Is being rich wrong?

This obviously isn't true of all Christians, but I think it applys to most American ones.

How can you justify having a large house, multiple cars, multiple TVS, computers, xboxs ect, when 80% of the world lives off less than $10 a day, and 25000 children die everyday from starvation? Like, realy? You claim to follow the book that says,

"if you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me"

"a faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished" -proverbs 28:20

"he who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them recieves many curses" -proverbs 28:27

I don't know how many times I've heard that the first verse I listed doesn't apply to you, or shouldn't be taken literaly. But why the fuck not. If you are deciding that it is more importent for you to live comfortably than for a child to not die a painful death by starvation, I don't know how you think that you're getting into heaven

 

I am not sure how to justify it.

 

I don't care about religious and moral dilemmas. All I know is I'd rather be rich then be where I've been all my life.

 

What is giving going to do?
It isn't the act of giving that is important, but the understanding of what giving really is.

 

"I like your Christ: I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ" -Mohandas Gandhi

 

I agree here; although I may take it further.

People say that the Catholic Church could sell all its art and feed people.
But is the mere feeding going to solve the problem after the money runs out?

No, it is the hearts that need to be changed. True charity flows from love and does not restrict it self temporally.

 

The Church, in general, is one rich ass institution.

 

I am curious what amount of the Church's wealth is tied up in capital (like parish buildings) and what is monetary.

All of the Church's art is actually listed at being valued at 1 Euro each because they belong to the artistic history of the world.

The operating budget of the Vatican is less than 1/4 of Harvard's.

Yet they are still the largest charitable organization in the world. http://www.catholicscomehome.org/epic/Epic_ proof.pdf

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/14/Revenue_1.html Just Catholic Charities, Food for the Poor, Catholic Relief Services, St. Jude's, and America's Second Harvest alone total $5,570,000,000, which is greater than #1 on the list for America. Keep going down the list and you find Father Flanagan's homes, Catholic Medical Mission Board, Covenant House, and more. Add the thousands of other charities, from Missionaries to the Poor, Amigos for Christ, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, to religious orders (like Missionaries of Charity) & individual parishes who often do their work in anonymity, and you will see some of the charitable works of the Catholic Church.

 

It's not that the church is doing nothing, it is. But the catholic church does have it's own personal country, and the pope lives in what can only be described as a palace. Is this what Jesus had in mind? And while money will not convert people on it's own, I would imagine that a starving man in Africa wouldn't understand Jesus' love if the way you were demonstrating it was to live a rich, comforatble life while he starved to death.

""I distrust those people who know so well what god wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desiars" -Susan B Anthony

 

No being rich is not "wrong" in of it's self but why are you picking on Christians? Even if you take the highest estimates of the number of Christians they are only a third of the worlds population, so what are the other two thirds doing?

 

A very incredibly small country. With an operating budget less than 1/4 of Harvard University's!

yes, the pope does live in a palace. But there are a total of 1000 rooms many of which are Italian government rooms, Library/Museum rooms, chapels (like the Sistine Chapel). Some rooms are used almost exclusively for receptions (of international dignitaries) and public viewing of Popes lying in state.

One of the old papal palaces is now the residence of the Italian President.

 

And if you are going to pick on Christians, at least pick the ones who preach that accumulating wealth is good <cough>joel osteen</cough>

 

I think you aught to look into that cough you might be coming down with something.

 

It's not what the rich have ,it's what is done with it. I'm a believer in a limit on wealth--say 5 million tops for personal wealth and anything over goes in the national kitty to help those less fortunate ,christian or otherwise. I do think churches should pay taxes like other businesses.

 

My personal view is that it is not wealth itself that is evil, it's the act of worshipping money and raising money to be something of a God that is. I'd imagine most would agree that to have your life's pursuit the acquisition of money, is wrong.

 

Even if their body and groups are the largest charity?

 

I believe generosity isn't generosity if you can continue living exactly how you want to. True generosity is shown in Luke 21:1-4

"And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. and Jesus said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: for all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had"

 

Lostthoughts I believe you have a very valid point.

I am a born again believer. And my parents are more or less wealthy Christians. And when I became a Christian I started to get very bitter and angry with them and would curse them out and stuff.. I don't think that was right either of me. I think the best thing to do is in HUMILITY AND LOVE, GENTLY correct them. Otherwise, you are probably sinning, which is NOT what Jesus would do.

But I still do love your point.. do not read shane claibornes book "ordinary radical" because you will only flip out more

But yes, the American church is confused, but what would Christ do? He would continue to love them, and get started on helping the poor Himself and hope they join along. That's what I think.

Are you a Christian Lostthoughts?

By the way, I am a minnesota too!! Twin Cities dude!!

 

Also, there is one guy in the Bible either like peter or paul or one of the apostles who AFTER He had started following Christ, and while He was(because he never stopped) He had like a house and boat and was probably wealthy.

Remember, the LOVE of money is the root of all evil, not just money. But still that is not an excuse to just give the stuff away knowing OUR TREASURES ARE IN HEAVEN.

 

Thank you jimi, you've made more sense to me than anyone so far.

First of all, I'm not meaning to flip out, but I believe this is a problem worth adressing (Jesus didn't go kindly ask the money changers to stop what they were doing)

I am a Christian, but I have a hard time assosiating myself with some of the other "Christians" I see around me. I've been raised in an environment where my parents and teachers encourage me to read Ann Coulter and other similar people. It amazes me how people claim to love Christ while at the same time saying such hateful things about people they don't agree with

I also agree that money by itself isn't evil, but last week in my church I was essentialy told that we should be willing to give everything up for Christ, but we don't actuly have to. This seemed hypocritical to me. It's easy to say you're willing to do something when your being told you don't actuly have to do it.

I'm not saying that everyone should sell everything they own, but most Christians I know have several cars, large houses, and many other unneccesary items. As followers of the bible we should be acting out our faith so mabey the rest of the world can see we do more than just talk.

"Christian is a VERB not a noun" -Maria Heller