Ambrose Bierce: Mammon Leading God
on Friday, January 22, 2016Ambrose Bierce Money Quote: Dictionary entry has Mammon as the current top God of World’s religions by popularity. Ambrose Bierce said:
“Mammon, n.: The god of the world’s leading religion” — Ambrose Bierce
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In this definition, Ambrose Bierce is satirically suggesting that the true “god” or driving force of the predominant world religion is mammon, which is commonly defined as wealth, money or material gain. By directly equating mammon with the god of the “world’s leading religion”, Bierce is criticizing how much prominence he feels is given to financial success, possessions and wealth accumulation even within religious doctrines and institutions.
His definition implies that the pursuit of prosperity and riches has in practice become prioritized over spiritual values for many. So in essence, Bierce is accusing the dominant faith of largely serving the idolatry of wealth through how it is often practiced, rather than purely upholding principles of faith, charity and humility as taught by religious texts. The definition characterizes mammon as the real object of worship for much of society in a critical tongue-in-cheek way.
Birthday: June 24, 1842 – Disappeared: c. 1914