If Jeses tells people to give up everything to follow him why does the pope have some many riches?
Ok, so I came across this on a site http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=31133 Its kinda funny but a bit out of context but it did raise a question. In these passages Luke 18:18-22 and Luke 14: 26-33 Jesus tells people that they must give up everything to get into heaven (Luke 18:18-22 ....sell everything, Luke 14: 26-33 any of you who doesnot give up everything he has can not be my disciple). Clearly Jesus feels that people should live humble lives without riches, so why does the vatican contain all those gold items and priceless pictures, shouldnt they all be sold to help the poor and starving children, shouldnt the pope be setting an example and living a humble life? @perhaps I love you more, have you not ever made a typo? I know very well how to spell jesus thank you, your point regards the pope would me more valid if you didnt get pissy about spelling and typing errors, thats just the sort of silly picky thing that people post when they dont have a decent answer.
Religion & Spirituality - 23 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
The same could be asked of the Televangelists. Apparently saving folks for God carries a high overhead.
2 :
They want it to look nice so people may become interested in joining the religion. No one would really take him seriously if he lived in a van down by the river.
3 :
You should be aware that self financial poverty is not a sign of being a disciple of Christ. As you read what Jesus really says, - it can fall under a few different categories. 1. Put no earthly material value above that of riches of heaven 2. Everything you have is because God enabled you. -Be thankful. 3. Jesus addressed the rich young ruler, exactly where this guy had his 'confidence' in. Jesus addresses individual believers the same way, - differently and at their particular "issue". While I'm not here to advocate or denounce what the pope has or does, - some would say that the 'resources' of the Vatican are God's blessing on this group.
4 :
He wasnt talking about money. He meant your ego. The ego causes, hatred, judgment, strife, guilt, all suffering, wars, fear.............................
5 :
The catholic church believes that the "pope" is God on earth.
6 :
Good question. I don't believe ANYONE who cashes in on Jesus Christ is a true follower (as per HIS words).
7 :
Because the lamp has darkness below it.
8 :
Good question. If nothing else, that is just another piece of evidence that the Pope does NOT really follow Jesus. Remember, the Bible says that Jesus didn't even have a place to lay down his head. So Jesus certainly didn't accummulate great wealth, and luxurious homes and clothing for himself. He set the example for us in being simple and keeping ourselves content.
9 :
God will judge our stewardship, you can count on that. I do not know what that church has, but I know God will not hold me accountable for them- I have to watch what I am doing with what He's given me. So it goes with each of us.
10 :
The Essenes Jews had the same rules long before Jesus came on the scene where they shard everything and wore white cloth garments. Maybe Jesus was one of the Essenes as John the Baptist belonged to this isolated group not fare from Jerusalem. I don't think the Pope owns anything at all and all the wealth belongs to the Vatican Incorporated these days. Hence the Vatican Bank for one.
11 :
sell Ignorance, extortion, protection rackets, lies, false religion, corruption, theft,embezzlement,murder, fraud, ...all churches do it..they have just done it longer and better. Why else would so many mafiosi choose it as the religion of choice? Apologists and waanbees will tell you that the POPE does not have the riches , they are for the good works of the "church". that is why there is still so much poverty in the world.
12 :
The institution of the Catholic Church has moved very far away from the actual, basic teachings of Jesus. And you're right, all those riches in the Vatican should be sold to provide money for those who don't even have enough to eat. That would be acting truly in the spirit of what Jesus actually taught - I'm sure he also said something like "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume, and thieves break in and steal..." I hope they come to their senses and realise that the needless hoarding of possessions goes completely against the very doctrine that they're supposed to be supporting!
13 :
The bible says alot of things we should do but do we do them no. so just do your bit and God will deal with the rest
14 :
I'm not Catholic and I think the pope needs to be saved but... Mark 10:25-27 25 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. 26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? 27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Owning money is not a sin. It becomes sin when your money owns you.
15 :
In my religion, a beggar may have higher spiritual merit than a rich, shiny-car driving Superstar. We call them 'Daridr-Narayan' (God in the form of poor person) And this qualiy of giving up everything is called 'Vairagya My country Bharat is the place to see this.
16 :
I like this question because I have often wondered this too. When I use to attend church, I would look around at the stained glass, marble floors and alter and wonder... wouldn't god be happy if the church were more simple and the money was donated to the poor. It completely turned me off. It all seemed so sacrilegious to me. The Catholic church is not the only ones guilty of this. All faiths and christian denominations do this as well. My husband is Greek Orthodox by birth, when I attended a funeral once, I noticed in between the glass and an icon were gold watches, necklaces etc. This was a donation from the practitioners to the church. Looking at it just looked so medieval to me.
17 :
I am not an authority by any means, howeve I believe that the pope and all others in service to the catholic church have given up everything and they own nothing or at least very little. I believe the catholic church as you mention is the holder of the wealth. The bible does make clear that if you live your life faithful that you will be rewarded. It says a percentage of those rewards should be used to help the poor and to do the great commissioning as set out by Christ. Share the message of Christ with many. It seems in the case of the catholic church, that those who serve are giving up what they have. They certainly share Christ and have countless excellent programs all around the world to serve the poor. No doubt they believe they are sharing Christ in the best way possible. I suspect that the approach they used in the past was not always the best. This is the same and continues to be the case with many protestant churches. They seem to be working on this. Jarring the thoughts of members. Getting members to look at Christ in a new way. The catholic church will continue to make their best effort to serve God in the best way they can. Friend, The devil is all around us. He is even in the catholic churches and other denominations, causing doubt, tempting people and on and on. The devil wins when we take good works and look poorly upon them. I am a protestant and I do not wish to judge the catholic church for their actions. Only our one God and creator and judge can do this. I can however see a lot of good they are doing in the midst of all the criticism they recieve. In the midst of the tragedies that have happened within their oreganization. God Bless and thanks for asking an important quesiton.
18 :
It is wrong to misuse money that people give the church for the poor and for church needs. I do believe that God blesses people with wealth but the bible says that wealth is to be used to help the poor and to further Gods kingdom. As for the Pope i don't know his heart only God does. God wants us all to have a humble spirit.
19 :
One of the last commandments that Jesus gave to the Apostles was to preach the good news to all nations. The Pope is the Successor of St. Peter and Vicar of Christ on Earth. The Pope is appointed by God as the leader of all Christians on earth. "Christ 'established here on earth' only one Church," The other communities "cannot be called 'churches' in the proper sense" because they do not have apostolic succession -- the ability to trace their bishops back to Christ's original apostles -- and therefore their priestly ordinations are not valid. I wish that all who take it upon themselves to spread un-truths about the Catholic faith would first learn what we REALLY believe before repeating lies about us. It is really easy also, all they have to do is get a copy of the New Testament and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and read them. Nothing to hide from there.You need to go back to the books (the right ones) and read up on the real history of the Church. People believe in this organization because of its sound theological doctrine, dogma, and of course its history and claims to be the one true church. If the Vatican is that corrupt, and not blessed by God, then shouldn't it have failed a very long time ago? Remember this: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." The Catholic Church believes the Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. `Jesus established a church in 33AD and made Peter the leader of that church. Peter named that church the Catholic Church. Catholic worships and follows Christ in the tradition of Catholicism which, among other things, recognizes that Christ made Peter the leader of His new Church and Pope Benedict XVI is Peter's direct successor If you bothered to listen to what the Pope has preached? Every one of his addresses center around Jesus Christ and the hope and healing that the Lord brings. For the first 1000 years AD, the Bishop of Rome was considered by the whole world to be the leader of Christendom. For the first 1500 years AD, the Bishop of Rome was the undisputed leader of the Church in Europe. Today, the Bishop of Rome is the leader of the largest Christian denomination in the world. Christ Himself renamed Simon to Peter ("rock"), and Christ said he would build His Church (not churches) on the rock of Peter. Christ gave the keys of the Kingdom to Peter. Jesus later asked Peter three times if he love Him, and instructed him to feed His flock. The Catholic Church has interpreted these words and actions of Jesus to be the establishment of the Papacy. You, and many other Christians, out of necessity, do not agree with the Catholic interpretation. However, you cannot disprove the Catholic teaching, but can only provide a different interpretation of Scripture. History and Scripture point to the validity of the Papacy. God bless Pope Benedict in his Apostolic trip to the Australia [ world youth day ] . May all persons of good will listen to the Pope's message of peace, love, reconciliation, and hope. The purpose of the Vatican is to oversee the affairs of the Roman Catholic Church -- that should be simple enough. And, since religious issues often intertwine with political issues, the church does take a stand on certain things that involve how people's lives are lived. Whether the Vatican is unnecessary is a matter of personal opinion. Since the Catholic Church is organized on a worldwide basis, it does need some kind of an overseeing body. It is not a for-profit organization, and it does redistribute the wealth. I didn't know about any banking system, but if the Catholic Church organizes its wealth more efficiently by having its own banking system, why not? People believe in this organization because of its sound theological doctrine, dogma, and of course its history and claims to be the one true church. If the Vatican is that corrupt, and not blessed by God, then shouldn't it have failed a very long time ago? Whether Jesus was rich or poor is not at all a prerequisite for the church. And, the church is about spreading the good news, not accumulating wealth. The Catholic Church is the largest provider of food and medicine to the poor and sick in the entire world. The Pope is appointed by God as the leader of all Christians on earth. That would indicate to most reasonable Christians that the choice of our God is to be respected. The Pope is responsible for the orgaization that does more charity in the world than any other group and feeds houses and gives medical care to countless people. "Do not err, my brethren. Those that corrupt families shall not inherit the kingdom of God. And if those that corrupt mere human families are condemned to death, how much more shall those suffer everlasting punishment who endeavour to corrupt the Church of Christ, for which the Lord Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, endured the cross, and submitted to death! Whosoever, 'being waxen fat,' and 'become gross,' sets at nought His doctrine, shall go into hell. In like manner, every one that has received from God the power of distinguishing, and yet follows an unskilful shepherd, and receives a false opinion for the truth, shall be punished." St. Ignatius of Antioch ("Epistle To The Ephesians," c. 105 A.D.) You need to go back to the books (the right ones) and read up on the real history of the Church. Did you know that, for example, hospitals would not exist if it weren't for the Church? The first hospitals were started by the Church and religious orders. Before that, the concept of a hospital did not exist in anyone's imagination. All of the things that you see that look rich and lavish that the Pope wears or uses have been donated to serve God by people all over the world for 2000 years. So yes there is a lot of stuff available and much of it is rich and fine because people made it out of love for God. Everything the pope does and stands for honors God. THis man really wanted to retire back to his home in Germany and spend out his old age writing books and collecting stray cats, but instead the rest of his life has been given up in service to God. He is 81 years old, and when many his age have been retired for 15-20 years he must serve people all day long and comfort them and council them. Most scientific inquiry was actually initiated and carried out by religous men and men of the Church. I wish that all who take it upon themselves to spread un-truths about the Catholic faith would first learn what we REALLY believe before repeating lies about us. It is really easy also, all they have to do is get a copy of the New Testament and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and read them. Nothing to hide from there. Remember this: """""Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."""""
20 :
The pope doesn't own the stuff, those stuff are world heritage stuff. If the stuff was sold, the decadence of the one who bought the stuff is fostered. The price of a humble life is the fostering of decadence if the stuff was sold. It's like using gambling money for charity. Is accepting the responsibility to care for more than a billion people, with no retirement, no end to being persecuted, no end to the threat in one's life, both physical and spiritual, no end to public ridicule, no end to the internla tribulations one is facing, no end to suffering incurred by the people, and still do the job with no complains not humble? One man with tremendous responsibility cannot address every good sentiment of the people, which the pope is trying to do. The church is in continuous evolution, trying to fulfill its duty as the body of Christ, it has done many faults and is in a continuous process of atonement. The "facade" you see is but the remnants of the before, politically and economically powerful church. It has been stripped of almost every single virtula political power it has and many of its economic, income producing, holdings have been confiscated by the secular state. Its only real political power is moral suasion. This happened for the good of the church. Think of it this way, if you sell the "eye candy", you get the money to give to the poor and starving children, at that specific time only but, if you maintain the "eye candy" and get people to come and see the "eye candy" and pay for the seeing of the "eye candy", you get a continuous flow of money to give to the poor and starving children. Remember the parable of the talents. An incredibly high percentage of the church's resources are used to develop programs to address poverty, such as basic eclessial communities in missionary outposts. It doesn't just give money only and per se, in the far flung areas they develop villages, jobs for the poor, a house to live in , a sustainable lifestyle. In the urban areas it creates livelihood programs and education of the poverty stricken. The one's who gave up everything for Jesus, by order of Jesus, did not go around naked, they had tools such as clothes, foot ware and a walking stick if need be. They maximized the available resources to spread the Word. They utilized the resources given to them by the general public to enact the Word as well. One cannot do the will of God by example alone, one must be active and participative in the spreading of the Word and its enactment. We must not point the finger, we must act to achive what we see is not being done. A million apologies for my over enthusiasm.
21 :
what a good question. I've often wondered it myself. and televangelists, too.
22 :
The Pope has no salary, no property that is in the Vatican is his, to give or even take on as his. He lives in a room what has his only belongings, his clothes, his bed, his armoire, and a kneeler. Nothing else. So he has given up everything even his family and his former life to serve Christ, more than I can say about any one else. That would be like saying the President of the United States should sell all that which is in the White House to help the poor in the United States, there are quite a bit of priceless items in there, but they belong to the nation, not the President. Even those things given to him as gifts while being the President have to be left behind, because he got them as a representative of the US. What more humility than having to take on the role of the person who represents the Catholic Church in the world. To address problems others turn their faces away. And finally Jesus is spelled with a "u", not an "e", just thought you might want to know that as well. Trust in the truth not some made up lie about Papal riches, he has nothing.
23 :
many bilieve in jesus but some dont personally i do bilieve in jesus but i cannot answer your question for i am not sure if he really does exist or if a bunch of poor people just dicided to write a story to teach people moral values but i do bilieve in a higher power im just not certaine that it is jesus-christ their is no prouf that he ever existed but even if he did i dont think any one would be able t answer ur question
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