The Morality of Wealth

[Confidential Informant]

Driving home from lunch today I was listening to NPR. They were interviewing Bernie Sanders, the Independent senator from Vermont and an avowed socialist. Among his various observations he asked if it was "moral" (his word) for 1% of the population to "earn" (again, his word) 23% of the wealth.

That got me wondering why it would be immoral if, indeed, those people (and I am most certainly not one of them) earned the money they have. Doesn't that fact that it was "earned" mean that it is rightly theirs?

So, is that why it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle? Because being rich is inherently immoral?

I guess I don't like Mr. Sanders view that money fairly earned can be tainted by the simple fact of its amount. Where is that cut-off? Who gets to determine when I have too much money and when I become immoral because of it?

C.I.

[thesometimesaint]

Confidential Informant:

To quote the infamous GOP Senate Nominee John Raese: "I made my money the old-fashioned way, I inherited it".

Money itself is of course amoral, it is neither good nor bad. But as the good book says. The love of money is the root of all evil.

[Jeff K.]

I agree, the love of money, money for the sake of accumulation alone, is the sin.

Sanders incorrectly presumes much. 23 percent of the wealth does not mean a pile of gold in someone's coffer that does nothing. In a privately owned business the assets that run and hire the additional people, as well as innumerable assets such as trucks to run materials to other jobs, drivers hired and so on. The assets of trucks, companies, materials, all of this goes towards the twentry three percent number.

Naive and those ignorant of economics, or perhaps unaware of what it takes to run a privately owned business (which make up the majority of those that employ people in this nation). Do not necessarily see that. Bernie Sanders is one that has no real understanding of such things. If you love money, whether a poor miser or rich one, you are condemned never to enter the kingdom. The amount of money you have is irrelevant.

[Deborah]

Where is that cut-off? Who gets to determine when I have too much money and when I become immoral because of it?

Ahab will be glad to tell you.

[Jeff K.]

[Vance]

It is not possible to EARN too much money.

[Ahab]

Ahab will be glad to tell you.

Sure. Send him my way.

[Ahab]

Driving home from lunch today I was listening to NPR. They were interviewing Bernie Sanders, the Independent senator from Vermont and an avowed socialist. Among his various observations he asked if it was "moral" (his word) for 1% of the population to "earn" (again, his word) 23% of the wealth.

That got me wondering why it would be immoral if, indeed, those people (and I am most certainly not one of them) earned the money they have. Doesn't that fact that it was "earned" mean that it is rightly theirs?

So, is that why it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle? Because being rich is inherently immoral?

I guess I don't like Mr. Sanders view that money fairly earned can be tainted by the simple fact of its amount. Where is that cut-off? Who gets to determine when I have too much money and when I become immoral because of it?

C.I.

Earning money is not the problem. The problem is knowing what you should do with it when you have "earned" it.

[Jeff K.]

Chuckle, and of course Ahabs command economic model will of course make us all happy? It did such wonders for other norotious leaders of "income equality".

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Chuckle, and of course Ahabs command economic model will of course make us all happy? It did such wonders for other norotious leaders of "income equality".

I can hardly wait to get my cardboard home.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Driving home from lunch today I was listening to NPR. They were interviewing Bernie Sanders, the Independent senator from Vermont and an avowed socialist. Among his various observations he asked if it was "moral" (his word) for 1% of the population to "earn" (again, his word) 23% of the wealth.

That got me wondering why it would be immoral if, indeed, those people (and I am most certainly not one of them) earned the money they have. Doesn't that fact that it was "earned" mean that it is rightly theirs?

So, is that why it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle? Because being rich is inherently immoral?

I guess I don't like Mr. Sanders view that money fairly earned can be tainted by the simple fact of its amount. Where is that cut-off? Who gets to determine when I have too much money and when I become immoral because of it?

C.I.

The only person that can determine how much money you can have is a personal question. No one else has the authority or say on the matter.

Mr. Sanders is simply wrong on his views.

I have to say something. I currently have no employee's or people that work for me. Does anyone know the answer as to why I employ no people?

I am very greatful for the rich people of this world. I am very greatful for the owner of the company I work for. I am 100% sure that if the owner of my company was not rich I would not have a job.

[BookofMormonLuvr]

Wealth and poverty are neither moral nor immoral- it is the condition of the heart of the person.

[Deborah]

Does anyone know Bernie Sander's net worth? Being in Congress I would say he's not exactly poor.

[Ahab]

Chuckle, and of course Ahabs command economic model will of course make us all happy? It did such wonders for other norotious leaders of "income equality".

The fact that the world, in general, has a problem with giving as our Lord has commanded doesn't mean that it's not the best way to give.

[Jeff K.]

The world in general has a problem with people judging others. I think the world in general would be better off if we all worried about ourselves instead of judging others. The best way to give, by the way, is the way the Lord inspires us to give, not according to your limited judgements.

[Jeff K.]

Post script....

Top 1% earn 23.5% of income.

Top 1% pay 38% of federal income taxes.

Ahab needs to pay more in income taxes in order to properly pay his fair share.

[Doctor Steuss]

I like money.

[thesometimesaint]

Jeff K.:

As a class the rich are very happy.

If your statement were correct the US wouldn't have had declining middle class, and rising unemployment for the last decade.

Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said: We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both.

[Ahab]

The world in general has a problem with people judging others.

I'm going to ignore that comment because I don't want to derail this thread.

I think the world in general would be better off if we all worried about ourselves instead of judging others.

Then stop it, Jeff.

I'm sharing principles we should live by according to the word of God.

The best way to give, by the way, is the way the Lord inspires us to give, not according to your limited judgements.

The Lord inspires us to give generously, but not to the point of making ourselves poor.

Now take a look at how much wealth the rich have while you try to figure out why they're not getting rid of poverty, considering the fact that they can.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Jeff K.:

As a class the rich are very happy.

If your statement were correct the US wouldn't have had declining middle class, and rising unemployment for the last decade.

Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said: We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both.

First off what you bring up has absolutly nothing what so ever to do with Jeff's comments. 2ndly there are very good reasons why there is a "declining middle class". I have news for you, it is not because the rich are to gready.

[Ahab]

... there are very good reasons why there is a "declining middle class".

Whatever the reasons are, the money is going somewhere, and those who are getting it should do something with it to help those who really need it.

[Jeff K.]

I'm going to ignore that comment because I don't want to derail this thread.

Then stop it, Jeff.

I'm sharing principles we should live by according to the word of God.

The Lord inspires us to give generously, but not to the point of making ourselves poor.

Now take a look at how much wealth the rich have while you try to figure out why they're not getting rid of poverty, considering the fact that they can.

You just don't get it Ahab.

Your judgemental covetousness of other people's wealth, your concern about them, your judgement upon them, and your lack of introspection regarding your own issues leaves you vulnerable to things like petty jealousy, thoughtless generalizations and even the dismissal of God's inspiration by implying you "know" how God inspires people with money.

Stop judging other people and their groups, stop judging them and start improving yourself. You would be amazed at how much you can improve your situation with the Lord.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Whatever the reasons are, the money is going somewhere, and those who are getting it should do something with it to help those who really need it.

Yeah, so we should just take it from them. Right?

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Now take a look at how much wealth the rich have while you try to figure out why they're not getting rid of poverty, considering the fact that they can.

And how do you propose to "getting rid of poverty"?

[Ahab]

Yeah, so we should just take it from them. Right?

Who is this "we" you speak of?

When our Lord comes back, he'll set things straight, and my goal is to be among the 'we" of his people.