$20

[JesusWalks78]

I am only interested in what other bible fearing Christians have to say about this and will only respond to them, but the rest of you are very welcome to comment.

I have several businesses, over the weekend I bought my wife a brand new Land Rover,

http://www.landrover.com/global/default.htm

then I sent her and her sister off to a spa for the day so I could take my child and run a few errands (I believe they are never to young to get into the family business) and spend the day wrestling and playing in the dirt with him. So I was sewing some clothes for him when a thought occured to me.....my wife drives a range rover, I still drive a beat up Corolla that I bought second hand. I havent bought clothes for myself in about a year, instead I learnt how to sew and make my own clothes, I send my wife to beauty spas and Yoga at my expense, i have no personal bank account I have bought on house in her name (her mother lives there), and my business and my property is all in my childs (the eldest male the one who inherets everything) name. Technically I own nothing, I used to but that is all given away, I am not the eldest male in my family, my brother is in Dafur with the UN mission in the Administration he inherts my fathers wealth...then there is the grocery shopping I do for the Fathers in our Parish, plus my charity work I end up with about twenty dollars to my name at the end of every payday.

I have a pre nup that safe guards the property and assets that I hold for my eldest male child.

Am I amassing wealth? Is it a sin, because nothing actually belongs to me?

 

[Belk]

I am only interested in what other bible fearing Christians have to say about this and will only respond to them, but the rest of you are very welcome to comment.

I have several businesses, over the weekend I bought my wife a brand new Land Rover,

http://www.landrover.com/global/default.htm

then I sent her and her sister off to a spa for the day so I could take my child and run a few errands (I believe they are never to young to get into the family business) and spend the day wrestling and playing in the dirt with him. So I was sewing some clothes for him when a thought occured to me.....my wife drives a range rover, I still drive a beat up Corolla that I bought second hand. I havent bought clothes for myself in about a year, instead I learnt how to sew and make my own clothes, I send my wife to beauty spas and Yoga at my expense, i have no personal bank account I have bought on house in her name (her mother lives there), and my business and my property is all in my childs (the eldest male the one who inherets everything) name. Technically I own nothing, I used to but that is all given away, I am not the eldest male in my family, my brother is in Dafur with the UN mission in the Administration he inherts my fathers wealth...then there is the grocery shopping I do for the Fathers in our Parish, plus my charity work I end up with about twenty dollars to my name at the end of every payday.

I have a pre nup that safe guards the property and assets that I hold for my eldest male child.

Am I amassing wealth? Is it a sin, because nothing actually belongs to me?

Is amassing wealth a sin? <shrug> I know you said you would not respond but it seems to me that you are amasing wealth. Simply becuase it is not in your name sounds like the type of legal technicality that God would see right through.

 

[JesusWalks78]

Is amassing wealth a sin? <shrug> I know you said you would not respond but it seems to me that you are amasing wealth. Simply becuase it is not in your name sounds like the type of legal technicality that God would see right through.

I do not see it as legality, simply as trying to ensure that my eldest male child has enough to get by and have a good life.

If I was on my own, I wouldnt be doing what I do.

 

[Belk]

I do not see it as legality, simply as trying to ensure that my eldest male child has enough to get by and have a good life.

If I was on my own, I wouldnt be doing what I do.

Fair enough. I understand your reason and that you are not amasing it for yourself but for the wellbeing of your loved ones. I would guess then that it depends on if amasing wealth for others is a sin. From what I understand of the teachings of Jesus this is what a Christian is supposed to do with their life, yes?

 

[JesusWalks78]

Fair enough. I understand your reason and that you are not amasing it for yourself but for the wellbeing of your loved ones. I would guess then that it depends on if amasing wealth for others is a sin. From what I understand of the teachings of Jesus this is what a Christian is supposed to do with their life, yes?

Even that I am not to sure about? I know that I am to give, and I am first giving to my family...I also do give away to charity.

 

[Monica02]

Twenty American dollars a day - that is more than I end up with. I do not know if you are sinning or not but you have more than me.

 

[JesusWalks78]

Twenty American dollars a day - that is more than I end up with. I do not know if you are sinning or not but you have more than me.

Twenty Fijian Dollars....I dont know what the exchange rate is today, but it amounts to about $12US.

And it is per fortnight, not perday.

 

[Blackguard_]

Am I amassing wealth by netting 24 American dollars a month? Is it a sin, because nothing actually belongs to me?

Yeah, go ahead, rub it in....

Amassing wealth isn;t a sin, but boasting how poor you are probably is.

Where did you get the idea amassing wealth is a sin? Being wealthy isn't inherently sinful. Job, David, Abraham, etc. were quite rich and godly. Did you take a poverty vow or something?

I do not see it as legality, simply as trying to ensure that my eldest male child has enough to get by and have a good life.

You don't need to act as his Regent to do that(how old is he anyway?). You could you know, just give him some of your stuff when it comes time for him to need it? You know, transferring ownership? Or a will?

I think Belk might be right, you sound like you are the de facto owner of a boatload of stuff but put the paperwork under other names to feel more holy or something, becasue technically you have nothing.

 

[TheBellman]

I can just see the scene...Jesus says to the rich man 'To get to heaven, give away all that you have," and the rich guy replies "But I don't have anything...it's all in my wife and kids' names..." and Jesus says "Oh, well that's fine...you can go straight in..."

Not.

 

[rambot]

My computer is messed up. I had a fairly long, fairly detailed post about my thoughts on the matter.
To rewrite:

It's not about the thing you have (necessarily).
it's about other things
1) Do you REALLY realize how blessed you are? Perhaps overly blessed?
2) Do you really need everything you have?
3) Are you able to give your money away
4) It's all about your mindset towards money.
We only need money for food shelter and clothes; NOT happiness.

 

[tel0004]

This is probably the verse you are thinking of.

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good&#8212;except God alone. 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'[b]"
21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, 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."
26Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
28Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." (its in Luke 18, also in Mark)

The theme of the gospel is not to give up everything, but I think this man took to much pride in what he has. If you take too much pride in owning a landrover, then it could be a sin, or if you take too much pride in driving a beat up car, then that could be a sin. For that ruler, pride in his possessions was keeping him from understanding God, which is why I think Jesus told him to sell everything, not the fact that he was rich.

 

[quatona]

The way I understand the bible here:
It´s not about how many dollars you have in your pocket, and whether your wealth is technically yours or that of your wife or son.
It´s warning you not to be overly concerned with wealth and possession. It´s warning you not to be mistaken in that money makes you (or your wife or your son) happy or gives you (or your wife or your son) safety.

 

[sparklecat]

As you said, you're only interested in what Christians have to say on the matter, but either way, I don't like to pass judgement on how others handle their money. It's your money and your God; if you think you're sinning in the way you handle it, or if your priest thinks so, then be concerned about it. If neither you nor anyone else you feel has... spiritual authority feels that way, then don't be.

 

[KCDAD]

I guess I am stupid or something...where is this wealth you are amassing? God doesn't care about money. God is interested in what you do with what you have. If all you have is $20 at the end of the day and everything else is given away or spent on loved ones... I don't see anything wrong with that. Wait a minute... 20 a day, that's 100 a week... over 5000 a year... in 200 years you'll be a millionaire... you are amassing wealth. Stop it.

 

[TheMissus]

It's not about how much material wealth you have, but how much value you assign to your material goods. You could have nothing but the clothes on your back and a shack and still be obsessed with the material world. You could have wealth beyond imagination and not be materialistic. It's all in how much you care about your things.

 

[wanderingone]

Meh, you enjoy the fruits of it even if you don't have cash.. you ain't living in tin hut even if the house is in someone else's name.

Regardless I'd say constant references to what one has, gives away, buys for others, may be something other than spiritually sound behavior, be that referring to what you don't have or what you do have.

 

[Monica02]

Twenty Fijian Dollars....I dont know what the exchange rate is today, but it amounts to about $12US.

And it is per fortnight, not perday.

Sorry, I misread "payday" as "day". I was in Fiji about ten years ago. Your country is beautiful and the Fijians are very friendly. I spent five days on a scuba-resort island and seven days on a dive boat. I spent a day in Nadi (sp?) too. I drank kava! I also visited an orchid farm. I wish I could return to Fiji someday.

 

[JesusWalks78]

Yeah, go ahead, rub it in....

Amassing wealth isn;t a sin, but boasting how poor you are probably is.

I am not boasting, Just stating how it is.

You don't need to act as his Regent to do that(how old is he anyway?).

He is one.

You could you know, just give him some of your stuff when it comes time for him to need it? You know, transferring ownership? Or a will?

I actually prefer it this way, we have had problems with other siblings (like the other male children or daughters contesting the will), every thing belongs to the eldest male child.

I think Belk might be right, you sound like you are the de facto owner of a boatload of stuff but put the paperwork under other names to feel more holy or something, becasue technically you have nothing.

No I do not own it, I do enjoy it and to be honest I dont see why I shouldnt I worked hard, postponed getting married till I was secure so yes I sit on my wifes leather couch in my wifes house and watch my sons Plasma TV and I dont feel guilt at all about it.

 

[quatona]

No I do not own it, I do enjoy it and to be honest I dont see why I shouldnt I worked hard, postponed getting married till I was secure so yes I sit on my wifes leather couch in my wifes house and watch my sons Plasma TV and I dont feel guilt at all about it.

Do you think you should feel guilt if it would be your leather couch and your Plasma TV?

 

[JesusWalks78]

My computer is messed up. I had a fairly long, fairly detailed post about my thoughts on the matter.
To rewrite:

It's not about the thing you have (necessarily).
it's about other things
1) Do you REALLY realize how blessed you are? Perhaps overly blessed?

Can God overly bless you? Thats an interesting thought.

I have worked very hard to achieve what I have, I have sacrificed alot as well. God rewarded me for that.

2) Do you really need everything you have?

Alot of my money is tied up in "emergency accounts" like for medical (there is no Medicare here, the hospitals are a joke and their is only the private hospital which cost an arm and a leg...alot of people die uneccesarily because they cannot get airlifted to other countries such as Oz and NZ).

No I do not need it, but I want my family to enjoy a good standard of living.

3) Are you able to give your money away

All but twenty dollars per fortnight.

4) It's all about your mindset towards money.
We only need money for food shelter and clothes; NOT happiness.

To be honest, I have set myself up so that I dont even work that much and the money I initially made just generates..."my slaves have slaves"