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richardhutnik on 04 March 2012
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Kasz216 said:
richardhutnik said:
gameonbro said:

here's the funny thing that the religious right bible thumpers wealth protectors miss.

the bible says the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous. there's nothing that says those with wealth are the righteous so..... by process of elimination that put them in the wicked category.

you will know them by their fruit so... does anything seem good about a people that are filled with self righteous hypocrisy. do as we say not as we do.

if you think about america the ways and extent they have been going through to protect the wealth of those on top it is outright scary. these "christians" totally throw out 99% of the teachings of christ.

If want to go the Bible route, best to show clear verses, like that in Book of James, that show the point.  One can also speak camels and the eye of a needle also.  I remember of Bill O'Reilly trying to make a point how Jesus doesn't want people to have poor people in the homes of people who have resources, and he totally misses a better verse to use.

People kinda miss the point with that line however.  I imagine you are too....

The "Eye of the camel" reference comes immediatly after Jesus tells him to sell all his possession and follow Jesus.

Based on that... there is essentially nobody in any developed nation who would fufill said standards... including the poor.

I mean, he doesn't say sell a percentage of your possessions, or a certain amount, or even sell most of your possesions and live simply.  He speicifcally asks the rich man to sell EVERYTHING and follow him... after asking him if he followed all the commandments.

This is important for a couple reasons...

1) John 12:3  through... whatever it is.   Where Judas objects to Jesus using expensive oil. 

2) Since jesus was saying it.  It's worth noting that jesus was... well alive.  At the time it was pretty much near impossible for ANYONE to get into heaven since everyone sucks to a certain degree and is far for perfect.

If you ask me, I think the real meaning of said statement was to show how the young man was not willing to do anything his lord asked him, and therefore wasn't true to god and not as "perfect" as he thought he was... which is more or less essential for salvation after jesus' death in the christian religion.  That one is knowing and accepting of the fact that they've failed to be perfectly moral bengs.

It's the same reason Jesus says "Let he without sin cast the first stone."  Essentially because by worrying about others sins and what others are doing it tends to blind us and shield us from our own faults and misgivings.

 

As I can see it, a safe way to interpret the Bible is to say its commands are for Christians and the church only.  It is not meant to be applied to the world as a standard for non-Christians to live up to, so anything involving government policy, and so on, can be informed by Christians (acting as salt and light) but not something that would have a mandatory requirement on them.

This being said, one can get into how the early Church was in Acts, and seeing about sharing of possessions.  You also have James issuing warnings to the rich.  Jesus with the eye of a needle did say "with God all things are possible" implying one can be rich and also serve God (just that it is hard, real hard).  You go into proverbs and all over and see how there is a call to care for the poor.   There are verses that are quite clear on it, and it is best to take what the Bible says at a hole, or I can combine things and show how a society fully following the Bible, would have no unemployment, and everyone would be able to do something and receive their daily bread also.