Utter nonsense! Christianity is why there IS a west. Some misguided and some down right evil folks use out-of-context pull quotes from God's word to further their dark desires. No doubt about that. And nothing new either. From Genesis to The Revelation such strategy has always been Satan's modus operandi. It's quite difficult to miss that, actually, for those who've read His word.
"At least there is hope for the...Chinese"
That's quite true. Christianity is on the rise there and on the wane here. Already they top America in a Christian head count. Let's pray they eventually match our percentages.
"...a rich man can’t get into heaven..."
Michael Moore could not have misstated that better himself.
"Read the parable of the young rich man, Matthew 19:16-28"
Reading is one thing. Understanding is another. Especially when it comes to parables.
I won't give a whole sermon here, but let me quickly explain this portion of your mentioned parable:
"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."
Mountn man is on the right track when he mentions that this does not mean it is impossible for a rich guy to make it in. And liberty or death is quite helpful in pointing out that one needs to "rightly divide" God's word.
To understand the true meaning of this quote, one must realize that Christ was utilizing a proverb common in the East at the time. The English translation of the ancient Greek does not make it clear that the camel is "laden" with its burden (earthly goods). Nor does it make clear that the "eye of the needle" is a reference to the smaller gate which most walled cities of the time had and which was the only way to get in at times when the larger gates were closed to keep out the undesirables (at night, etc.). Thus the camel had to be relieved of its burden to get through the smaller passage. Meaning rich guys who are TOO attached to their money need to be unburdened of such attachment before being acceptable.
If Christ's parables were to be understood as literal instruction in the way that you are misunderstanding the parable of the rich man, then I would respond with Christ's parable of the talents a few chapters later:
There Christ tells of three servants given various amounts of talents (money in the literal sense) to care for while the Master was away. Two servants "went and traded" (like good capitalists) doubling their money. One simply buried it. When the Master returned, He was so pissed at the third guy that He called him "wicked and slothful" and chided that he should have at least put the money in the bank to earn interest. Then the Master proceeded to take the money from that dolt and give it to the guy with the MOST money! Saying:
"For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath."
OUCH!!!
To read this as you've read the prior parable then we should be taxing the poor and subsidizing the rich. But, of course, that would be to completely misunderstand Christ's meaning.
There were a number of reasons Christ sometimes spoke in parables. I can expound on them if anyone desires that knowledge who doesn't currently possess it.
I'm glad you are reading God's word. Keep it up and pray for understanding. But suffice it to say, you've missed the mark on the parable of the rich man. I pray you don't use the same reasoning when you get a few parables further into Matthew or you'll be convinced that only sheep get into heaven!
Finally, if you believe that rich guys can't get into heaven then where do you think Christ's wealthy ancestors such as God's hand-picked King David, his immensely wealthy son Solomon, Christ's adoptive father Joseph and the other goodly rich folk mentioned in His word are hanging out today?
Earthly riches are a blessing to those who can handle it just as this wealthy nation has been a blessing to the world in many ways.
Sorry if I did not make this clear on the prior post, but I was responding directly to JHBowden. I included you folks because you’d responded to him as well.
BuddhaBrown—
You make a convincing case. I’ll need to rethink the passage in light of the other parables.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." --October 11, 1798 John Adams "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net.