Comments on: Churches: Places where rich people go to get God’s approval to live lavishly http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/07/27/churches-places-where-rich-people-go-to-get-god%e2%80%99s-approval-to-live-lavishly/ Human Animals at the Crossroads of Culture, Science, Religion and Media Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:57:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Erich Vieth http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/07/27/churches-places-where-rich-people-go-to-get-god%e2%80%99s-approval-to-live-lavishly/#comment-26772 Erich Vieth Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:00:25 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=2896#comment-26772 Andrew Sullivan argues that the "prosperity gospel" drove American into its current economic crisis: [M]ost Christians have at least not deceived themselves into thinking that the Gospels are actually about family life above everything and wealth as a critical element of Christian life. Until now. The Prosperity Gospel is one of the greatest blasphemies against the message of Jesus - but it is increasingly a part of the American "Christian" landscape. http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/god-backed-mort.html http://dailydish.typepad.com/the_daily_dish/2006/09/blessed_are_the.html Andrew Sullivan argues that the “prosperity gospel” drove American into its current economic crisis:

[M]ost Christians have at least not deceived themselves into thinking that the Gospels are actually about family life above everything and wealth as a critical element of Christian life. Until now. The Prosperity Gospel is one of the greatest blasphemies against the message of Jesus - but it is increasingly a part of the American “Christian” landscape.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/god-backed-mort.html
http://dailydish.typepad.com/the_daily_dish/2006/09/blessed_are_the.html

]]> By: Niklaus Pfirsig http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/07/27/churches-places-where-rich-people-go-to-get-god%e2%80%99s-approval-to-live-lavishly/#comment-22307 Niklaus Pfirsig Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:18:59 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=2896#comment-22307 Interesting you should mention the "Eye of the Needle" passage. It is one of the most mis-interpreted and misused quotes from the New Testament of the KJV concordance bible. Matthew's native language was Aramaic, or Old Arabic. In Aramaic, as in modern Arabic, many names are descriptive rather tha literal. The Eye of the Needle" is a literal translation of what some historians call the "Warrior's Gate". The warrior's gate was usually a low, narrow passage that led through the city wall. The tight confines on the passage made swords and spears usless, and lead past internal doors and cul-de-sac rooms where sentries could skewer suspected enemies with spears through holes in the wall. To get a camel through a warriors gate involved unloading the camel and forcing to through the passage on it's knees, a task made more demanding by the fact that camels can be notoriously stubborn. It is not totally impossible, just amazingly difficult. So the "Eye of the Needle" quote is not saying that all wealthy people are evil, and that they may become good by giving up the wealth, but more about how greed makes many wealthy people feel they are superior to the less fortunate, and feel justified in increasing their wealth at the cost of the misery of the poor. This theme of supporting the poor and the weak recurs a lot in the New testament. In the context of American Christianity, it gets warped into a belief that money can be substituted for personal integrity. Interesting you should mention the “Eye of the Needle” passage. It is one of the most mis-interpreted and misused quotes from the New Testament of the KJV concordance bible.
Matthew’s native language was Aramaic, or Old Arabic. In Aramaic, as in modern Arabic, many names are descriptive rather tha literal. The Eye of the Needle” is a literal translation of what some historians call the “Warrior’s Gate”.

The warrior’s gate was usually a low, narrow passage that led through the city wall. The tight confines on the passage made swords and spears usless, and lead past internal doors and cul-de-sac rooms where sentries could skewer suspected enemies with spears through holes in the wall.

To get a camel through a warriors gate involved unloading the camel and forcing to through the passage on it’s knees, a task made more demanding by the fact that camels can be notoriously stubborn. It is not totally impossible, just amazingly difficult.

So the “Eye of the Needle” quote is not saying that all wealthy people are evil, and that they may become good by giving up the wealth, but more about how greed makes many wealthy people feel they are superior to the less fortunate, and feel justified in increasing their wealth at the cost of the misery of the poor.

This theme of supporting the poor and the weak recurs a lot in the New testament. In the context of American Christianity, it gets warped into a belief that money can be substituted for personal integrity.

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