Why do Jews in general have money and Catholics in general do not respect people who have or like to have?

Question

or make money? Studying Catholicism I noted that in general to pursue making money as an objective was always taught that it was wrong in contradiction with the Church practice of becoming rich and avoiding their riches to be split, which is why priests were later in Catholicism prohibited to marry and have children as they inherited wealth, the Church's wealth. In Judaism and other Christian faiths this view was different and pursuing material gain was not taught to be wrong. Are your conclusions similar or different? if so, describe the differences.

Answer 1

i think it comes from the fact that the general view of a catholic is believeing that this life is just "preperation" for eternity. they dont think that their time on earth is as important as the time after their death. that being said i think the catholic religion has an appeal to poorer people because it teaches that your material things dont matter, and as perfect as catholics claim to be, they still have jealousy running through their minds. that jealousy is not manifested through the attempt to gain wealth, because they dont think that anything obtaind on this earth matters, so they shun the upper class for living life better than they are. that to me is an extremely depressing way to look at things.

i know catholics are gonna hate me for saying that but take a psychology class and stop being ignorant.

Answer 2

hmmm Catholics don't believe in pursuing wealth? The only church to own their own country? The richest church in the world? Not pursue wealth, don't tell the Kennedys or Mel Gibson that.

If you read the list of the mega-rich I doubt you will find many Jews on it. One of the reasons that Jews tended to be jewelers, money lenders, etc... Was that in many areas of the world decades (back to centuries) ago Jews were not allowed to own real property, this made it difficult to have a farm or a store, therefore they had means of making money that were more portable. Jews also faced being driven from their homes so they tended to keep their wealth "liquid" and close to them.

Answer 3

What a loaded question. To be productive or industrious is not looked down upon by Catholicism. You have constructed a straw man argument loaded with presuppositions. Not all people you call Jews are wealthy and no one in Catholicism is prohibited from marriage if that was so than Catholicism would have died out long time ago. In the Western Church meaning Latin Catholics of Roman Catholicism priests take a vow of celebacy because it is a discipline, a custom they are not forced to since no individual is forced to choose to become a priest in the first place. In Eastern Rite Catholic Churches of Catholicism there are married priests (who are in full communion with the Pope) hence the story of prohibited marriage is one of the greatest anti-catholic propaganda ever told. The real meat and potatoes of the story is to imitate Jesus. Read the New Testament story of the rich man who could not follow Jesus even though he was morally good and gave out of his abundance. This man was still in love with his remaining richies something all to familar in our current world of materialism a sin of idolatry. Use your talents wisely be a great business man, be productive but give to your fellow man. Jesus tells another story of the widow who gives all that she had, she had faith greater than the others and knew her purpose for she did not give out of her abundance but all that she had this is selflessness this is imitation of Jesus Christ as is priestly celebacy. Jesus did not marry neither did St. Paul and with the rate of divorce amongst non-catholic clergy (including jewish rabbis) I'd say its a good idea as no man can take care of two families to the best of his ability similtaneously. The custom of wealth divison is a very bad one taught by anti-catholics. It was the ancient practice of Christians and Jews alike to not sub-divide family estates. The additional generations would farm the land together as a community it was never about the individual wealth as taught in western society to today hence one more reason for materialism and greed. To the best of my knowledge there is absolutely no church law which commands all the wealth of a priest goes to the church and as historical document confesses most priests would give up their wealth or birthright prior to entering the priesthood. I'd say this question has more to do with separating fact from fiction than having or not having wealth at all.

Late Addition: Wealth of the Vatican
for those claiming the Catholic Church is rich beyond wonder. There was a early Christian Catholic saint called Lawrence he was a deacon of the Church in Rome. He was instructed by the pagan Roman authorities to bring the riches of the Chruch to the civil authorities after the murder of the Pope of the time. Next day Lawrence brought the riches of the Church who were its people, the poor, the sick, the elderly to the court of the civil authorities and proclaimed "here are the Church's riches". Lawrence was burned on a spit for this and martyrd. Every year the Catholic Church runs a operating budget many times there is a shortfall not a surplus. The Church provides for many good will projects to the poor, sick and elderly as well as local church maintenance. Another answer on yahoo addresses funds accountablity be brave enough and look it up I believe many tele-evangelicalists and independant church ministers do as they are the worst offenders of money abuse today. After existence for more than 2000 years the Catholic Church has received many donations when you are 2000 years or when your church reaches 2000 years comeback and explain your church equity to me. St. Peters is like the Metropolian Museum or the any of the museums under Israeli control such as the building of the book it is a deposit of the Christian faith and as such it would not be sold for and liquidated for personal gain. It has a high valuation as a fixed asset because analysts in the current day understand It would be too expensive to recontruct. Ask youselves would NewYorkers give up the Met museum or Israelis any of the historic museums in Israel? Of course not these are a testimonial for future generations to have access to these institutions are preserved and protected. Next time someone claims the Catholic Church is rich remember to point to its people. BTW St. Lawrence was mentioned in a God-aweful book called " Foxes book of Martyrs" an extremely slanderous Protestant propaganda. Irony is most of the martyrs in it are all Catholics no Protestants.

Answer 4

Jews put a lot of value on education. They are often bankers, lawyers, doctors and have there own biz. They are taught to value money. Christians are just jealous of people with money. Nobody likes the cool kid on the block. Ps The Vatican is loaded with money.

Answer 5

You are VERY wrong about the Catholic views on money!

They want their people to have a LOT of it, to add to the giant gold piles under the Vatican.

Many scholars estimate the Catholic Church to be the richest single organization on the planet!

Of course, they really NEED that money now, so they can pay the lawsuits for all their pedophile priests......
No organization associated with GOD would be allowed that happening---I think HE would stop it.....

But, hey--the POPE knows more than the LORD, right?????

Answer 6

Catholics oppose the few Christian denominations that say that God financially rewards the faithful.

The whole spirit of Christianity (and Catholicism) is diametrically against the pursuit of wealth. Some of the reasons for this are:

+ The First Commandment +

The First Commandment forbids idolatry. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc.

Today people put many things in front of God in their lives including money, status, self, power, etc.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt1.htm#art1

+ Humility vs. Pride +

Humility is a virtue which acknowledges that all we have and all we accomplish is God's work not ours.

The opposite of humility is the sin of pride. Pride in yourself is undue self-esteem or self-love, which seeks attention and honor and sets oneself in competition with God.

+ Human Dignity and Social Justice +

If we lived as Jesus taught us, "Love on another as I have loved you" and "Love your neighbor as yourself," then there would be no poverty in the world.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2art5.htm#2283

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 7

catholic priests originally couldn't marry so that their offspring couldn't inherit church property. jews are no different than any religion where money is concerned, but while they have a bad rep, they don't worship it and donate much to their houses of worship. catholics, like the kennedys and many many others, have mucho dinero and are no less catholic than any others.

Answer 8

"Instruct those who are rich in this present world (Paul is speaking of Christians here), not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed" (I Timothy 6:17-19)
"But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into destruction. For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. (I Timothy 6:9,10)
"I (Paul) know how to get along with humble means, and I know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:12,13)
Instead of troubling yourself with many distractions, my recommendation to you is that you for your part find out what God says about the matter in His Word, the Scriptures, and follow Mary's advice: "Whatever He says to you, do it" (John 2:5)

Answer 9

When I was in NYC, I knew very wealthy Catholics while Hesidic Jews in Brooklyn were not wealthy. This was true of my experience in Chicago with Catholics and Conservative Jews. Secular Jews (I worked for) in NYC did make well for themselves. They also worked harder and smarter.

Answer 10

You actually used the words "in general" in reference to entire groups of people. Report for sensitivity training, citizen.