Christians..................... and their worldly wealth.

[oldbadger]

Fa

Few professed Christians actually follow Christ's teachings, IMO. But true Christians do live simple lives while they give priority to spiritual riches and doing God's will. (Matthew 6:33) Interestingly, some early Christians were wealthy.(1 Timothy 6:17)

Fair enough!

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The verses do not say that a rich person cannot enter, only that is is harder for a rich man to enter.

Harder than a camel passing through the eye of a needle - i.e. an impossible task. "Harder than impossible" is still impossible.

 

[Valjean]

That description gets more interesting day by day, especially now that three planets 38 light years away have been discovered which can support life.

Maybe Elijah was collected by spaceship?

They're "Earth sized" and may be capable of sustaining liquid water. Whether or not they're capable of sustaining life is not known.

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

As there can be poor hoarders and rich hoarders, plus there's the fact that Jesus has no problem being unemployed but has to bum off people with actual belongings, still ... I think the problem is an unwillingness to give, no matter what your W-2 says.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

What good is treasure in heaven when you're living on Earth. Wouldn't it be better to keep your wealth on Earth where you can spend it?

Something about Jesus saying to not value treasures here on Earth where thieves and can steal them and moths doth corrupt, but rather to seek treasures in Heaven where they remain pure and pristine.

 

[Kemosloby]

Something about Jesus saying to not value treasures here on Earth where thieves and can steal them and moths doth corrupt, but rather to seek treasures in Heaven where they remain pure and pristine.

What good is pure and pristine treasure if you can't get to it or spend it?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

plus there's the fact that Jesus has no problem being unemployed but has to bum off people with actual belongings

That is perhaps the greatest irony exhibited by the Christian Republicans. Emulating their own Messiah and relying on others and telling people to help others--especially first and foremost and with the utmost priority the poor--just is not the way this party governs. Nor do they tend to show much compassion towards towards those "moral destroying sinners," despite Jesus himself readily and eagerly and preferably associating with societies less savory types. Afterall, it was an adulteress and a thief (though I've read the actual translation makes the man an insurrectionist), and it appears based on the original language that Jesus healed the gay lover of a Roman Centurion. However, he seemed to have zero patients for those "religious types."
If it wasn't for Luke 19, I would have a difficult time finding anything more than mild and trivial objections to some of the specifics of Jesus

 

[Shadow Wolf]

What good is pure and pristine treasure if you can't get to it or spend it?

Even though I am not a Christian, even I see a problem with materialism. Material items aren't a source of fulfillment, satisfaction, or a life well lived. Treasures are friendships, family, love, beauty, a morning chorus of birds, and the gently touch of a lover. No, you can't spend treasures in heaven, you can't even take them with you. What most people would consider treasures are nothing more than metals and ores and papers, but while maybe adding degrees of pleasure to life, are really nothing more than material items that we place too much value on.
Now, as you are a Christian, your Messiah told you not to seek treasures on earth, to sell all of your belongings and give the money to the poor, and that if you're rich you just aren't going to be making it into Heaven, probably because you didn't give your money away like Jesus commanded.

 

[Kemosloby]

Even though I am not a Christian, even I see a problem with materialism. Material items aren't a source of fulfillment, satisfaction, or a life well lived. Treasures are friendships, family, love, beauty, a morning chorus of birds, and the gently touch of a lover. No, you can't spend treasures in heaven, you can't even take them with you. What most people would consider treasures are nothing more than metals and ores and papers, but while maybe adding degrees of pleasure to life, are really nothing more than material items that we place too much value on.
Now, as you are a Christian, your Messiah told you not to seek treasures on earth, to sell all of your belongings and give the money to the poor, and that if you're rich you just aren't going to be making it into Heaven, probably because you didn't give your money away like Jesus commanded.

Obviously one has to be rich before you can give their riches away. At what point does one give away their riches?

 

[oldbadger]

........
The verse is stating that a rich man has to dump his baggage (greed, pride, vanity, etc.) before passing into Paradise. It does not mean that you have to be dirt poor to get in.

...so you'll be alright then?
Anyway, Deists can be filthy stinkin' rich.... we get an automatic pass into heaven, you know. Very religious folks, deists....

 

[oldbadger]

Why on Earth would a rich person give away all his money to follow Jesus?

Because such a person would wish to?

Most of the wealthy folks I know are so rapped up with fear of losing something that they're nuts!

Who was it that said, 'Poverty is a man who owns a well, yet is terrified of being thirsty!'

 

[oldbadger]

[QUOTE="Valjean, post: 5093590, member: 57767"
Matthew 6:19-21
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.[/QUOTE]

I remember that our RE teacher made us learn the above verses by heart.
I can still chant them, but it didn't help me...... I've got a telly, an' a bike, and a.....

 

[oldbadger]

What good is treasure in heaven when you're living on Earth. Wouldn't it be better to keep your wealth on Earth where you can spend it?

Wealth is happiness, contentment and love.
Most folks I know are wrapped up in the opposites, yet still banging on about their status and riches.

It's OK if you don't get it, but don't be jealous if/when you see any happiness beyond your own.

 

[oldbadger]

I

Sometimes rich just means satisfied. A person satisfied with the way things are will not enter into the Kingdom of God. A satisfied person is feeling rich even if he does not have much wealth.

Oh Gawd.... I'm in trouble then.
These last several years have been great, and I do feel satisfied.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Obviously one has to be rich before you can give their riches away. At what point does one give away their riches?

I'm pretty sure Jesus quantified that when he said "sell all of your possessions and give the money to the poor."

 

[oldbadger]

J
And then I hear this, Revelation 16:15.

Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.......

I don't think that Jesus minded nakedness.
It was the bad minds of later authors that so corrupted the self-righteous Christian mind, imo.

The same nakedness can be beauty, or it can be horrid.
Honi Soit qui mali pense.

 

[oldbadger]

I'm guessing this ain't it.

That's my place!
Don't my Missus (in red) look great?

 

[Kemosloby]

I'm pretty sure Jesus quantified that when he said "sell all of your possessions and give the money to the poor."

He said that to a man, a Jew, boasting that he had never sinned or broken a commandment. As for the Gentiles the commadments are not a written code, merely a few suggestions.

 

[oldbadger]

Obviously one has to be rich before you can give their riches away. At what point does one give away their riches?

I don't think so.
Who said, 'You give when you give of yourself. The more you give, so the more you discover that you have to give.'

The 'cling-ons' are mostly sad doughnuts.

 

[oldbadger]

I'm pretty sure Jesus quantified that when he said "sell all of your possessions and give the money to the poor."

.... sell all your possessions, and give all the money to..... to...... OldBadger!
Ooops....! I might have bust a few rules, just there!