the spiritual danger of wealth
From an article in the Age this morning:
CHRISTIANS have lost sight of the spiritual dangers of wealth, making it their greatest moral blindness, according to Melbourne Anglican Archbishop Philip Freier.
He says Christians have allowed consumerism to make them self-centred and too concerned with their own comfort and economic security.
Dr Freier calls Melbourne Anglicans to a day of fasting and prayer on July 4 in his address today to the synod, or church parliament.
The new Archbishop will preside over his first Melbourne synod — the 150th for the diocese — when 850 clergy and laypeople gather at Dallas Brooks Hall.
“If Christians look back in 60 years time they will see Christians’ greatest moral blindness today as the way we have totally attenuated scriptural teaching on the spiritual danger of wealth,” he says.
Unless they deliberately say yes to a spirit of generosity and a simpler life, they cannot resist nor confront the forces of consumerism.
How nice would it be if the debate in the Anglican church moved from questions of sexuality to questions of wealth, affluence and consumerism.
June 16th, 2007 at 11:26 am
Not having been around here for a while I am not certain what the current arguments are here over sexuality. I’ll just “come out” and say that I’m reasonably conservative on the issue (a href=”http://one-salient-oversight.blogspot.com/2005/07/frequently-asked-questions.html”>see my FAQ for details).
I think you’re right though. Greed is not jumped on enough. With peddlers like Joel Osteen and Benny Hinn out there preaching health and wealth and prosperity, the Christian church is embracing the love of money.
One issue is, however, where the line is. At what point does a person’s concern for wealth cross over the line and become greed? Should there be a fixed amount? Maybe an amount that is adjusted for inflation? Maybe an amount based upon the average weekly wage?
Of course, to make such a line would be legalistic.
Sexuality, however, is easy to define. Penis inside other man = bad. Therefore keep it out. Man kissing other man = bad. Therefore don’t do it. It’s easy and simple to define the lines of sexuality than it is for greed.
Sadly, Christians today worry more about the effects of sexuality in the church rather than greed - and that is simply because sexual sins are so easy to define and greed is so hard to define.
I’m all for being concerned about sexuality. If the Anglican church splits over homosexuality then I will rejoice in the Lord because it is something that they should certainly be concerned about.
But they should also be concerned about greed. They should also be concerned about helping the poor. Their lack of action in this area is well documented.
June 16th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
basically agree with above.
I would note the evil Peter Jensen and the even more evil Philip Jensen have been speaking out about greed for years. Interesting to see Melbourne starting to catch up or is it merely easier to spot in Sin City.
June 16th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Dan,
You have written about Wealth, Consumerism, Spirituality and Simple Living. Consumerism has affected everything - our personal lives, Faith, Spirituality, Environment and Ecology.
Before Industrialization humans killed Environment primarily for Food. After Industrialization humans are killing environment for Food and [unnecessary]Consumer Goods.
Industrial Society is destroying necessary things[Animals, Trees, Air, Water and Land] for making unnecessary things[Consumer Goods].
In this context I want to post a part from my article which examines the impact of Speed, Overstimulation, Consumerism and Industrialization on our Minds and environment. Please read.
Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment.
The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked. Our Minds cannot be peaceful when attention-spans are down to nanoseconds, microseconds and milliseconds. Our Minds cannot be peaceful if we destroy Nature.
The link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues.
Subject : In a fast society slow emotions become extinct.
Subject : A thinking mind cannot feel.
Subject : Scientific/ Industrial/ Financial thinking destroys the planet.
Emotion is what we experience during gaps in our thinking.
If there are no gaps there is no emotion.
Today people are thinking all the time and are mistaking thought (words/ language) for emotion.
When society switches-over from physical work (agriculture) to mental work (scientific/ industrial/ financial/ fast visuals/ fast words ) the speed of thinking keeps on accelerating and the gaps between thinking go on decreasing.
There comes a time when there are almost no gaps.
People become incapable of experiencing/ tolerating gaps.
Emotion ends.
Man becomes machine.
A society that speeds up mentally experiences every mental slowing-down as Depression / Anxiety.
A ( travelling )society that speeds up physically experiences every physical slowing-down as Depression / Anxiety.
A society that entertains itself daily experiences every non-entertaining moment as Depression / Anxiety.
Fast visuals/ words make slow emotions extinct.
Scientific/ Industrial/ Financial thinking destroys emotional circuits.
A fast (large) society cannot feel pain / remorse / empathy.
A fast (large) society will always be cruel to Animals/ Trees/ Air/ Water/ Land and to Itself.
To read the complete article please follow any of these links :
PlanetSave
FreeInfoSociety
ePhilosopher
Corrupt
sushil_yadav
June 16th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
i have been thinking as i read “the forgotten ways” about the whole “Jesus is Lord” concept… and how early Christians actually were subverting the culture around them that said “Ceaser is Lord”….
The upshot of this is that if “Jesus is Lord” then Ceaser is NOT!
Today we are told Wealth and consumerism is the thing that provides meaning an purpose…
So if Jesus is Lord then Consumerism and Greed and Money and career and Property is NOT
Too often as Christians we live “Jesus is Lord” Sundays and Money is Lord the other 6 days…
June 16th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Arg, my post didn’t work. Take 2.
BringBackEP is right - Christian leaders have long been preaching against greed. Particularly so in his tribe, the Sydney Anglicans.
But the message from the pulpit is not getting into our lives. For many ministers, the pulpit is the only tool they have, so they keep using it, even though it’s not working very well. What other tools are available?
June 16th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
“Man kissing other man = bad. Therefore don’t do it.”
———-
“The first Christian churches were given this commandment in the instances listed below:
1. Romans 16:16 “Greet one another with an holy kiss”.
2. I Corinthians 16:20 “Greet ye one another with an holy kiss”.
3. II Corinthians 12:12 “Greet one another with an holy kiss”.
4. I Thessalonians 5:26 “Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss”.
5. I Peter 5:14 “Greet one another with a kiss of charity”.
These verses provide Biblical evidence that it is God’s intent followers of Christ are to greet and salute one another with a holy kiss.
Other New Testament accounts of using a kiss stand out clearly. Acts 20:37 reads, “And they wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him”. In Luke 7:45, Christ addressed Simon upon entering this Pharisee’s home saying, “Thou gavest me no kiss”. Further, in the heartwarming parable of the prodigal son, when the wayward son returns home in Luke 15:20 it reads, “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him”.
From http://www.blufftonyg.com/Literature/practices_series/holy_kiss.asp
(And no ..it’s not from a poofters page)
June 16th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
“I would note the evil Peter Jensen and the even more evil Philip Jensen have been speaking out about greed for years. Interesting to see Melbourne starting to catch up or is it merely easier to spot in Sin City.”
All it proves is nobody takes any notice of Sydney Anglicans.
June 17th, 2007 at 12:28 am
This article sums it up well. Prosperity Preaching: Deceitful and Deadly
By John Piper February 14, 2007
When I read about prosperity-preaching churches, my response is: “If I were not on the inside of Christianity, I wouldn’t want in.” In other words, if this is the message of Jesus, no thank you.
Luring people to Christ to get rich is both deceitful and deadly. It’s deceitful because when Jesus himself called us, he said things like: “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). And it’s deadly because the desire to be rich plunges “people into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9). So here is my plea to preachers of the gospel.
1. Don’t develop a philosophy of ministry that makes it harder for people to get into heaven.
Jesus said, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” His disciples were astonished, as many in the “prosperity” movement should be. So Jesus went on to raise their astonishment even higher by saying, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” They respond in disbelief: “Then who can be saved?” Jesus says, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:23-27).
My question for prosperity preachers is: Why would you want to develop a ministry focus that makes it harder for people to enter heaven?
2. Do not develop a philosophy of ministry that kindles suicidal desires in people.
Paul said, “There is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” But then he warned against the desire to be rich. And by implication, he warned against preachers who stir up the desire to be rich instead of helping people get rid of it. He warned, “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1 Timothy 6:6-10).
So my question for prosperity preachers is: Why would you want to develop a ministry that encourages people to pierce themselves with many pangs and plunge themselves into ruin and destruction?
3. Do not develop a philosophy of ministry that encourages vulnerability to moth and rust.
Jesus warns against the effort to lay up treasures on earth. That is, he tells us to be givers, not keepers. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19).
Yes, we all keep something. But given the built-in tendency toward greed in all of us, why would we take the focus off Jesus and turn it upside down?
4. Don’t develop a philosophy of ministry that makes hard work a means of amassing wealth.
Paul said we should not steal. The alternative was hard work with our own hands. But the main purpose was not merely to hoard or even to have. The purpose was “to have to give.” “Let him labor, working with his hands, that he may have to give to him who is in need” (Ephesians 4:28). This is not a justification for being rich in order to give more. It is a call to make more and keep less so you can give more. There is no reason why a person who makes $200,000 should live any differently from the way a person who makes $80,000 lives. Find a wartime lifestyle; cap your expenditures; then give the rest away.
Why would you want to encourage people to think that they should possess wealth in order to be a lavish giver? Why not encourage them to keep their lives more simple and be an even more lavish giver? Would that not add to their generosity a strong testimony that Christ, and not possessions, is their treasure?
5. Don’t develop a philosophy of ministry that promotes less faith in the promises of God to be for us what money can’t be.
The reason the writer to the Hebrews tells us to be content with what we have is that the opposite implies less faith in the promises of God. He says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
If the Bible tells us that being content with what we have honors the promise of God never to forsake us, why would we want to teach people to want to be rich?
6. Don’t develop a philosophy of ministry that contributes to your people being choked to death.
Jesus warns that the word of God, which is meant to give us life, can be choked off from any effectiveness by riches. He says it is like a seed that grows up among thorns that choke it to death: “They are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the . . . riches . . . of life, and their fruit does not mature” (Luke 8:14).
Why would we want to encourage people to pursue the very thing that Jesus warns will choke us to death?
7. Don’t develop a philosophy of ministry that takes the seasoning out of the salt and puts the light under a basket.
What is it about Christians that makes them the salt of the earth and the light of the world? It is not wealth. The desire for wealth and the pursuit of wealth tastes and looks just like the world. It does not offer the world anything different from what it already believes in. The great tragedy of prosperity-preaching is that a person does not have to be spiritually awakened in order to embrace it; one needs only to be greedy. Getting rich in the name of Jesus is not the salt of the earth or the light of the world. In this, the world simply sees a reflection of itself. And if it works, they will buy it.
The context of Jesus’ saying shows us what the salt and light are. They are the joyful willingness to suffering for Christ. Here is what Jesus said, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth. . . . You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:11-14).
What will make the world taste (the salt) and see (the light) of Christ in us is not that we love wealth the same way they do. Rather, it will be the willingness and the ability of Christians to love others through suffering, all the while rejoicing because their reward is in heaven with Jesus. This is inexplicable on human terms. This is supernatural. But to attract people with promises of prosperity is simply natural. It is not the message of Jesus. It is not what he died to achieve.
© Desiring God
Source: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2007/1993_Prosperity_Preaching_Deceitful_and_Deadly/
June 17th, 2007 at 12:51 am
But the message from the pulpit is not getting into our lives. For many ministers, the pulpit is the only tool they have, so they keep using it, even though it’s not working very well. What other tools are available?
I would suggest modeling godliness. Elders in the NT are exhorted in 1 Timothy and Titus to live Godly lives so that others may see how to live in a godly way. It’s teaching through action.
It also means that big churches miss out on having a godly relationship with their pastor.
June 17th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Lance,
I vaguely remember you from last time here. I have a feeling we’ll have a pointless debate. What I meant to point out was overtly homosexual activity. I am familiar with the references you have given but I would stop short at using those for supporting homosexual activity.
But, as I have pointed out above, concern for homosexuality may be justified, but the church is hypocritical - I/WE are hypocritical - by focusing solely upon that sin and not upon others (especially when greed causes poverty and starvation)
June 17th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
I attach a church’s article on this topic:
Wealth, Possessions and Giving
The topic of wealth and possessions is a sensitive one for many. The use of our God-given possessions and wealth is a subject the Bible addresses regularly. We are warned about the dangers of the love of money and of greed, which resides in every human heart. We live in a materialistic consumer culture constantly enticing us to accumulate possessions and amass wealth for our own pleasure. There are confusing messages about money:
· on the one hand there is a ‘prosperity gospel’, which is a ‘heaven now’ argument suggesting that God wants us ‘healthy and wealthy’ and will reward us with riches in this life if only we give generously to Him and have faith; but
· on the other hand there is a tendency in Christian circles towards asceticism, which can sound like ‘hell now’. This promotes austerity and self-denial and regards money and possessions as evils to be avoided or at best tolerated.
Money and possessions represent power. To have wealth is to have power – the power of choice, power to consumer, power to influence and control things. However, all wealth and power ultimately belong to God. All creation is His and is good (Ps 50:10, Hag 2:8). God has granted man dominion and stewardship of his creation (Gen 1:26-28, Ps 8). We are responsible to God for how we use that which God has given. There is a right place for enjoyment of the good gifts of our gracious God (Ecc 5:18-20, 1 Tim 4:3-5, 6:17). Christians are not to be ascetics who deny pleasure and enjoyment of good things. In the OT God gave Israel festivals to enjoy and celebrate the good gifts of God in fellowship. Jesus ate and drank and feasted with both his disciples and ‘sinners’.
However, money and possessions and good times easily become a ‘god’. Paul warns us of greed, which is ‘idolatry’ (Eph 5:5, Col 3:5). Money itself is not bad, rather the love of it. It exerts a power of us and masters us and we become enslaved to accumulating more money and possessions. We worship the creation and not the Creator (Rom 1:25). Our worship and slavery to money is subtle – we simply can not do without it and it dominates our thinking and our lives.
Throughout the Bible there are constant warnings about the dangers of wealth and possessions. Israel was in greatest danger spiritually in times of prosperity rather than in times of adversity (Deut 8:6-18, Ps 49:16-20). The Lord Jesus warns us of the deceitfulness of wealth (Mk 4:19) and the foolishness of gaining lots of possessions and yet not being rich towards God and forfeiting our very souls for eternity (Luke 9:25, 12:13-21). He assures us that despite our best efforts we cannot serve two masters, for neither God nor money will share our allegiance with another (5:24).
The clear teaching of the Bible is that wealth and possessions are not bad but must always be used for service to others and not be hoarded for our own selfish pleasures and thereby bringing Him glory (Rom 12:1-2, 15:5-6). This must include our money and possessions. Learn to be content with what God provides. Resist that desire for riches that might lead us into temptation and away from trust in God (1 Tim 6:6-10). 1 Timothy 6:17-19 is instructive:
‘Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life’
Contentment, trust in God and generosity must be the marks of those who have received and understood the grace of God in Christ Jesus. It will be absolutely counter-cultural and a constant battle because of our sinful and greedy hearts. Ask God to open our hearts and cheque books that we might honour him and find joy and freedom as we serve Him with our money. Let’s keep talking to each other about how we sort out the many questions about why and how and where to direct our giving. Please read the document ‘Guide for Giving’ which has been handed out today and is also available on our website for some further thoughts.
Some further thoughts and not original from 2 Cor 9
The principle is in v 6-7
giving should be looking at 7 & 8 personal, thoughtful, willing and joyful
The upside of giving is
Generosity provokes v2
Generosity provides v12
Generosity proves v 13
Generosity perpetuates v 10-11
Generosity brings praise v 11-12 , 15
June 17th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Heh. Most people at my local Anglican church wouldn’t have 2 cents to rub together.
June 17th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I can’t believe they have NON sense
June 17th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Haven’t been ’round for a while. EP having being a member at CC Gladesville I can say that as one having ‘not much sense’ living ‘out’ at rydalmere that I found the affluence and expectations of just pay for this or that a little hard to take at Gladesville.
But that aside I like the article you have quoted is good value. Generosity not prosperity, just as forgivenes not offence and the royal priesthood of all believers not the lord’s anointed are the the worthy things we should put our minds to.
June 18th, 2007 at 10:36 am
money is a strange thing.. we werent meant to have money - it is a human construction designed to deal with our relationships with each other separate from God.
God designed us to share his creation but in our rebellion we want to own his creation and be master of it ourselves and money helps us do that.
Money is not a neutral thing… it is more powerful than sex,power, material things, position, fame etc because money offers them all… good things can be done with money of course but as humans we are (in our natural state of rebellion) unable to do the right thing with it separate from God’s grace… it is only ever through Gods grace that i will ever do any good with what i have.
June 18th, 2007 at 10:51 am
#13 The Anglican Communion is a very broad church Homer. But there is plenty of NONsense as well.
#15 Good comment abtruth.
June 18th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Saint, this is why I do not believe in broad churches.
Amazing a person has a PhD in theology and has no idea of what divinity is!!
June 18th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Peter Jensen can sometimes be good - Philip never
June 18th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
having said that, I can sometimes be good - but me…never!
I don;t think that money is a neutral thing either - people say it is to justify their pursuit of it. We live in a world where it is impossible (for most of us unless you live in a village in Africa or South America) to live without money and so we are tainted all the time by the call for more money to do more things to achieve more and to live better.
I say let’s challenge the consumer driven mentality of this world that we find ourselves living in. There is a cafe in melbourne (three of them actually) Lentil as Anything that doesn;t charge a set price for it’s meals or drinks - it asks people to struggle with their own consciences in order to arrive at a suitable payment - Where are the Christian places doing this?
Money is not good - anything that divides people by virtue of how much fo it youi have is not good - and if you don;t ahve much money you can’t do as much as other people who have heaps of it - in fact the less you have the less influencial you are - name one person living in poverty who is in any position of power in the western world?
Money is not neutral.
June 18th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Who or what do we worship? This image from religious imagery in cultureis quite apt I think!
June 18th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I loved snoop dogg doing the passion of the christ! The Pazzle of the Chrizle fo snizzle my dizzle! Word
June 18th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Who or What do we worship
and
religious imagery in culture
give that a go
June 18th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
and I meant fo snizzle my nizzle - dizzle indeed - how embarrasment!
June 18th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
“There is no reason why a person who makes $200,000 should live any differently from the way a person who makes $80,000 lives. Find a wartime lifestyle; cap your expenditures; then give the rest away.”
Is living on $80 000 considered a “wartime lifestyle” these days? (My parents lived through world war II and they recall saving up ration coupons of rice and sugar to make a special rice pudding) These were two unfortunate sentences to link!!!
Which just reflects what is “rich” is a very relative / elastic term.
I’m just intrigued how one can earn $200 000. (Only so I can give $120 000 away of course and struggle by on a mere $80 000.) Any ideas?