In the reading from Revelation, the Babylonish woman is materialism and sensuality ripe for destruction, and it happens very quickly. In so many ways, it seems prophetic of what is ready to happen today in the world.  We would do well to listen, recognize the antidote, and embrace it. 

Practically speaking, what do these words of St. Paul mean?

"We are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

Here is my take - a distinction between materialism and spirituality:

Based upon the earliest Bible records, the heart of man has not evolved one iota over thousands of years. Job’s pride, shame, fear, self-righteousness, as well as his capacity for redemption, the materialism and sensualism of Sodom and Gomorrah - are these not characteristic of the modern man’s heart? Take any ancient Bible character, and you will find the same human heart that we are quite familiar with.

Today, the Prince of Tyrus, as described in Ezekiel, is alive and prospering, it would seem. In technology, medicine, politics, commerce, religion, etc. very ofter the inference is "I am God." These readings address the issue, and explain why the prophecy is inevitable.

There is a growing awareness that collecting “stuff” is costly, even detrimental to health. Is it a coincidence that our country has become saturated with storage units at the same time that obesity has become epidemic? The Bible admonition, “God requireth that which is past” could very well be the answer to the rampant obesity.

"The thunder of Sinai and the Sermon on the Mount are pursuing and will overtake the ages, rebuking in their course all error and proclaiming the kingdom of heaven on earth. Truth is revealed. It needs only to be practised." (S&H)  (emphasis added)

An idea or thought is intangible is it not? And yet it precedes an invention, an action, etc. 

Our soul, our spirit, our love, clearly intangible - noone has ever found physical evidence for them, maybe for their effect, but not for them. We could go on and on about the very essence of our being...

Is it not worth noticing that the more attention society gives to the food we eat, the more unhealthy society becomes? The statistics are staggering regarding increasing obesity and its effects.

Why has the wisdom of Jesus' teaching been totally ignored? "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile a man."

Status quo is a locked-in position. It disposes of humility as it builds walls around its territory to defend itself. It is non-intelligent because it relies on prior thinking that has been deemed correct and simply parrots it. It is blasphemous in that it denies the Infinite, and denies His reflection (no room for reflection in state quo!!).

It is apparent that Jesus' audience was past the point of worshipping golden calves, but in the Sermon on the Mount he did address other forms of idolatry (placing more importance on material things than on the Principle of being): financial assets, obsessing about food and/or clothing.

"EVERY step of progress is a step more spiritual." Who said that? Does it matter who said it? Could there be a more pristine statement, assuming that death is not our goal in life? Surely it would be progress to get to know our Maker better, to more ably fulfill what He made us for?! A step more spiritual - would it be safe to say, more in line with Spirit, God? - more universal in one's love? less enamored by material, temporal things?

Some of the catch terms of today: open society, inclusiveness, earth-friendly, globalism - are considered inarguably good on their own merit. They take center stage on the political agenda of many. Because they are inarguably good, their pursuit justifies virtually any means, and conferring to a higher intelligence or law is not necessary if not absurd. In this mode of operation, man has, in effect, become God, the All-knowing, All-wise. Oh, and by the way, anyone who questions or resists the inarguable good is considered, in effect, the devil - and this is considered progress, absolutely necessary for the survival of man.