I heard a wonderful theological discussion that explained the evolution of Christianity and modern culture(especially american culture). It was said that the Calvinists expressed the belief that "I am damned to hell, thank you father for your blessings" believing in the idea of the select, and since one didn't know whether one was select or not, it was assumed that you would exist in purgatory. Getting tired of this, Americans/ modern culture adopted the idea that the lord's favor is seen in how much one attains or how much wealth one accumulates. This is the modern idea of Christianity--the idea of God's blessings tied to material wealth and capitalist principles. Oh, what a world we live in.