Materialism is part of a larger pursuit, not merely of the idols that material possessions may become but of the idol of acceptance. At the deepest levels of our hearts, we want more than simply stuff. We want people to accept us, and one of the ways we sometimes imagine that we will achieve acceptance is by having lots of things: an impressive resume, beauty, fame, or power (Alan D. Strange, Imputation of the Active Obedience of Chrsit in the Westminster Standards, xv).