And yes, Christianity is relevant, because it seems to tie into Christian values. For instance, take this quote:
Consumerism believes that this world is all there is. While most people would not say that they believe this, their consumeristic actions speak otherwise. This worldview believes that happiness and fulfillment are achieved with material possessions. People think, “If I could only afford that house, that phone, or that car then I would really be happy”. However, once they get that thing, they discover that it’s not nearly so fulfilling as it was advertised to be. But not to worry! There is always something better that will surely fulfill them next time.In case you aren't sufficiently attuned to detect the Christian values oozing all over that quote, the author goes on to say that consumerism "finds its foundations in atheism."
Another post associates consumerism with "caring more about material possessions than our neighbor", gives "church shopping" as an example, and offers the 10th commandment as a solution. Another one from a more anti-capitalist perspective, quotes the Pope as decrying "the daily vanity, the poison of emptiness that insinuates itself into our society based on profit and having (things), that deludes young people with consumerism."
I hadn't realized how Christian the trope of anti-consumerism really was. This provides a gold mine of ideas to deconstruct:
-They believe material goods will never satisfy people, implicitly because the only way to truly be satisfied is through God. This is the standard Christian superiority complex. It's like if I really liked math, and concluded that math was the only way to be truly satisfied, and everyone who believes they're getting satisfaction elsewhere is deluding themselves.
-They believe advertising deludes people into thinking they'll be satisfied by material goods when they won't. I find myself wondering if these people are just dwelling on experiences of buyer's regret. To me, this just seems like the inherent risk of trying anything new--there are hits and there are misses.
-They believe consumption of goods means caring less for other people. But if you give to other people, aren't you just allowing them to consume more? The very reason that generosity is a good thing is because consumption is a good thing, and we'd like more people to be able to consume.
And, oh my, I'm not even going to touch "church shopping".
