prosperity and righteousness

[miss morelia]

Hi guys. Firstly I apologize if I have posted this in the wrong place as I wasn't sure where my question belonged. So, I am seeking opinions regarding the age old question "why do wicked people prosper". The bible seems contradictory on the subject as to whether prosperity and righteousness can go hand in hand. What are your opinions?

 

[sojourner]

Prosperity isn't a reward for good behavior.

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

Hi guys. Firstly I apologize if I have posted this in the wrong place as I wasn't sure where my question belonged. So, I am seeking opinions regarding the age old question "why do wicked people prosper". The bible seems contradictory on the subject as to whether prosperity and righteousness can go hand in hand. What are your opinions?

Sociopaths have the advantage when it comes to gathering riches. That's what I've seen in the world.

 

[SoulDaemon]

Hi guys. Firstly I apologize if I have posted this in the wrong place as I wasn't sure where my question belonged. So, I am seeking opinions regarding the age old question "why do wicked people prosper". The bible seems contradictory on the subject as to whether prosperity and righteousness can go hand in hand. What are your opinions?

Good question, I think it is in the right place.

Firstly you should define prosperity, is it spiritual or material? and how are those gained?. And how you perceive righteousness?.

If a person is prospering spiritually, he is usually quite righteous and less prospering materialistic.

Whence a person who is prospering materialistically usually doesn't have a heightened spirit and doesn't possess a very righteous mind.

Of course that is not always the case, you can have materia, spirituality and still be righteous or just the opposite.

The point is are you trying to live, how would I say this, ethically and morally correct?. Righteousness is a subjective matter as is morale.

Most of the world bows down to money so I think that's why evil prevails, subjectively

 

[miss morelia]

Prosperity isn't a reward for good behavior.

Proverbs 13:21
Evil pursues the sinners but the righteous good shall be repayed.

I am speaking of prosperity in the material sense. If I understand it correctly and please feel free to correct me if im wrong but we are encouraged not to seek out wealth??

Matthew 19:23-24
*And Jesus said to his disciples,*“Truly, I say to you,*only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter*the kingdom of God.”

 

[Pegg]

Hi guys. Firstly I apologize if I have posted this in the wrong place as I wasn't sure where my question belonged. So, I am seeking opinions regarding the age old question "why do wicked people prosper". The bible seems contradictory on the subject as to whether prosperity and righteousness can go hand in hand. What are your opinions?

prosperity and righteousness are not intertwined, one does not negate the other.

You can be prosperous and righteous at the same time. Abraham was prosperous and righteous. King David was prosperous and righteous, and his son Solomon even more prosperous.

Actually God blessed Solomon with prosperity because he was righteous.

But the problem arises when a prosperous person places more value on their material things then on spiritual things. In that case, they begin to put righteousness aside in favour of prosperity. And thats why the bible says
Luke 16:13*No house servant can be a slave to two masters; for, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. YOU cannot be slaves to God and to riches.”

 

[Thana]

Yes, The wicked prosper temporarily.
Personally, I'd rather eternal happiness than a lifetime of happiness.
That's the difference between the good and the bad.

The bible says a lot, I prefer what the book of Eccelsiastes has to say. The good and the bad both have the same fate, Both bleed, Both cry, both fear, both die.

There is no one perfect, However it looks from the outside.
You may see someone you deem unworthy being blessed,
But you don't really know what their life is truly like.

 

[SoulDaemon]

Proverbs 13:21
Evil pursues the sinners but the righteous good shall be repayed.

I am speaking of prosperity in the material sense. If I understand it correctly and please feel free to correct me if im wrong but we are encouraged not to seek out wealth??

Matthew 19:23-24
*And Jesus said to his disciples,*“Truly, I say to you,*only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter*the kingdom of God.”

Well it is your belief, these are subjective matters.

Ok, you are not suppose to seek out wealth in materia, bare in mind seeking(lusting) is different than accumulating it by basic means.

If you have a good business and you get loads of money, I see nothing wrong with that, but do you hoard it and live through materia. Basically your means to accumulate materia, are they morally questionable? if not go ahead, I say.

Yes, Jesus said that rich people are harder to get in heaven, not impossible.

I think it refers to the thought used for spirituality and righteousness, it is less with the people accumulating materia and wealth.

Hopefully I did not make you anymore confused.

 

[roger1440]

prosperity and righteousness are not intertwined, one does not negate the other.

You can be prosperous and righteous at the same time. Abraham was prosperous and righteous. King David was prosperous and righteous, and his son Solomon even more prosperous.

Actually God blessed Solomon with prosperity because he was righteous.

But the problem arises when a prosperous person places more value on their material things then on spiritual things. In that case, they begin to put righteousness aside in favour of prosperity. And thats why the bible says
Luke 16:13*No house servant can be a slave to two masters; for, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. YOU cannot be slaves to God and to riches.”

Yeah, what she said, but I'll use fewer words:
One has nothing to do with the other.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Hi guys. Firstly I apologize if I have posted this in the wrong place as I wasn't sure where my question belonged. So, I am seeking opinions regarding the age old question "why do wicked people prosper". The bible seems contradictory on the subject as to whether prosperity and righteousness can go hand in hand. What are your opinions?

The classic 'reward and punishment' theology found in the Tanakh is deeply flawed. This was precisely the point being addressed by the author of Job.

 

[ChristineES]

I have trouble with those "money preachers". Jesus never taught that becoming prosperous was a reward for following him. If I am correct, then he taught the opposite.

 

[jcin04]

I believe being prosperous and righteous can go hand in hand, after all it is also mentioned in the Bible that it was God who gave us the ability to create wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).

The problem with prosperity though is when people put more importance in their material wealth than in being righteous. We are given the ability to produce wealth so we can enjoy the best that life has to offer. However, we are also suppose to use that ability to be generous and a blessing to people.

True wealth is achieved when we use our ability to produce wealth to be generous and a blessing to God's people.

 

[Sleeppy]

We don't need to search for any Scripture. The Son of Man has eyes to see, and ears to hear; everything and everyone is given a value, taken captive, and sold.

The Son of Man is born and raised in the hands of sinners (globalization/peer pressure is becoming more and more inevitable), but look:

John 3:8

The Spirit where He wills does blow, and His voice you do hear, but you have not known (at all times) where He comes, or where He goes; thus is every one who has been born of the Spirit.'

Prosperity is never through one medium, as the World may have you believe. Have we surrendered God's authority to inhospitality? How much of God's authority have the fathers put into the Son of Man's flesh? And how much more into his wallet? To know God - to know prosperity, we are given awareness and focus.

 

[Pegg]

Hi guys. Firstly I apologize if I have posted this in the wrong place as I wasn't sure where my question belonged. So, I am seeking opinions regarding the age old question "why do wicked people prosper". The bible seems contradictory on the subject as to whether prosperity and righteousness can go hand in hand. What are your opinions?

the wicked prosper because of the cunning ways they acquire wealth.

They are certainly not being blessed with wealth...they usually steal and defraud. Anyone can gain many riches by doing so....but thats why they are called 'wicked'

 

[CMike]

Hi guys. Firstly I apologize if I have posted this in the wrong place as I wasn't sure where my question belonged. So, I am seeking opinions regarding the age old question "why do wicked people prosper". The bible seems contradictory on the subject as to whether prosperity and righteousness can go hand in hand. What are your opinions?

That's similar to the question of why do bad things happen to good people.

There is no answer that we can understand.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

That's similar to the question of why do bad things happen to good people.

There is no answer that we can understand.

Oh really? How about this one...maybe God isn't omnibenevolent. Maybe God is both good and evil.

 

[CMike]

Oh really? How about this one...maybe God isn't omnibenevolent. Maybe God is both good and evil.

Maybe clouds are made of cheese.

 

[George-ananda]

So, I am seeking opinions regarding the age old question "why do wicked people prosper".

Because you're just looking at things from the material level. True prospering is in the heart and mind.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

So, I am seeking opinions regarding the age old question "why do wicked people prosper".

Because there's no logical or causal connection between how "wicked" or "good" you are, and how prosperous you are. It's like asking "why do people with blond hair get back aches?"

 

[Sunstone]

That's similar to the question of why do bad things happen to good people.

There is no answer that we can understand.

Perhaps there is no answer that we can understand if we first make a number of assumptions about the existence and nature of deity.