on about how he was wealthy, powerful, highly respected, and lived in a highly desirable location. Then after specifically reiterating only wealth and power he said Naaman lived the American dream before there was an America. This was only an incidental statement in the scope of his sermon, and maybe he would back away from it if pressed upon, but I take strong exception to that idea. Is it just me, or is the idea that the American dream is about wealth and power a corruption?

I think of the preamble “in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity”. I am missing the whole wealth and power thing there.

I think of the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. I am missing the whole wealth and power thing there.

I think of the pilgrims who came here with nothing, at great risk. I remember how of the original 102, 71 died by the next year. They must have been dreaming about wealth and power when they fled religious persecution. Not.

I think about Song Ee Han who managed to escape North Korea’s oppressive regime to avoid starvation of her family. I think of the German family in Tennessee now who fled here from Germany so they could homeschool their children. I am missing the whole wealth and power thing.

[C. Edmund Wright]

Hard to know without hearing the context, but wealth and power are the American dream for some, and yet not for others. The American dream means different things to different people, as the pursuit of happiness means different things to different people.

If Begg meant that is all the American Dream is, then he missed it a bit. If he only meant in context that Naaman was able to be successful, as in, like the American dream, then he was just using a proper metaphor.

[Dr. Thorne]

There are plenty of UK preachers who have come to the US. To me, the reason is simple: they can't make a living in the anti-Christian UK.

We have several of them here in southeastern CT. I can't help but think that perhaps considering the abysmal state of Christianity in the UK, they could have stayed home and fought for Christ in their own country.

I have heard many of them preach and they all seem to have a whiff of anti-Americanism in their messages that might be a leftover from the usual snooty European mindset.

Os Guinness is another one who abandoned the UK for America. Every time I hear him he gives the back of the hand to America as if he just can't help himself. He's making a great living here. I've stopped listening to him. Too bad. His message is generally insightful and challenging but the anti-American remarks have driven me away.

[EyeSalveRich]

I never even thought about it from that slant. Interesting.