...for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God?
If that is the case, then why are Popes(both then and now) so rich? Wouldn't that lessen their chances of going to heaven?
People, don't rationalize. Jesus, a good man as he was, was about as poor as he could be and anyone who truly believes in him should know at least that.
But what about the "televangelists" that preach on TV and earn in a single year what the average man can only earn in a lifetime?
Does "God" want people to be rich?
For those who say that "God" kist wants people to be happy, why should money have anything to do with it? I thought Jesus strongly disapproved of wealth (not just greed).
I'm not rich at all, and I'm pretty happy.
2007-01-09 09:32:56 · 39 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
* kist= just.
Sorry for those who have already seen this question before :(
2007-01-09 09:33:52 · update #1
This means that the search for wealth takes up so much of your time that none is left for your search for God.
love and blessings Don.
2007-01-09 09:39:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
Jesus was referring to the gates around the city. The gates were designed to let people in but not the camels. The camels were placed in structures outside the city. He used it in context of the time to dictate how hard it would be for the rich to go to heaven by telling this story about the camel and how hard it would be to go through the "eye of a needle" or an archway into the city which was built to keep the camels out.
As far as the pope goes the Bible does not mention a pope.
That guess about his worthiness to go to heaven is on God and not you.
God does not want people to be rich because it is conceived in greed and evil. The best way to keep the soul pure is by being poor and resisting temptations. That is why the poor are truly the happiest of people.
2007-01-09 09:42:06 · answer #2 · answered by J.C. 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Wealth might not be so bad in the hands of a spiritual person but the way it is now, wealth buys representation, the best people money can buy. It buys laws for taking more wealth and the general outcome is that the public domain is looted by the wealthy. Thats the problem with wealth related to the welfare of people in general. Most people don't realize how it works. It was a practical thing with Jesus. There is great peril hidden in wealth. People lose their souls over it. God doesn't send us here to grab anything of value so that we have material wealth when we die. God gives us life as a spiritual opportunity. Most of us see the others taking possession of wealth and come to believe that is what we are here for. What are you here for?
2007-01-09 09:43:40 · answer #3 · answered by regmor12 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You look a student of secular society, so look it up. hint: In historic past, there have been many gated cities. At evening, the gate to the city might want to be closed and locked. If a tourist mandatory to get in , they could use the little establishing beside the gate. It changed into called the interest of the needle because of its structure. Their camels might want to must be bared of all luggage that they were carrying, and the camel might want to ought to get on its knees and crawl by the small establishing, however that's carried out. that's an same way for us, we favor to get rid of our bags we are carrying and get down on our knees to enter right into a relationship with God.
2016-12-02 01:36:59 · answer #4 · answered by saylors 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know anything about popes, but i think what jesus was referring to was how money has a strong tendancy to turn our eyes away from God...that many people think they don't need God if they have lots of money. I don't believe GOd has a problem with his people being blessed financially but I think they should be good stewards of what they've been given. The Bible has an awful lot to say about money and the way God wants us to handle money. As for televangelists, I can't judge thier hearts but I must admit it doesn't look good for them to have so much and to still ask for money on TV.
2007-01-09 09:46:26 · answer #5 · answered by 4 Shades of Blue 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus never says it is a sin to be rich. And going to heaven doesn't depend on your wealth but your faith in Jesus. You have to accept Him as your Savior. Also if you look at the context of where you found that verse (Mark 10:24) it later says that with God all things all possible. It says in the Bible that "the love" of money is the root of all evil. Jesus is saying that a rich man is usually greedy (not in all cases) and it will be hard for him to love God more than money. If the pope or whoever loves their money more than serving Jesus then their perspective is wrong. It truly depends on your heart. My family is not rich either. We donate most of our money to our church. But we are rich in happiness.
2007-01-09 09:45:49 · answer #6 · answered by Lizzie 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The pope is just a man and don't get me started on the cult of catholocism.
I'll agree to a point that a few televangelists are only in it for the money. If they don't repent of this greed, God will deal with them eventually. The majority however are asking for money for a legitimate reason. It's not free spreading the gospel over television or radio, far from it. They rely on these donations to keep spreading the Word of God and try to reach as many lost souls as possible.
2007-01-09 09:41:37 · answer #7 · answered by Jeff C 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
What the Bible means when it says: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" is not that a rich person can't go to heaven! it means that a rich person is not as open to hearing about God because they are content and happy with their own riches. They won't feel like they even need God in their life. The Bible isn't saying that God doesn't approve of being rich or that Rich people can't go to heaven. Just that rich people are harder to reach.
2007-01-09 09:41:18 · answer #8 · answered by Angel_Face 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Yes he did and I believe he meant it too!
I just can't believe more people have not thought about this thing with the catholic church. Like why did they spend $8 million dollars on art work for a cathedral in the south when so many people in the south were hurting for help??
Why do their churches have golden challisses and jewel-studded images of people other than God?
Didn't he also say: from Exodus Chapter 20:
3 Thou shalt have no other GODS before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Does that include all the statues of "saints" and crosses with Jesus, and Virgin Marys?
I guess it's their religion, their beliefs and they can do whatever they want to.
God has the ultimate word.
2007-01-10 09:45:35 · answer #9 · answered by Cyndi 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello =)
Well,....
You are very wise for pondering this....
It is, however merely a parable..... It seems that at certain times, Christ was very earthly in his speech, and at other times, was fond of speaking in parables, from something of a "higher place" than his disciples.
But, that being said, I think that the rich feel as if, with enough money, they could buy a large enough needle, for the camel to pass through easily, thereby paving their way into heaven.
It is best to look upon money as one does any other necessity...as it is a necessity to live in a modern society, after all. It is neither a treasure, nor a curse....it merely IS..... If you have an excess of it, you would be foolish not to be charitable with it. If you don't have enough, then how could you be charitable?? Think of it as drinking water......make sure you have enough...then afterwards, it doesn't really matter if you have any extra or not....if you do have extra, and you see someone who doesn't have enough, then you are being cruel by not offering them some.....
Namaste,
--Tom
2007-01-09 09:42:36 · answer #10 · answered by glassnegman 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He also said that your treasure is where your heart is. I'm glad to hear that you are happy. There are a few people among us WHO can amass wealth and then put it to good use for worthy causes, not self aggrandizement. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are two of the most recognized examples. There may be numerous others who have done similar things on a smaller scale that hasn't received publicity. For my self, I've never sought wealth for fear that I could not handle it and that it would make me into a person that I didn't want to become,
2007-01-09 10:08:17 · answer #11 · answered by Del C 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋