-
Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
-
CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
-
We hope the site problems here are now solved, however,
if you still have any issues, please start a ticket in Contact Us
Luxury Cars and Mansions
- Thread starter norak
- Start date
Sounds like you're trying to empty the oceans with a teaspoon. Christians who are wealthy help others, but not ALL others. It can't be done. I don't feel guilty that I can't help everyone financially.
Upvote
0
wannabeadesigirl
Regular Member
- Dec 28, 2007
- 1,501
- 128
- 37
- Faith
- Anglican
- Marital Status
- In Relationship
- Politics
- US-Green
In Acts those Christians who had more would donate what they could willingly. I don't think it matters if you have a car or mansion as long as some of the money you have to maintain that wealthy lifestyle goes towards taking care of others, even if it's buying a paper bag lunch for the guy on the corner.
Upvote
0
D
dies-l
Guest
I know that I can't end poverty by myself. I can choose to use what resources I have beyond my family's basic needs to help others. This is not "trying to empty the oceans with a teaspoon." this is using what God has given me to help others. I don't feel guilty that I can't help everyone. The rest of God's people have to help out too. For me, it is about setting priorities. Feeding my family is priority. Having luxuries lis not, when compared to the opportunities that I have been givem to provide food, shelter, an education to brothers and sisters in need.
Upvote
0
If someone believes it is sin to have more than the 'basics' then they shouldn't have more. But to judge others by what they have is sin.
Upvote
0
D
dies-l
Guest
You might want to check out Acts 2 and 4. The members of the Jerusalem church in Acts gave shared all that they had,not just some. I am not saying that we are obliged to do the same. If we were, then I have a long way to go.
Upvote
0
Another point in this matter is that God promises that those who give will also receive, according to how they give. So, it's certainly not wrong to receive or have.
Luke 6:38 (NKJV)
38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Luke 6:38 (NKJV)
38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Upvote
0
cowboysfan1970
Forum Regular
Christ said that the poor would always be with us. Many people in the past have tried to eliminate poverty by heavy taxation or even going as far as having governments seize anything above a certain value. Huey Long was a supporter of those ideas. He came up with the Share the Wealth proposal that would basically cap how much people could make and have. Anything above that and the government would come in and take what they wanted to and there wouldn't be anything you could do about it. That's more or less Stalinism. People that live in countries that the governments have that kind of authority attempt to leave it and outsiders don't try to get into it. People should give to the poor but even if they gave away everything that they had and made themselves poor then poverty wouldn't have been reduced by one, instead it would have been increased by one.
Upvote
0
D
dies-l
Guest
I'm sorry, but this conclusion is just wrong. Christian (and secular) aid organizations have made significant progress in reducing poverty both in the US and in the third world. I agree with you that giving should be voluntary, not coerced by the government. OTOH, Jesus (as well as some of his followers) was very clear that giving to the poor is something that his followers will do (not something we are commanded to do, but something that is a natural consequence of loving and following Jesus). Do I expect to eradicate global poverty? Not at all. But, at the same time, I cannot see poverty and not feel compelled to do whatever I can to help those I can.
Personally, I believe that this best done in the context of personal relationships. This is why my giving in this area is to a specific church in Nicaragua that has partnered with my own church in the U.S.
Now, I am not judging people that have more than me or that live in mansions or drive fancy cars. I cannot know from someone's external circumstances what choices they are making privately, and there are rich people who give far more generously than I could even imagine. There are also many people who live in mansions and drive fancy cars who are not rich, In fact, most wealthy people live in fairly modest homes and drive modest cars; that's why they are rich!
I am just saying that I have not found a way, in my own life, to justify pursuing an extravagant lifestyle for myself or my family. John said "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need and has no pity on him, how can the love of Christ be in him?" 1 Jn. 3:17. This is how I want to live, and I fail at it more than I succeed. The way I read this passage, I don't see how I can pursue more luxury while I know brothers and sisters who are having trouble meeting their needs.
Upvote
0
cowboysfan1970
Forum Regular
From your point of view it's wrong, not from mine. If you had absolute power and you decided that you were going to impose this super tax that would basically seize anything that was considered to be a luxury or unneccessary for basic survival it wouldn't eliminate poverty at all. All it would do is make the people that once had things or means also among the poor. I'll go back to my original post that I don't see anything unBiblical about it as long as the person with means isn't selfish, makes money into an idol, or forgets that God had a great deal to do with them improving their situation.
Upvote
0
Similar threads
