Jesus Wants Us To Be Rich

[_The Nehor]

Ummm....how is Consecration not a copy of what Christ and the early Christians taught?

[_moksha]

Ummm....how is Consecration not a copy of what Christ and the early Christians taught?

It is exactly what was taught.

[_Pokatator]

Weary of religious con-artists

Unless they're actively scamming you I think letting them weary you is being overly sensitive and letting them control too much of your life.

Kind of like active scamming such as temple recommend interviews, priesthood advancement interviews, tithing settlements, attendance records, home teaching surveillance, meetin's and more meetin's, and etc. So Nehor, just how much is too much control of ones life?

[_bcspace]

Jesus wants us to be rich. He wants men to become Gods. Messages that pander to our baser desires always seem to really be aimed at filling the basest desires of the messenger.

Weary of religious con-artists,

You can't accept the Bible without accepting those doctrines:

1. Jesus wants us to be rich Luke 16:9-11
2. Jesus wants us to become Gods Philippians 2:5-6

[_The Nehor]

Kind of like active scamming such as temple recommend interviews, priesthood advancement interviews, tithing settlements, attendance records, home teaching surveillance, meetin's and more meetin's, and etc. So Nehor, just how much is too much control of ones life?

I would argue that if you're not in control of your life you're doing something wrong. True, I do believe that at times what you choose to do can and should be influenced by the requests of others, God being at the top of that list. I don't see the Church as in control of my life in any way, shape, or form. All of the above meetings I have the option not to attend.

Many here have exercised that option and don't attend those meetings anymore. They also have the tendency to act like it was a brave and courageous choice to....not do something. I find that pathetic.

It seems like you are either advocating some kind of uber-freedom where there are no requests and/or directives placed on anyone or suggesting that choosing to obey the tenets of the LDS faith is somehow being controlled whereas making other choices is not.

I guess my answer is you can never have too much control of one's life. I try to control mine more all the time. One of the hardest moments in life is when you have the ability to say, "I choose" because it places the responsibility for your life on you and you alone. Then comes the empowering part where you can look at your life and say, "I choose differently".

[_Ray A]

Kind of like active scamming such as temple recommend interviews, priesthood advancement interviews, tithing settlements, attendance records, home teaching surveillance, meetin's and more meetin's, and etc. So Nehor, just how much is too much control of ones life?

I would argue that if you're not in control of your life you're doing something wrong. True, I do believe that at times what you choose to do can and should be influenced by the requests of others, God being at the top of that list. I don't see the Church as in control of my life in any way, shape, or form. All of the above meetings I have the option not to attend.

Many here have exercised that option and don't attend those meetings anymore. They also have the tendency to act like it was a brave and courageous choice to....not do something. I find that pathetic.

It seems like you are either advocating some kind of uber-freedom where there are no requests and/or directives placed on anyone or suggesting that choosing to obey the tenets of the LDS faith is somehow being controlled whereas making other choices is not.

I guess my answer is you can never have too much control of one's life. I try to control mine more all the time. One of the hardest moments in life is when you have the ability to say, "I choose" because it places the responsibility for your life on you and you alone. Then comes the empowering part where you can look at your life and say, "I choose differently".

Have you overcome your masturbation problem yet, sicko?

[_Ray A]

You see, The Nehor is really a thoroughly confirmed closet doubter. The reason he comes here is to boost his failing belief that Christian Jews lived in 600 BC.

Yes, you got that right. It's sort of like St. Augustine wondering when he'll be able to log on to Windows XP.

But, the truth is, The Nehor lives in Fantasyland. He just transferred his PC fantasy games to his belief that "Nephites" "really lived" in some mythical Wonderland somewhere in a mythical chronology, made up by dreamers.

Keep going, The Nehor, yet another "representative" of the idea that Alice in Wonderland, is, actually - "history".

[_Ray A]

I'm willing to bet that The Nehor, like many other Mormons, is someone who views pornography on the Net in secret, then comes on to sites like this to absolve himself from "sin".

That seems obvious to me.

And after all, Mormon Utah leads the nation in porn viewing. It's called Family Porn Evening.

So you see, The Nehor, you're not really "special". You're just another willy wanker who thinks Joseph Smith will save you.

[_Chap]

Jesus wants us to be rich. He wants men to become Gods. Messages that pander to our baser desires always seem to really be aimed at filling the basest desires of the messenger.

Weary of religious con-artists,

You can't accept the Bible without accepting those doctrines:

1. Jesus wants us to be rich Luke 16:9-11
2. Jesus wants us to become Gods Philippians 2:5-6

The 'Become Gods" bit is Old Testament within this thread, but here is Luke 16. Let's share this scripture ...

Yup, the sayings and parables of Jesus collected in this chapter give us an unambiguous message that as Jesus saw it, the rich guys are the good guys, and vice versa (don't they?).

As it is on earth, so shall it be in heaven. Like in verse 25, for instance. Verses 13 and 14 are interesting too.

1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

[_John Larsen]

This thread illustrates an important point, which has contributed to the overall success of Christianity. Namely, Jesus does not teach very many specific things and his ethic is quite broad without a lot of detail. The teachings of the New Testament, especially, are very elastic and can be bent into supporting a dizzying array of conclusions:

• Asceticism? Check
• Monasticism? Check
• Celibacy? Check
• Large Families? Check
• War? Check
• Peace? Check
• Slavery? Check
• Prowess as a CEO? Check
• Socialism? Check
• Capitalism? Check

The New Testament is such a great book because it can be used as a proof test to buttress just about anything you already believe.