buy their way into heaven like that one rich guy did in the bible?
2006-09-22 14:05:15 · 18 answers · asked by RM 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
read luke 19:4 the guy's name was Zacchaeus
2006-09-22 14:20:16 · update #1
I totally agree with you. They don't need it anyways, and just a few extra dollars can go so far with some people. A rich person might spend $50 on shoes at a discounted price and wear them 4 times. A family in Nigeria could spend $50 on a cow and automatically become one of the richest people they know. They have milk to drink, to sell, they have security in times of famine, they're quality of life goes through the roof. Ya know what I mean?
2006-09-22 14:10:00 · answer #1 · answered by Mariah 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Some are but they are usually self-made millionares/billionares. People like Gates and Buffet have started to do this. I read years ago that Gates would only leave a million to each child and give the rest to charity. The reasoning being that he started with nothing and if they can't live off a million, that's their problem. Whether he actually does it remains to be seen but as much as I hate Microsoft, that's pretty damn cool.
This is a huge problem with the complete dismantling of the estate tax, which the Bush administration recently regarded as the death tax to further his agenda to dismantle it.
Back when America was forming, this was started so that those with money wouldn't gain extraordinary power by families getting richer and richer and buying governmental influence and power. The erosion started in the 1800's and was extrapolated with people like the Rockefellers and again completely dismantled by Bush.
Imagine if all that money was available today to help with not only our problems but the world's.
Look at people like Paris Hilton. They've done nothing but have the convenience of being born into the Hilton family and is worth billions. I don't believe she should be stripped of all her riches, after all Hilton worked to create the Hilton empire, but there should be no reason that the Hilton family (and the billionaires like them) shouldn't give back to the community that actually helped them get there. After all, aren't we the one's that stayed in the hotels for a price to build said industry, or the oil, steel, etc. that built all the other billionaires?
2006-09-22 16:07:33 · answer #2 · answered by youngliver2000 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
cause most rich have never been poor. they are ignorant and they dont have compassion.
but id rather have the feeling of compassion that a million dollars.
..cause people live at the highest standard of living that they can possibly afford and then they say that they cant afford to give money to charity. maybe its not peoples fault. there is the tv which misguides us. there is jealousy and greed. and there is a serious lack of christ and the bible. ...it is downright hard to follow the bible but i cant remember once when i had to make one of those hard "should i follow the bible or not" decisions where i regretted following the bible. ...hard as it may have been.
by the way that guy didnt get into heaven.
jesus told him to sell everything he owned and follow him. the guy was sad cause he was rich and he walked away. and then Jesus said that its easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into heaven. ...they dont want to let it go. cnat you understand that? havent you ever felt that way? i have. and thats why we need to just follow the bible sometimes because we NEED Gods word to save us from ourselves.
2006-09-22 14:25:32 · answer #3 · answered by sean_mchugh6 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no one in the Bible bought their way into Heaven, there is only one way to Heaven. Apparently you did not really read the verses that you are talking about. And its not the rich persons responsibility to pay for the poor people.
2006-09-22 14:08:39 · answer #4 · answered by nsrush83 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No one can buy there way into heaven. Some rich people do help the poor - but what is often called "philanthropy" is often a grab for power.
I think greed is soon overcome by a lust for power.
It is the lust for power that prevents most rich people from helping others.
2006-09-22 15:11:52 · answer #5 · answered by phleg_mel 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Read economics.
I used to wonder why my boss, the richest man in Australia, managed to get away with paying so little tax. But then I realised that he was a necessary evil as far as providing employment for many more who pay a lot of tax. It sucks, but that's capitalism. I don't pay tax anymore, I don't earn enough. But I'm a lot happier.
2006-09-22 14:14:04 · answer #6 · answered by the universe 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Life is nicer when you have luxuries. They just turn off the TV and don't buy the newspaper. They don't go to websites where they have to look at the poor and they don't listen to radio. They play and they are overbearingly vain. I was one of them. I am so glad I am not anymore and yet at the same time...I miss it. Odd isn't it.
2006-09-22 15:39:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think maybe there is an interpretation conflict. I may be mistaken (someday I hope I will find out), but I don't think from I am taught that you can buy your way into Heaven.
2006-09-22 14:16:20 · answer #8 · answered by detecting_it 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Bill Gates is the richest man in the world and he also donates tons of money to fight aids and poverty.
2006-09-22 15:50:39 · answer #9 · answered by Adam 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The "rich" guy DIDN'T. He asked Jesus what he must do to be saved to which Jesus replied, "Sell all that you have, give the money to the poor, take up your robe and follow me."
Rich guy didn't do that.
2006-09-22 14:07:49 · answer #10 · answered by Albannach 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋