But this is hardly the point. Jesus didn't just say forego material wealth because it's more important to be good than rich. He says work hard and give your money to the poor.
And many Christians, every single one that I know, do indeed work hard and give their money to the poor. Jesus never said anything about giving every single penny to the poor and He never said it was right for governments to steal your money to give it to people who could work, but who don't work.
This is an oft recurring topic in the New Testament. Here are some examples:
These are not examples, and if heathens would just read the thing plainly, they would see it. The verses you've butchered don't even deal with spiritual issues, but mainly just recount history. So you ought to be able to understand them quite easily.
Matthew 19:21
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven
We have already dealt with this item, and it is clear it doesn't have a thing to do with how Christians should generally live. It instead tells us that to have life, we must be perfect, and in context it lets us see that it is impossible to be perfect.
Luke 6:30
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not to return them.
The verse actually deals with enemies - how we as individuals should respond to attacks by other individuals, our dang enemies. Read it beginning in 6:27 and conclude at about 6:38. The dang government is not a person. It is a system a mere part of which consists of people- and when that system is designed to steal from us, it is wrong and in need of change. Our working for change within the system is not only valid, it is a responsibility.
Acts 20:35
I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Dear me. This really proves that a heathen really cannot understand the scriptures. Paul here does not give a general command (not that it is bad to help the weak). He is talking here to elders of the Ephesian Church, telling them how to take care of the church. (see Acts 20:28) He warns them to take care because of problems the church is about to face (verse 29) and then he tells them to follow his example of working to be able to give to the church. And indeed this was Paul's habit. He was a tent maker who worked and then gave to the church. And likewise, very many Christians, all that I know, work to give to the church. When the dang American government becomes the dang church, you will have a dang point.
Ephesians 4:28
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
As with Acts 20:35, this verse, when taken in context, clearly describes how Christians are to work to support the church. It has no import at all to our working to give money to a stealing American government. You keep claiming the Bible is a book, but dang! You dang sho ain't been reading it as if its a book. You treating it as if its a dang fortune cookie or something. If its a book, then read it like one. Read 4:28 in context of the entire chapter 4 and you will see it speaks of how the church should work in unity, with folks expending labor to give the church support. That is exactly what Christians do. We call it tithing, a thing heathens love to whine about.
Acts 4:32-
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the spostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
This last passage from Acts 4:32 reads like Marx: Each giving according to his ability and each taking according to his need.
I myself do this all the dang time. Indeed, it is most certainly my belief that I own nothing, but all belongs to God. Due to this belief, I myself have given land to churches that needed land to build. I myself have sold stock and given the proceeds to the church. I have given cars, homes, clothing and food to the churches. I'm gonna be doing it again tomorra. Christians do this all the friggin' time pal. Look at the dang verse. The truth is right in your dang face and yet you can't even see it. It begins like this And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul... The verse clearly is talking about believers - the church. America ain't the church. It steals from Christians so that Christians have less to give where the Bible tells them to give.
It's amazing how hard Western Christianity is trying to rationalize clinging to its wealth in the face of so much poverty, all the while claiming to be righteous.
Ain' nobody "rationalizin'" nothin. You just can't read.
And look at how you and other Christians on this thread treat other posters: all the name calling, petty insults, and ill will. Is that really loving your neighbor as yourself?
Can' speak for nobody else, but I ain't called nobody no names, leastwise not in anger. And hey, we having fun here, knockin' fokes around while maybe trinta learn a little something. You just mad that the Christians around here ain be dumb-- making heathens look awful silly. If you insulted by what I've said, well, the truth just does that sometimes. The fact is, had I said it any other way, you woulda just turned it off and you know it. Now you done heard it.
I wish you well in the next life (if there is one).
There ain't no "next life" pal. I'm alive right dang now. Alls that's gonna happen is my dead and dying body is gonna croak. I'm gonna just keep own ticking right along - forvever. If you ain't alive, really alive, then you are dead and never have lived. Dead fokes are gonna keep being dead just like they are now - but in hell. |
