My son looked at the word homophobia and concluded that it refers to the passing of an era. The Christian Biblical Era seems to have ended a few decades ago and its passing is signified by the word ‘homophobia’. Dislike of homosexual activity for religious reasons is dismissed by the very word homophobia. It simultaneously dismisses the entire logic of biblical authority.
My son pointed out that we can look forward to the end of a similar Roman Catholic era in which greed is treated as a biblical sin. The Pope, every Pope, seems to find that it is his job to attack greed.
I look forward to hearing the term greedophobia.
Of course greed is only harmful in a zero-sum world. In a positive-sum world it can become a desirable social attribute. Adam Smith explained how markets use personal self interest to enhance everyone’s well being. A baker gets up at 2am to bake our bread and if she does it for greed or any other personal selfish reason we are all the beneficiaries.
That is not true of three of the other seven sins: wrath, sloth and gluttony. Three of the seven can be considered self motivation on occasion: pride, avarice and envy.
I look forward to the emergence of greedophobia as a measure of pro-commerce sophistication in our society.