Self and Selfishness

[timewerx]

no, money is the root of all evil because it also makes you selfish which you think is the root of all evil.

 

[Dave-W]

the source of all our actions is our self.

In that case; every action you do is sinful.

 

[Dave-W]

money is the root of all evil

Incorrect translation.

A better rendering is "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."

 

[timewerx]

Incorrect translation.

A better rendering is "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."

Better yet, NOT hating money is the root of all evil!

Luke 16:13
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

 

[patrick jane]

no, money is the root of all evil because it also makes you selfish which you think is the root of all evil.

But every other crime and sin boils down to motive/self. Not just money, there is greed for many many many other things besides money.

 

[patrick jane]

I ask anyone to name a sin or crime that isn't selfish and self/motive related.

 

[bhsmte]

Better yet, NOT hating money is the root of all evil!

Luke 16:13
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

I would assume then, you hate money?

What do you do, to show your hate towards money?

 

[patrick jane]

I would assume then, you hate money?

What do you do, to show your hate towards money?

I hate it so much I spend it as soon as I get it. I hate it so much, I don't have any !

 

[Crowns&Laurels]

Money and selfishness, on the general scale of social order collectively, go hand in hand. They are a reflection of each other.

Refer to Jesus' parable of the workers in the vineyard, which remarkably has dual meaning.

 

[grasping the after wind]

I will take a selfish person over someone who knows nothing about me yet still thinks he knows what is best for me and will 'do me good' whether I like it or not.

The appetites of a selfish person can be satiated, the appetites of a do gooder have no limit.

But isn't the motivation of such do gooders basically selfish, self centered might be a better way to describe it . They wish to place their personal POV about what is best at the center of everyone else's universe . They do not want to allow for those outsied of themselves to have a say in this.

 

[timewerx]

I hate it so much I spend it as soon as I get it. I hate it so much, I don't have any !

Your bank must be empty then!

 

[patrick jane]

Your bank must be empty then!

I expect my account to be better in a year !

 

[Dave-W]

there is greed for many many many other things besides money.

Indeed. I am sure King David was not lusting after money when he got all hot and bothered and had to have Bathsheba .......

 

[timewerx]

I would assume then, you hate money?

What do you do, to show your hate towards money?

I have as little of it in my life as possible. I spend only about 40 USD on myself every month. I only have 500 USD in my bank.

It may sound too little but because the company I work for provides for our prison-quality foods, transportation, and accommodation. It's not much of a life and my life is comparable to that of a maximum security prison inmate. I barely have the chance to have fun and go outside even if I love to do those things. Most of my salary I give to my parents who in turn, also give to those who are poorer than us.

I'm also working on an invention in my free time that could change the world but I don't plan on making any profit on it. I intend to publish it for free as an easy DIY project that would help a lot of the poor.

I have also made fully automated spreadsheet data summary reports for my colleagues made their jobs that took them a day but now it only took them a few minutes just by pushing buttons...Unfortunately my superiors stopped me from developing automated tools for they fear they might lose their jobs over it. Made their jobs a lot easier but I did not ask anything in return. I have fixed a lot of stuff for people like cars, computers, random stuff and I didnot charge them for anything. Even some engineers at work rush to my aid to help them automate their analyst jobs. Yet my job is just a clerk.

Honestly, I'm not sure if I hate money enough. I just hope I'm not putting more wrinkles in God's face!

 

[timewerx]

But every other crime and sin boils down to motive/self. Not just money, there is greed for many many many other things besides money.

I'm reminded of some of the people I personally know (no one in our forums) so I guess you are correct!

 

[quatona]

In that case; every action you do is sinful.

Well, if that´s your premise...

 

[nomadictheist]

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, not all evil...

Evil is much broader than mere selfishness, though the evil one would have us believe otherwise. It is this lie (that selfishness is the root of all evil) that allows people who consider themselves Bible believers to condone such sins as homosexual activity and fornication. The heart and mind argue that it is "selfish" to proclaim that living those lifestyles is sinful and, as the Bible commands, not permitting people who live such lifestyles to be part of the body of Christ. And since selfishness is the "root of all evil," we decide that the command to love each other supersedes the command to expel the immoral brother from among you.

Pride is said to be the original sin. Christian doctrine holds that Lucifer, the fallen angel who we now know as Satan, committed the sin of pride, for which he was cast from heaven. It was pride - that idea that man could be like God - that drove mankind to first rebel against the command of God. So some people would argue that pride is the root of all evil. But again, that is too narrow a view.

The true root of all evil is a little more ambiguous than that. The sin nature, that inward force, or presence, that drives us contrary to the law of God, is what causes us to sin, and it can do so in ways that we wholeheartedly believe are utterly selfless. So one might argue that the sin nature is the root of all evil.

But, perhaps also the root of all evil could be said to be the evil one himself, since we are told that he is the "father of lies" and the deceiver of nations. It is he who endeavors to keep mankind from their savior. And it is he who tempted the woman, through whom temptation came to the man. And it was through man that evil entered into and corrupted the creation that God had pronounced good.

 

[patrick jane]

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, not all evil...

Evil is much broader than mere selfishness, though the evil one would have us believe otherwise. It is this lie (that selfishness is the root of all evil) that allows people who consider themselves Bible believers to condone such sins as homosexual activity and fornication. The heart and mind argue that it is "selfish" to proclaim that living those lifestyles is sinful and, as the Bible commands, not permitting people who live such lifestyles to be part of the body of Christ. And since selfishness is the "root of all evil," we decide that the command to love each other supersedes the command to expel the immoral brother from among you.

Pride is said to be the original sin. Christian doctrine holds that Lucifer, the fallen angel who we now know as Satan, committed the sin of pride, for which he was cast from heaven. It was pride - that idea that man could be like God - that drove mankind to first rebel against the command of God. So some people would argue that pride is the root of all evil. But again, that is too narrow a view.

The true root of all evil is a little more ambiguous than that. The sin nature, that inward force, or presence, that drives us contrary to the law of God, is what causes us to sin, and it can do so in ways that we wholeheartedly believe are utterly selfless. So one might argue that the sin nature is the root of all evil.

But, perhaps also the root of all evil could be said to be the evil one himself, since we are told that he is the "father of lies" and the deceiver of nations. It is he who endeavors to keep mankind from their savior. And it is he who tempted the woman, through whom temptation came to the man. And it was through man that evil entered into and corrupted the creation that God had pronounced good.

Whoa, you took that in a completely different direction than the OP intended. I'm not condoning sexual immorality at all. The flesh is sin no matter what we do, I'm saying the root cause of all sin and crime is selfishness for you or someone you love. or something you love. Self

 

[patrick jane]

Again, I'm not choosing money as the root.

 

[patrick jane]

When I say selfishness i also mean MOTIVE. Even if one does something seemingly terrible to benefit another, there is a selfish motive. It can't be avoided. Try not thinking of yourself for a minute. hour. a day ? It can't be done.