Dear friends in christ, It is an interesting article in a leading US financial online site (www.marketwatch.com). It discusses about what money means to Christians with views of Father Benedict Groeschel. Nice one to read during lent.
Love, Sunil Kumar Nadarajan Chicago, USA Fulfilling responsibilities before God -------------------------------------- What money means to Christians By Thomas Kostigen, CBS.MarketWatch.com Last Update: 12:10 AM ET Feb. 14, 2002 LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." Matthew 19 That's a bold assertion considering there are more than a billion Catholics in the world who might believe that as the word of God. More than 300 million Christians as well, represented by 85 sects, also might believe that New Testament scripture. What with our global society turning more toward a system of riches for everyone, dire consequences seem to be forthcoming. Yet there is a balance, even if Matthew also says, "You cannot serve both God and money." The most frequently discussed topic, or the topic the apostles and gospel writers wished to address most in the New Testament is money. It is referenced more than any other item, according to Biblical scholars. Why? Commercialism and trade proliferated in the Ancient World. Such values brought by commerce -- greed, sloth and gluttony -- were to be rejected. Hence, the coming of the savior, Jesus Christ. Today, there is still greed, sloth and gluttony. The workings of capitalism breed such destructive forces. Yet the Christian way to work within this framework isn't to reject money and capitalism, it's to "do unto others as they would do unto you." Of course, when competition is involved, that maxim becomes complex. It calls into question modern ethics. For some real answers to ethical questions about money in the context of Christianity, I turn to one of the men the world's largest religion turns to: Father Benedict Groeschel. A means to an end ----------------- As director of the Office for Spiritual Development of the Archdiocese of New York, Father Benedict is considered a "spiritual guide." He founded the Franciscan Friars of the renewal in the South Bronx, and is a professor at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers. The author of some 14 books on the spirit, he specializes and lectures widely on Christian ethics. "Money is a means to an end, it's never an end to itself," he says. "Money is the opportunity to have goods or abilities, or even powers, to help other people fulfill their responsibility before God and to have a decent life, and to fulfill one's own responsibilities before God." "If anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help, how can God's love be in that person?" John 3:17 "When possession of God becomes a goal in itself, it is, as St. Paul said, 'the root of all evil.' I realize that I'm saying this in a capitalist society. And I don't mean this to apply as a political or economic system. I think any system can be corrupted by greed. In a kind of secular idealism, the very early Marxists thought they were going to take the very motive of greed and possession and power out of money. And they managed to create one of the greatest catastrophes in human history. "You know, what they attempted to do in their classless society without wealth, what they managed to create was an extremely militaristic culture that destroyed people because they had no money to protect themselves. Money is a protection of the poor. So if you ask me, in my honest opinion, a moderated capitalism, which keeps from becoming complete piracy, is probably what works best. But it's not some great ideal," Father Benedict says. "[Jesus] told him: Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Mark 10: 21 In other words, give up all your possessions and you will be saved? "I'm a disciple of Saint Augustine, and he never thought human history was going to be more than a mixed bag . . . [So] I don't look for the perfect system. I think there should be a free but vibrant system of responsibility for the poor who are cared for by the public system and to some degree by the private sector. But I must say that a society will always have the very poor, the humanly indigent kind of people who can't make it in the system, particularly if we have a system based on volunteerism. "In a system of serfdom, you can fit everybody in, even if there is one guy whose job it is just to talk to the horses. In a free system, people are going to fall to the bottom. I'd say this is between 3 and 4 percent of any decent society. Next, you have the poor who can help themselves. This is the group of people who have often done well in the American system. People who get off the boat with little more than the shirt on their back. This accounts for maybe 10 percent of the population. Now it's not the 4 percent but it's the 10 percent that need a little push . . ." Father Benedict says. 'Be rich in good works' ----------------------- It's not giving it all up. It's giving some to those who need it most. "Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants and their customers. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves. He said: The scriptures declare that my Temple will be called a place of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves." Matthew 21:12-17 "The great problem in this country was The Great Society. Mr. [President] Johnson made a very great mistake in confusing the poor with the very poor. So they began to treat the poor like the very poor and so your number of dependent people went from 4 percent to 14 percent - and you didn't do that 10 percent any earthly good," Father Benedict says Our culture supports those who don't need it; that's sinful. "Tell those who are rich in the world not to be proud and not to trust their money, which will soon be gone... tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others." Timothy 6: 17-18 "I'm a friar," Father Benedict says. "I took a vow of poverty." He has a white beard, wears a gray wool sack of a robe tied by a rope. He could exist in any century. Well, okay, he wears sneakers. "...people who owned land and houses sold them and brought money to the apostles to give to others in need." John 2: 36 "You get to the upper class, and they have surpluses and here's where they can be very greedy. And it's the responsibility, not only of religion, but of other philanthropic organizations to teach people they must use a portion of their wealth to do good to others or they will be corrupted themselves," Father Benedict says. The New Testament, too, addresses this: "Look here, you rich people... your wealth is rotting away and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags... the very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh in hell. The treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the Day of Judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field-workers who you have cheated of their pay... the cries have reached the ears of the Lord almighty... you have condemned good people who had no power to defend themselves against you." James 5: 1-6 Thomas Kostigen is a columnist for CBS.MarketWatch.com. This column is excerpted from his book "What Money Really Means," scheduled soon for release by Charter Financial Publishing. **************************************************************** This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ****************************************************************
