Originally Posted by awuh1

In my view materialism does not offset spirituality, it augments spirituality. Money property and prestige are, fundamentally, tools. In order to exert their will, individuals use the tools they have at their disposal and as they do so they expresses the current state of their spirituality. They cannot help but do so.

I often see the idea of 'balance', within this context, as a cover for behaviors used to acquire more tools, and without examination of the motives for doing so.