“Why were these things not sold and given to the poor?”

is one of those gripes exclusively reserved for Christians. When Hindus deck their shrines in gorgeousness, that’s local color for the Eat Pray Love dilettante.

Me: I have no big objection to the universal impulse of the human race to offer a sacrifice of beauty to that which they love most. Of course, the problem is that the sacrifice is being offered to false gods. But even that is nobler than the cold selfish materialist who has killed all sacrificial impulses in his soul under pretense of charity.