should we avoid being rich and wealthy?

[jasonc]

I have known some weathy men who have donated a bundle to build wings of hosptials.Then they demand a huge plaque with their name and picture on the building

i know, i see that here. one of the soup kitchens has a van with the logo of john island property association and it being the donor of the van.

 

[KevinK]

So much for Matthew 6:3.

 

[Angel]

rich is a perspective. compared to the age my parents were at the time i purchased a home. i have more wealth then they did. does that make me a sinner? sometimes a small amount of wealth or things can be a hindrance

Rich is truly a perspective!

From 2007 to 2011 I had to live at home with my parents. (This was after being rescued from homelessness). I had to wait until 2011 to be approved for and receive Social Security. I had all the basics, and a few wants, but boy, when I got disability I felt like the richest person ever! The first thing I bought was a drink from Starbucks! :D

 

[Kathi]

Rich is truly a perspective!

From 2007 to 2011 I had to live at home with my parents. (This was after being rescued from homelessness). I had to wait until 2011 to be approved for and receive Social Security. I had all the basics, and a few wants, but boy, when I got disability I felt like the richest person ever! The first thing I bought was a drink from Starbucks! :biggrin

There is about a 4 year wait to get SSI.Some people who are terminal die before they can get it.Almost everyone has to hire an attorney.

 

[Angel]

Can you imagine how the starving in the under privileged countries could be helped if everyone who was able liquidated the stuff they don't need.And that would be keeping only their neccessities, a list of things alot of people probably would not give up.

I know!!!! Poor sweet angels.
It is HORRIBLE!
How about we spend some of our national debt to help them.
There is NO excuse!!!

 

[KevinK]

Just to be clear, no-one (I hope) is saying wealth is a sin. Wealth is more like a deadweight, to put in one way, in a race you start out losing. The more you have, the harder you make your own salvation. The less you have, even to the point of impoverishment, the stronger your chance through the pearly gates. Less truly is more in this case. It's also something under an individual's control. You can't choose to be wealthy; you can choose to be poor. Though I wouldn't say it's an easy choice.

 

[Deborah13]

ii suggest you read a few of those donors and what they donated too. steve bing donated a lot to the democratic causes.

He may of done that too. But this group is strictly for charities.

 

[KevinK]

I know!!!! Poor sweet angels.
It is HORRIBLE!
How about we spend some of our national debt to help them.
There is NO excuse!!!

Ehh...you can't spend debt. You could spend a surplus, if we had one.

I'm also not sure that socialism is the answer. If we were all pure in heart and spirit as the Lord wants us. But....

 

[Angel]

Just to be clear, no-one (I hope) is saying wealth is a sin. Wealth is more like a deadweight, to put in one way, in a race you start out losing. The more you have, the harder you make your own salvation. The less you have, even to the point of impoverishment, the stronger your chance through the pearly gates. Less truly is more in this case. It's also something under an individual's control. You can't choose to be wealthy; you can choose to be poor. Though I wouldn't say it's an easy choice.

You can't really generalize who will Idolize money and who won't.
There is a broad spectrum of individuals.
Makes me think of Jesus who saw a poor woman who gave a coin in the tithe box. If though she had just a coin, she gave all she had.

 

[Angel]

Ehh...you can't spend debt. You could spend a surplus, if we had one.

I'm also not sure that socialism is the answer. If we were all pure in heart and spirit as the Lord wants us. But....

What I meant is that our gov can afford to help those who need their basics met but won't.

 

[Angel]

Again,

The gov grants me my basic needs because I'm ill.
So the gov does help, but, ..... It just makes me so sad that children are starving and physically sick...
They lose their parents to aids...
It's not fair! Why should God give me favor? Am I just lucky to be born a U.S. Citizen?

 

[agua.]

Again,

The gov grants me my basic needs because I'm ill.
So the gov does help, but, ..... It just makes me so sad that children are starving and physically sick...
They lose their parents to aids...
It's not fair! Why should God give me favor? Am I just lucky to be born a U.S. Citizen?

Ecc 9:11-12 KJV I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. (12) For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Did you mean post #26?

I realize now it's post #26, but I was quoting post #24.

 

[KevinK]

You can't really generalize who will Idolize money and who won't.
There is a broad spectrum of individuals.

I would't say it's just about the idolatry of money, although that is definitely one of the pitfalls (perhaps the worst and most prevalent). To me the more fundamental danger is filling a void that is supposed to be filled with God. I think we all have this emptiness inside. We can try to fill it with material wealth. And it will work- to a degree and for a while. But it is not true fulfillment. It is the empty soul that is ready for God. The more money you have, the less "empty" you also have, and the harder you're making your own salvation.

 

[Edward]

I would't say it's just about the idolatry of money, although that is definitely one of the pitfalls (perhaps the worst and most prevalent). To me the more fundamental danger is filling a void that is supposed to be filled with God. I think we all have this emptiness inside. We can try to fill it with material wealth. And it will work- to a degree and for a while. But it is not true fulfillment. It is the empty soul that is ready for God. The more money you have, the less "empty" you also have, and the harder you're making your own salvation.

Yep. Money is simply a distraction and makes us short-sighted.

 

[Classik]

Poverty is the chief tool of distraction

 

[agua.]

Yep. Money is simply a distraction and makes us short-sighted.

True Ed and fat and comfortable imo.

 

[WIP]

I would't say it's just about the idolatry of money, although that is definitely one of the pitfalls (perhaps the worst and most prevalent). To me the more fundamental danger is filling a void that is supposed to be filled with God. I think we all have this emptiness inside. We can try to fill it with material wealth. And it will work- to a degree and for a while. But it is not true fulfillment. It is the empty soul that is ready for God. The more money you have, the less "empty" you also have, and the harder you're making your own salvation.

Could you expand on this a little? I'm not quite understanding. Let me put it this way. If money is filling a void that should be filled with God, isn't that idolatry?

 

[KevinK]

Could you expand on this a little? I'm not quite understanding. Let me put it this way. If money is filling a void that should be filled with God, isn't that idolatry?

Idolatry is the worship of idols, and so has a more anthropomorphic feel to it. This may indeed be the case, but I was thinking of a different situation. One may have an abundance of wealth, but not necessarily worship it. You might even be a good person, a philanthropist who donates a lot to charity. But because you have so much, you may lack the one thing you need to seek God- a burning spiritual emptiness that only God can fill. This is why blessed are the poor in spirit. For these are the people who hunger for God more than food or the things money can buy.

It's a lot like the old Zen cliche: the Zen master keeps pouring tea into his guest's cup, until no more can go in and it begins spilling on the table. If a person's "cup" is already filled with tea or money or anything but nothing, you can never taste God's tea.

 

[WIP]

Kevin,

Sounds like we might differ a little in our understanding of what an idol is. If I understand you correctly, you define Idol as something worshiped. I define it as anything we would place ahead of God.