I may not follow one of the major religions but that doesn’t prevent me from respecting and appreciating what each one of them has to offer: comfort and solace in time of need, direction and guidance in times of personal crises, and a credo to form a basis for important decisions seem to me the things most people look for in their spiritual practice.
The path I’ve chosen for myself, although different from the norm, fulfills those requirements for me. In none of my readings on any of the faiths, or studies with any of my teachers, has the subject of obtaining material gain from spiritual practices ever come up. Spiritual matters should be concerned with the nurturing of the soul and the heart, not the bank book.
What’s scariest for me is the number of people who I have thought to be sensible who actually talk about “obtaining abundance” while claiming to be devoting themselves to a spiritual life. They spend their days obsessing about money to an extent that would make a corporate stockholder embarrassed(apologies to any corporate stockholders, it was the only analogy I could come up with).
It’s a sad reflection on our society that a.) there are people who write books encouraging people to behave like this and b.) that there is a sufficient audience for these types of books that they quickly become bestsellers.
Prayer and belief no longer seem to be enough of a reward on their own. Instead people are demanding a return on their investment. How much more selfish can we get?
Article comments
1 - Phillip Winn
Gypsyman, you understood the actions of Jesus throwing commerce out of the temple perfectly.
These books are written by people who start from the basis that material goods make happiness, and then sprinkle a few words from the Bible over everything to make it seem "Christian," but you've nailed them well -- it's nonsense. Completely antithetical to Christianity as described in the Bible.
And in the end, unfulfilling, I think.
2 - Andrew Dobbs
Right on the money (pun intended)! If we don't think that God will judge us for this shameless prostitution of the Gospel for selfish means, we are sorely mistaken. We need a prophetic voice to rise up and call a spade a spade and drive the money changers out of the temple.
3 - Duane
Isn't this obvious? What arguments do Christians offer to circumvent their own spiritual guide?
"He that trusteth in his riches shall fall." -- Proverbs 11:28
"One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven" -- Mark 10:21
One more, from a different perspective:
"No calamity is greater
Than not knowing what is enough,
No fault worse than wanting too much.
Whoever knows what is enough
Has enough." -- Lao Tzu
I'm a shallow atheistic capitalist, and have no problem with people who want to increase their wealth (although I find it distasteful to profit off other people's gullibility). But how do people claiming to lead spiritual lives justify their desire for a Lexus?
4 - Phillip Winn
Here's a little hint, Duane -- an amazing number of "Christians" in the USA don't actually read their Bibles. Oh, sure, they've own them. They flip to the appropriate pages to read a few verses here and there without the surrounding context when their pastor tells them to. But they don't tend to, say, read the gospel of Mark straight-through and consider what Jesus' goal was in what He did.
So yeah, it's obvious. That doesn't seem to help.
5 - Samuel
I am a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, and I could not be more happy about this article, because the Christianity of today has turned into a huge "Bless Me, Give Me, It's All About Me" club.
I am amazed at the UN-Christ-Like attitude of many Christians. You are right in the fact that very few Christians read their Bibles, and it is evident in how they treat non-Christians. Although we should be showing the love of Jesus and His truth to everyone, Christians tend to only see Christians and treat others like they are not a good. For this I do apologize and am very ashamed to have to share the same name with them.
I think that it can be summed up in a quote from a co-worker friend of mine who used to be Christian and know he is an angry homosexual.
"Sam, Christians make me feel like I have a super power. When they come in to eat or drink it becomes evident to me that I am invisible. Christians only see other Christians, they do not see us."
How True, and How Sad, and What Judgement is coming to those who call themselves Christians.
6 - Duane
Thank you for that frank assessment, Samuel. My question in post #3 was sincere. What arguments do Christians offer to circumvent their own spiritual guide? I am perfectly willing to believe that not all Christians seek after worldly possessions. I have known several of them. But I am fairly certain that this notion of the "camel through the eye of a needle" is well known to all Christians. I seem to remember hearing a few years ago that there was a new "Christian" philosophy on the rise, based on new interpretations of the Bible. Jesus was to be portrayed not as a meek turn-the-other-cheek victim, but as a badass, and there were claims that Jesus had been misinterpreted concerning the wealth issue. Have you heard anything about this? I think that Christians on the edge, debating within themselves over their desire for wealth, need a scriptural justifcation to give in to temptation and still be walking in their Lord's footsteps. Then, no doubt, there are also those that Phillip (post #4) describes, who feel no compunction at all. I have known many of them, too.
7 - BNC
Duane,
I hear Christians make arguments to justify praying for abundance:
1. The reason it's harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle is that most rich people become rich by placing money above God. However, a Christian who prays for wealth CAN get into heaven, if she doesn't make money her idol.
2. A Christian who prays for abundance is doing so because having money will increase his ability to do good works and support his family.
I'm not saying I agree with these arguments (in fact I think praying for wealth is in direct conflict with Christ's teachings concerning materialism), but they're the sort of things I hear from Christians who endorse books like "Abundance."
8 - BNC
In the first sentence, the word "two" should appear between "make" and "arguments." Sorry. Typed too fast.
BNC
9 - gonzo marx
and as so many preachers have shgown us...they need all the money they ask for so they can own their TV stations...planes to "spread the Word"....i'm certain they have spiritual reasons for those nice cars and expensive jewellry...
on and on
i'll go for the Dalai Lama, or any simple Benedictine monk walking in sandals and a rough wool robe, that he doesn't even own...on his way across the snow to chapelo, or work...
those impress me much more than the 700 club, et al
thanks for another one , gypsyman
your mileage may vary
Excelsior!
10 - Temple Stark
Warren Kelly picked this for an Editors' Pick of the Week. Go ahead and find out why here.