"Will America break up"?.... I hope so. Let's divide the country along the Mississippi... into the SSA and CSA. SSA (Socialist States of America) to the East... CSA (Capitalist States of America) to the West... Then, EVERYBODY can have what they want.
Capitalism increases income inequality but heightens the average quality of life. That means a few will do great, some will do average and some will suffer. Socialism decreases income inequality but lowers the average quality of life. That means hardly any will do great, almost all will stagnate around the average to slightly below average area and hardly any will suffer. Espousing emotional rhetoric claiming that one belief is the ultimate winner without addressing any forms of opportunity costs or tradeoffs is hardly persuasive to anyone who actually has a mind that goes beyond cheap and emotional stimulation in the form of dogmatism.
You think Jesus was pointing out that rich people have a tougher time than poor people? Is it your opinion people can spend eternal life with God because they are poor? Do you think that Jesus was saying the poor are a more virtuous group than the rich and therefore merit heaven? does God like the lottery winner before he or she wins the lottery but not after? Ever read the next 4 paragraphs or so? Ever read the parable of the talents?. Lets review. This person wants eternal life with God. Jesus says keep the commandments --- this guy says he does. At this point Jesus and every thinking person must be laughing to themselves. This guy is claiming he keeps a perfect life. So Jesus could have said you are clown. But instead he said if you really love your neighbors and God so much let me give you a little exercise..... sell everything and follow me. Jesus was illustrating this mans need for grace. The point of the story. No one is going to get into heaven based on their own good works or merit alone?. But with Jesus all things are possible If you think my interpretation is off -- read the next few paragraphs after the text you quoted. Rich person poor person sinner saint.. it does not matter. None of us deserve eternity.
do you consider jesus an idiot? does he need you to analyze what his words plainly say? if anything jesus message was about helping those without.
Must not have been on his "to do" list for the heathens. You might ought to check up on the promises of his return and his retirement plan for his devotees.
Holy crap that "IS" funny. You make it sound like the salient feature is Christ asking him to give away his belongings to go to heaven. 1) Everybody leaves the earth with exactly the same material possessions yet you assume Christ did not know that. 2) So just exactly what do you suppose the poor must do to have the same reward as promised above?
Please show me where in the bible it says "give to those who are in need, and if you cant give from your own labor, take it from a rich man that way you get to look like the hero"
No.... I just think you did not realize you were quoting the bible out of context. I just suspect your reading comprehension needs a little work. perhaps you would like to explain what exactly Jesus is plainly saying here about the rich and getting to heaven. If you want to play lawyer -- lets see... where exactly did Jesus say that by selling his possessions he would merit eternal life? Opps I see -- he has the last clause about "following me". Funny how that shows up in Jesus's other teachings about eternal life?
Here is the rest of it.... Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Jesus was stating that you cant do anything on your own merits to get yourself into heaven. Only with Gods grace can you enter heaven. You may think you are a good person, but you are not good enough to enter heaven, but because God is a loving God, he will let you in anyway if you trust in the sacrifice of Jesus instead of your own goodness. Jesus was also proving to the man that he did not lead a perfect life and he did not keep all the commandments. This is why he told him to sell everything because the man put his money before God and Jesus knew it. This is actually one of the the passages in the bible that gets misinterpretted alot. People always think it means that if you are rich, you cant get into heaven, so you have to be poor. But thats not what it means.