If "it's easier for a camel to pass thru the eye of a needle" then why is the Roman catholic church so wealthy

Question

I know I am going to take a lot of punches for this but I've heard that the Roman Catholic Church is the richest organization in the world. Is this true? If so why don't they give all that money to the needy and I'm not talking about the homeless, I'm talking about things like starving children in Africa. I recently saw the bishops home in Grosse Pt. Michigan. The Fuking thing looks like Buckingham Palace and it's for one person that was aperantly absent the day they covered the page in the above formentioned quote by Jeuses. I am a Catholic and a religious person but I dispise the greed that is the hidden agenda in the Church. Hidden agenda: Extort 10% of members income so we can live like fat cats.
What is your opinion, I am courious to know?

Oops screwed up the quote is "it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter in to heaven."

WOW!! I feel like I'm being crucifide.
Let thou who has not sined cast the first bible.
and remember do on to others as you would have done to you
to error is human but to forgive is devine (I don't think that's in the bible is it)

Answer 1

it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man, the catholic church is not a rich man, it's a wealthy religion, just like all of the others are, greed for wealth, and power have always been a main agenda within religions and that is the hidden agenda you speak of, I have been a catholic for over fifty years now and I would not give any religion one dam dime because I do not support Greed.

Answer 2

Well, I'm Catholic and live in Michigan, so I'm a good person to answer.
One bishop and now the entire Church has a massive 2000 year-long conspiracy? People in the religious life have a very small and set income of like, a hundred dollars per week. This bishop obviosly did not obtain his "Buckingham Palace" from his church. Chances are that he inherited it or earned it before his bishop/priest days. His assests are unrelated to the Church. Do not base opinions of the Catholic Church based off of flawed humans (like you) who are Catholic. Oh, FYI, in that bible verse, the eye of a needle is in refernce to a doorlike openning in Middle Eastern towns, so not that it is not possible, but not probable.
I hope that I have helped.
And do not cuss.


I just read other responses. Yikes! People get a grip! The Catholic Church is greed nation! Next you will say Mother Theresa pickpocketed the poor! The Church is ridiculously generous, even if there are people part of it that are not.
To anti-Catholic Bible guy: Look up a couple of versuses in Sirach or Wisdom and... oh wait, MARTIN LUTHERN OMMITTED SEVEN BOOKS FROM THE BIBLE TO FIT HIS NEEDS ABOUT FATIH AND WORKS! You say the CATHOLICS changed the Bible? We had the first bibles! If yours are different then guess who changed it?
To overpopulated Africa guy: Check your facts bud. Africa is not overpopulated, it's overAIDs. It has lots of resources to make them wealthy, but two major problems. The western world is telling them they can't touch them because of "global warming" (which is a myth by the way). And because no wealthy westerner is going to invest in the resources when the governments are so corrupt they can take over company's whenever you want. Contraceptives are immoral. Don't want kids? Don't have sex. I have lots of friends are relatives who have gone to Africa to help out, teaching, farming, building homes/shops, educating, medical assistants.... All through their CATHOLIC churches. I had a priest from Nigeria! The only blind eye is yours.
To Saint worshipper lady: I beg to differ. How is asking someone to pray for you worshipping them? Also see what I already said about the Bible.

To the asker: Yahoo! Answers is open to anyone. With a question like this you really don't know their source or reasonings. It would be best if you talked to your favorite priest and then research his response later.

Answer 3

Technically, if the church sold all the riches they had every poor person in the world would have $3. So is it worth it? Things like the Pieta and the Portinincula belong to the people and aren't anyones to sell.

My husband works for the Catholic church and I can assue you we aren't rich. May churches are in debt because tithe is low. Most bishops share a house with many other priest and monsignors. There are usually meeting rooms and guest rooms in there too. I've seen the pope up close and his clothes are pretty worn and frayed at the bottom.

Answer 4

Wow. I don't know where you are getting your information. The Catholic Church is by far NOT the wealthiest organization in the world.

People must get the idea that because it is so big, it must be rich, but that is far from true. The Church is very generous to the poor.

As a saint once did when asked to give his persecutors the treasures of the Church, he gathered all the poor in the Church and said, "These are the treasures of the Church." He was martyred.

Please research before you post such things on the internet.

Answer 5

You misunderstand the Biblical quote you provide. It is not a condemnation of wealth. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy. Wealth, in and of itself is not bad. It's one does or does not do with their wealth that makes being wealthy a bad thing.

There is nothing wrong with the Catholic Church building large ornate houses of worship. Does not God order such a thing in Exodus when He gives Moses His "specs" for the Jewish temple?

Also, you have to consider where this wealth is coming from. This wealth comes from the constant flow of charitable donations into the Church, mostly from Catholic laity like myself. Therefore, in accusing the Church of possessing too much wealth, you are accuing Catholics like me of too much charity.

By the way, there is no tithing in the Catholic Church. NO ONE is required to give 10% of their personal assetts to the Church. People are asked to give what they want - with no limits to the minimum or maximum.

What's more, an honest examination of the Church's finances would reveal that the budget of the entire Catholic Church is comparable to that of a typical American city, say Chicago for example.

Lastly, if it is your contention to promote the idea that the Church give away all it's assetts, it would be best if you practiced what you preached. Give away all of your assetts. Sell all that you own, and give all that money to the poor and needy. Once you've done this, you will have the credibility to suggest the Church do the same.

Answer 6

The Catholic church is also known for being based either on tradition and rules (more orthodox) or being extremely lenient. It has become very skewed over the centuries, and one outcome is greed.

I'm sorry if what I say bothers you, since you are Catholic, but the Catholic church makes idols out of people like the Pope and the bishops, not to mention the saints who probably discouraged idolizing anyone or anything but God. Since the church idolizes these people, they treat them like idols. They worship them, and if they don't give money and gifts to these people, it is taken from them by people who think that they should get what they "rightfully" deserve.

If it bothers you, then I would suggest that you find a different church that actually goes by the Bible rather than man and leaders of the church.

Answer 7

I know you didn't ask this question to get beat up on, right? But I would probably not base an entire religion off of one person's house. If someone can afford to live lavishly like that, then good for them. You haven't walked in their shoes, and so you can't confidently say why it is that they live that way. There are a lot of wealthy people in this world--some religious, some not.

Answer 8

Being a catholic, you should diligently study the Holy Scriptures, in prayer, and with the help of the Holy Spirit. And not the Catholic version of the Bible, it has been translated to fit their needs. Then when Jesus and you become one, you will have no problem knowing who the true believers are. And you will be surprised to find so many who do not attend any church of any denomination. It's all about worship, in Spirit and in truth.

God be with you,
Evangelist, William M. Butler
Grace Evangelistic Ministry

Answer 9

The Vatican - the top rung in the Catholic "Pyramid Scheme" is the richest Nation on earth. Richer than any country - richer then the U.S. In fact, the Vatican has so much gold, it stores part of it in our own Fort Knox.

And what do they do with the money? Send people to Africa to tell Africans that using condoms will send them to hell. Then when all the little children are starving because of overpopulation, the Vatican turns a blind eye, and gives them last rites as they die.

Answer 10

The curious thing about the Church
is that, since it is the mystical Body of Christ, it exists before it
has any members, since the animating life of the Church is not you or
me, but the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is He, not we, who makes it
holy. That is why we can speak of the Church as holy, despite the sins
of all and we do mean all its members here on earth. The Lord is our
holiness.