By Modou Lamin Age-Almusaf Sowe
Humanity has long professed faith in God, but history indicates a quieter, more constant devotion: obedience to money. Beyond temples, mosques, churches, and shrines, there is a universal power that inspires loyalty regardless of race, religion, ideology, or region. I propose that money is not a deity, the Creator of the universe—far from it—but rather the closest entity to God in human experience, the functional deity of humans. No animal, king, idol, or philosophy has challenged its authority. This truth has never been properly labeled, yet it has always guided us.
This post supports my new philosophical thesis: money is man’s god, not because of divinity, but because of its function—how humans obey, dread, sacrifice for, and organise their lives around it.
This article posits a novel philosophical thesis: money is man’s god, not because of divinity, but because of function—how humans obey, fear, sacrifice for, and order their lives around it.
God by definition and God by function.
In theology, God is the highest authority. In philosophy, authority is defined as what influences behaviour, morality, and survival. While God (Allah) is still the Creator, Sustainer, and Judge of existence, money has become the arbiter of human worth in worldly concerns. It determines who eats, speaks, rules, is heard, travels, is educated, and survives.
Money, unlike statues or animals that were once revered, does not require belief; rather, it imposes subordination. Even those who deny its authority must engage in regular negotiations with it. A god that does not require religion but nonetheless regulates action is more powerful than one who only relies on belief.
Biblical evidence: Mammon is named and warned against.
The Bible is remarkably explicit. Jesus Christ warns against idolatry, specifically mentioning money: “No one can serve two masters…”. You cannot serve both God and Mammon. Matthew 6:24.
This verse is revolutionary. Christ elevates money (Mammon) to the rank of a competing master, rather than a mere item. In biblical parlance, only a god can compete with God. Mammon is described as a ruler demanding service, rather than as neutral prosperity.
Quranic insight: Wealth as the ultimate test
The Qur’an never expressly labels money as a rival deity, but it does often identify wealth as mankind’s greatest struggle (fitnah).
“Your wealth and your children are but a trial, and Allah has with Him a great reward.” (Qur’an 64:15)
A harsher stanza states, “Competition for more wealth distracts you, until you visit the graves.” (Qur’an 102:1–2)
This is not only moral advice; it is a diagnostic. Wealth diverts attention away from purpose, mortality, and God Himself. What distracts man from God, dominates his time, and establishes his priorities serves as a god.
The Qur’an also forbids stockpiling wealth without justice, implying that money becomes a source of devotion when it replaces compassion, zakat, and moral duty.
Traditional and African philosophy: power without a face
In traditional African understanding, gods were more than just spirits; they represented rain, fertility, war, and survival. Money suits this old concept more than current theology realises. It is a faceless power—invisible, omnipresent, transportable, and feared.
Unlike rulers, money survives dynasties. Unlike animals, it is not limited by geography. Unlike idols, it can adapt. It has no shrine, yet every market is a temple. Every wage is a sacrament. Every contract is a covenant.
Why money alone? Qualifies
There has never been an animal that governed all people. No human has ever demanded global obedience. No thing, other than money, has:
Universal authority
The ability to reward and punish
Ability to define morality in practice.
The ability to transcend religion, culture, and conscience.
People lie for money, murder for money, renounce faith for money, migrate for money, betray family for money, and even redefine God for money. This is not a metaphor—it is evidence.
What’s new in this argument?
What is new is not the observation that money is powerful, but the formal philosophical proclamation that money is humanity’s functional god. Previous intellectuals cautioned about greed; I’ll name the structure.
This is an important distinction. One can combat greed morally, but one must confront a god structurally. As long as money is not recognised as humanity’s dominant force, nations will continue to pretend morality governs them while economics determines everything.
How this can be taught and adopted
This ideology should not lead to money worship, but rather to emancipation from its unconscious dominance. By designating money as man’s deity, religions, education, and policymakers can:
Teach economic ethics as a spiritual practice.
Define success beyond accumulating.
Expose modern enslavement hidden behind “employment”
Restore God the Creator as the supreme value, not platitudes.
Once named, a false god loses its allure. The first step toward rebelling is to become aware.
Conclusion: Naming the invisible throne
God created the universe. Money created modern man’s obedience. Between the two lies the central crisis of humanity. I do not call for blasphemy, but clarity. Money is not divine—but it is treated as such.
Until humanity dethrones money from the soul, no prayer, ideology, or revolution will fully save us.
The god of man has a name.
And only truth can unseat it.
