Maybe said plurality, "spouting off to someone taking a survey," gets the idea that Christian values are at odds with capitalism from 1st Christian Jesus, who once said, "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
Christians have to be moral capitalists.
That is the only system that allows for free will. Socialism/communism/islam, etc. are all immoral since they forbid freedom of thought and conscious and the right to take care of your family without interference.
All other forms of cultural
organization puts a gun to the back of your head and makes you serfs to the system—a system that will reward sloth and evil over the industrious and productive.
Followed by “With God all things are possible”. The gol is to be “rich in the things of God”. That does not exclude earning a good living.
The admonition is against putting all of one’s trust in riches and none in God.
Today I think Jesus would caution those who so eagerly put their trust in government’s capacity to redistribute wealth rather than relying on God!
A caution to all the socialists out there: paying one’s taxes without complaint does not discharge the personal obligation to “give alms” or aid the poor. Neither does ladling soup into a bowl once a year.
Barf alert? So what’s the alternative,,, be a socialist of some stripe?
Author is a retard.
Jesus Christ and JC Penney
“So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.” John 13:2b-3b.
This comes from the reading on Holy Thursday this year. Each year, in the attempt to emphasize the true meaning of the Gospel, that Christ is the “suffering servant,” we read the story of how humble it is for Jesus to wash our feet. This is true. I have participated in this ceremony and I remember the feeling of humility as someone washed my feet. In fact, it was hard to sense where humility left off and embarrassment started.
This year, this particular passage struck me. It comes just before Jesus got up and put a towel around his waist and then washed the apostles feet. As I pondered the passage, the Holy Spirit took my mind back to one of the motivational messages I heard many years ago. It was about the conversion experience of a man by the name of James Cash Penney. Yes, that is J.C. Penney, the founder of the department store that bears his name.
In my mind, one of the characteristics of true conversion is that a person becomes less self-centered and becomes other-centered, just like Jesus shows us in this reading. I was struck by one of the comments made by J.C. Penney about his conversion. “When I was baptized [his was an adult baptism], one of the things struck me most was the thought, ‘Christ has forgiven all of my sins. I truly am a free man.’ I knew from that moment that I was free to promote and expand my business to the fullest extent, following God’s principles of treating my fellow man with integrity and honesty, providing the best quality I could. I knew God would lead me in my business and, yes, I would make honest mistakes—humans do that—but that I would never knowingly cheat a customer to make a profit.”
That was his business creed from that moment forward.
What a contrast to Judas, who we read about in that same story of the Last Supper. The sin of greed was in the heart of Judas from the git-go. When the woman came into the Pharisee’s home and begin to anoint the feet of Jesus with precious oils, it was Judas who faked outrage. He exclaimed that those precious oils could have been sold, and the money given to the poor. Have you ever noticed that that that same line is used by some people when the legislature wants to spend money on a project they oppose? Have you ever noticed that the same argument does not come up when politicians spend millions of dollars while running for office?
Another story about JC Penney that inspires me is the time he was walking through his store and overheard an employee telling a customer, “I am sorry, ma’am, we do not carry that item. I do believe, however, I saw something like that over at Macy’s down the street.” Penney was shocked that one of his employees would tell a customer to go to a competitor’s store. However, after giving it some thought, he called an employee meeting and told his staff, “As a service to our customers, in the future, if we do not carry an item and you know where they can buy it, please give them that information. It is good business to be of service to our customers, even when it means recommending a competitor. We will gain a reputation for helping others and not just being centered on ourselves.”
He was right. J.C. Penney’s gained a reputation for being generous and putting the needs of the customer first. In fact, the new policy became so successful that when the owners of Macy’s and other competing stores found out about it and saw the beneficial effect it had on JC Penney customers, they too called staff meetings and told their staffs to implement the policy. It was the charitable thing to do.
How could Jesus, who was God, ever think of doing a task as menial as washing another’s feet? The answer is in the above passage. Jesus knew who he was. He knew where he had come from and where he was going—Heaven—so his confident self-image allowed him to focus not on himself, but on others. It was not the physical act of washing their feet that was impressive: it was the attitude of focusing on the needs people had. And that’s exactly what J.C. Penney learned was good business practice.
When you put “self” on the cross and die to your own selfish desires and ego, you become more successful because God can raise you from the dead self, as he did with Jesus; and you will rise from that grave of narcissism to freedom of spirit to bring the Good News to others. “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these other things will be given to you.”
Once you have the confidence that you have come from God and will return to God; that God will provide for every need you have here on earth, you will live in freedom.
Christianity is a paradox. It is in giving we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
This is a great time of year!
Stuart Walker, CLU, ChFC, lives in Bloomington, Minnesota. He has been a financial advisor since 1962. He and his wife, Cathy, have given seminars for Crown Financial Ministries.
A “plurality of Americans” ... give me a break.
Natural rights are God given. Capitalism is the economic system compatible with natural rights.
10An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
14She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
16She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29"Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."
30Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
31Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
can a Christian NOT be a capitalist?!
seems both go well together.
And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no money, no bread, no money in their purse.
To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
“Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”