How can a Christian support/embrace/strive for wealth? Where does the Bible tell you to do so? How can Capitalism and Christianity co-exist comfortably? Where does the Bible tell you to "go forth and make lots of money?" How did "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" become so corrupted that it is now "Do it to others before they do it to you?"
After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"
"Yes, he does," he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?"
"From others," Peter answered.
"Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."
Now, I've tried this in order to pay my taxes but only ended up with fishy fingers.
The two-drachma or tyrian shekel, had Phonican God Melqart or Baal, accepted as Hercules by the Greeks and called Beezlebub by the Jews, on one side, and a phoenix/eagle on ships ram on the other, with OF TYRE THE HOLY CITY OF REFUGE on it.
Jesus also said:-
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied.
Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away
God doesn't make money, man does. Let's face it what is money? An IOU on a piece of paper, it isn't silver, it isn't gold, it is an IOU that banks have claimed ownership of. If the banks closed tomorrow we would have diddly squat.
Jesus didn't think much of the money changers in the temple of God, but he appeared to keep secular money, and God separate. It was the love of money that Jesus frowned upon, why because you cannot focus on God and the love of money together, one will always remain your master. Mammon is actually used, and this was actually considered a demon/deity in some circles, as one of the princes of hell also signifying greed.
This post was edited by Pepper Pot at May 15, 2017 2:44 AM MDT
Very true Tom, and nice to hear from you :) How many of us are wiling to sell all our possessions? I think the crutch is, the more possessions you have, the more they could end up possessing you, like a yoke around your neck, and something you would do "anything" to keep.
Benedict Arnold 