How exactly does the Vatican justify it's wealth?

[beechy]

Wasn't Bill Gates mentioned as an example of an admirable secular person who donated much to charity?

I didn't say anything about whether one should admire Bill Gates. Rather, I offered him as an example of a non-Christian that has also helped the homeless -- a type of person that Renton405 implied did not exist.

Whether it is ok to accumulate wealth in the face of need is a separate issue. Do you think it is ok?

 

[MissBabylon]

I didn't say anything about whether one should admire Bill Gates. Rather, I offered him as an example of a non-Christian that has also helped the homeless -- a type of person that Renton405 implied did not exist.

Whether it is ok to accumulate wealth in the face of need is a separate issue. Do you think it is ok?

The church doesn't really accumulate wealth. They use the money given to them to help the needy, and partly to restore monumental churches.


And yes, I think it's OK to have personal possessions. I'm not a communist. The church are helping the needy. Let's not forget that. And let's not forget that there's a lot that we, personally, can do, too.

 

[talkingmonkey]

The church doesn't really accumulate wealth. They use the money given to them to help the needy, and partly to restore monumental churches.


And yes, I think it's OK to have personal possessions. I'm not a communist. The church are helping the needy. Let's not forget that. And let's not forget that there's a lot that we, personally, can do, too.

SHE'S LYING!! SHE'S A CARD CARRYING COMMIE!!! GET HER!!

 

[beechy]

The church doesn't really accumulate wealth. They use the money given to them to help the needy, and partly to restore monumental churches.

And yes, I think it's OK to have personal possessions. I'm not a communist. The church are helping the needy. Let's not forget that. And let's not forget that there's a lot that we, personally, can do, too.

Do you believe it is ok to accumulate wealth?

 

[Avatar]

Do you believe it is ok to accumulate wealth?

Is that what the Catholic church is doing? Seems to me they're preserving treasures from the past. They aren't bidding on Monet's at Sotheby's.

 

[FaithLikeARock]

Observation: Everyone who disagrees is Catholic. No bias in this room at all. None. /sarcasm

Just throwing that out there. It's not biblical to use money that COULD be used to help the poor for something so petty. I mean, keeping up the church, whatever. I'm fine with that. But keeping up gigantic fancy buildings? The church doesn't NEED monuments! That's how idols are created!

 

[stan1980]

How many organisations could murder, torture so many people, not in the name of God, but in the name of money, power and greed. How many organisations could flaunt their wealth in every stone, in every window, in every building they have ever built. How many organisations could justify putting so many lives in danger, just so that it can gain control and donations from an "untapped" continent. How can an organisation do all this, yet still have people defend them?

 

[MissBabylon]

Do you believe it is ok to accumulate wealth?

That's irrelevant, because that's not what the church is doing.

 

[MissBabylon]

Observation: Everyone who disagrees is Catholic. No bias in this room at all. None. /sarcasm

Just throwing that out there. It's not biblical to use money that COULD be used to help the poor for something so petty. I mean, keeping up the church, whatever. I'm fine with that. But keeping up gigantic fancy buildings? The church doesn't NEED monuments! That's how idols are created!

Pfff. i could say the same about the ones attacking the church: they're all non-catholics. Talk about bias.

I don't know about you, but personally I'm grateful that the church keeps their monuments in fairly decent shape (not good shape - they can't afford that). Otherwise we wouldn't have those gorgeous monuments at all. I appreciate beauty.

Apparently most in this thread are busy feeding the poor all the time, so they don't have time to look at beauty. Pity. You don't know what you're missing.

 

[MissBabylon]

SHE'S LYING!! SHE'S A CARD CARRYING COMMIE!!! GET HER!!

Oh noes, you got me!!!!

Total commie here.

 

[Avatar]

Observation: Everyone who disagrees is Catholic. No bias in this room at all. None. /sarcasm

Just throwing that out there.

Go gather it up and take it back then. Muslim, page one, agreed with me.

It's not biblical to use money that COULD be used to help the poor for something so petty.

Ah. Another person without personal posessions. Another person who wants to see the museums of the world sell off their holdings.

I mean, keeping up the church, whatever. I'm fine with that. But keeping up gigantic fancy buildings? The church doesn't NEED monuments! That's how idols are created!

Lol. Yep I worship paintings, how did you know?

 

[MissBabylon]

Go gather it up and take it back then. Muslim, page one, agreed with me.




Ah. Another person without personal posessions. Another person who wants to see the museums of the world sell off their holdings.



Lol. Yep I worship paintings, how did you know?

Yep - I worship paintings too.

 

[beechy]

Is that what the Catholic church is doing? Seems to me they're preserving treasures from the past. They aren't bidding on Monet's at Sotheby's.

I don't know if that is what the Catholic church is doing. But I was responding to the below post which claimed that church isn't as rich as people think it is, and focused on the fact that the church helps the poor. It seemed to imply that if you help the poor you are free to accumulate wealth. I may be misinterpreting the poster's meaning and, if so, I trust he'll correct me.

Do you believe it is ok to accumulate personal wealth so long as you also help the poor?

This post in the OP was attacking how the Vatican dosen't help the poor. It is obviously wrong because the Church helps the poor more often than most. That is what I was implying. You and others are obviously ignorant of the Church and don't know much about it, or its involvement with the poor, so I have to correct you because of this OPs ignorance. In fact if people actually read more about the Apostolic Church, they would see that the Vatican isn't as rich as people think it is. If you think the Vatican is some super rich organization then you are watching too many movies. You should try to read what I say instead of going on a tangent of self righteouness telling others to "think more about what God cares about". As if you really knew.. Seriously, all your posts bleed self righteousness and you need to humble yourself for once. Like I said if your so concerned, go on a missions trip to africa. You can leave your vain lifestyle for a missions trip, correct?

 

[stan1980]

Ah. Another person without personal posessions. Another person who wants to see the museums of the world sell off their holdings.

You are normally a reasonable person from what i read. I just question how you can defend an establishment, when it is written in every stone they have laid, that they are materialistic, power hungry, and greedy.

 

[MissBabylon]

I don't know if that is what the Catholic church is doing. But I was responding to the below post which claimed that church isn't as rich as people think it is, and focused on the fact that the church helps the poor. It seemed to imply that if you help the poor you are free to accumulate wealth. I may be misinterpreting the poster's meaning and, if so, I trust he'll correct me.

Do you believe it is ok to accumulate personal wealth so long as you also help the poor?

If you want that question answered, you might as well start a new thread to ask it in general. The church is not accumulating wealth. And certainly not personal wealth. The pope, to name a random catholic, doesn't have any money, and very few personal possessions.

 

[Avatar]

You are normally a reasonable person from what i read. I just question how you can defend an establishment, when it is written in every stone they have laid, that they are materialistic, power hungry, and greedy.

I deny your conclusion.

 

[MissBabylon]

I deny your conclusion.

Me too. But I'm biased of course, being a catholic. So it doesn't really matter what I say.

 

[Avatar]

I don't know if that is what the Catholic church is doing. But I was responding to the below post which claimed that church isn't as rich as people think it is, and focused on the fact that the church helps the poor. It seemed to imply that if you help the poor you are free to accumulate wealth.

But the Church is not accumulating wealth. It's preserving historical treasures. The same as any museum. It is not acquiring more, there is no accumulation.

 

[beechy]

If you want that question answered, you might as well start a new thread to ask it in general. The church is not accumulating wealth. And certainly not personal wealth. The pope, to name a random catholic, doesn't have any money, and very few personal possessions.

Not everyone agrees with you, MissBabylon.

Do you believe it is ok for an organization to accumulate wealth? EDIT: A "Christian" organization, that is ...

 

[MissBabylon]

Not everyone agrees with you, MissBabylon.

Do you believe it is ok for an organization to accumulate wealth? EDIT: A "Christian" organization, that is ...

Well, if they're so wealthy, then why don't they have the money to restore their own churches? Mine, for example? They can't raise the 4 million it costs just to prevent it from falling to pieces.

As I said, they're not accumulating.


And to answer your question - which I already did - yes, to a degree I think it's OK to have possessions. As I said, I'm not a communist. Don't know about you, but I'm not. If you want to help the poor, use your own money to do it.