Would You Be Alarmed If Someone Ordered A Hundred Dollar Bible?

[Justin86]

[quote name='Alycin' post='1518036' date='May 4 2008, 07:31 PM']Just wanted to interject to say that if your above statement is true, then you haven't seen it because you're choosing not to, don't know many protestants, or live in a cave.

I know several people off the top of my head. The first two that come to mind are newlyweds without much money at all... they are about to go to Zambia to do ministry work. They'll be living in tents. It's not uncommon at all to find protestants that spend years and years and years doing missionary work... I'm not gonna sit here and say, "well THIS catholic is better because THEY devoted their LIFE to poverty" because... I know it's not my place to judge.[/quote]
That is true. I remember one time someone was talking about a group of a nuns, and he said they were Lutheran. I was like, "what?" at first.

I guess the life of poverty is universal among all Christians.

[rkwright]

[quote name='Altari' post='1518023' date='May 4 2008, 02:36 AM']I'm only replying to your blatant Ad Hominem attack because of your clear misunderstanding of copyright law.
Wrong. It's not MySpace. My domain, that I pay for, manage and maintain all by my lonesome. There's your first mistake. My property.
Wrong again. Intellectual property is automatically copyrighted under US law.

The mods have been notified that I do not endorse the unauthorized reproduction of my copyrighted works on this website. I fully expect all posts referencing said material, this post included, to be removed as soon as a mod is able to attend to the matter.[/quote]

I'm studying for my property exam... thought I'd through in some info here. Copyrights are automatic, but in order to 'protect' your work you would have to register it. They're not over all intellectual property, only certain categories with certain characteristics, though yours would probably fit.


Anyways... just some info for you and a review for me


I did have a question for you though; you said earlier that if the leader of the Church was highly adorned with jewels and the like, if he wasn't living what you would consider a Christian life, you would leave that church. Is that an accurate statement?

So if we were to use this as a general principal, then we should (as a camp director said) 'follow no man further than he follows Christ'. These lavish conditions are signs of materiality, of sin. Now since all sin is sin, and especially in protestant theology, we shouldn't follow any man who sins. Which means we shouldn't have even followed St. Peter and St. Paul; for they were terrible sinners! But this is absurd, so maybe we only 'follow' the generally good ones, while the ones who are outwardly sinning we don't. But now aren't we judging the heart of men? And whose to say really who is sinning? Where is that line?

The point is this: People sin. Period. God knows that, Jesus was very much aware of that. Yet He picked out sinners to lead His Church. I have no doubt in my mind that the apostles probably sinned a few times after the resurrection. If I was a follower of St. Paul and I saw him struggling still with sins of the flesh, whatever he meant with that, would up and 'find a new church'? No, because I know human weakness, and I know the truth of the Gospel. Just because some archbishop is not living the Gospel, does not mean the Gospel isn't being preached. If we decide which Church to go to based on the actions of the people, and not whether that person is preaching the gospel, we have put our faith in men not God.

[Altari]

[quote name='rkwright' post='1518189' date='May 4 2008, 11:28 AM']I'm studying for my property exam... thought I'd through in some info here. Copyrights are automatic, but in order to 'protect' your work you would have to register it. They're not over all intellectual property, only certain categories with certain characteristics, though yours would probably fit.[/quote]
Any work must be registered in order to file a copyright infringement lawsuit. However, the registration can take place any time, even after the infringement has occurred.

[quote]So if we were to use this as a general principal, then we should (as a camp director said) 'follow no man further than he follows Christ'. These lavish conditions are signs of materiality, of sin. Now since all sin is sin, and especially in protestant theology, we shouldn't follow any man who sins. Which means we shouldn't have even followed St. Peter and St. Paul; for they were terrible sinners! But this is absurd, so maybe we only 'follow' the generally good ones, while the ones who are outwardly sinning we don't. But now aren't we judging the heart of men? And whose to say really who is sinning? Where is that line?[/quote]
Oh you got me...

Actually, the problems with the opulence is not just the opulence. It is the misappropriation of funds given by members in good faith. A pastor that is able to live such a lush life is obviously abusing the trust placed in him to be a good and honest steward of the church's finances.

Edit to clarify...

Edited May 4, 2008 by Altari

[StColette]

I don't find it alarming to spend $100 on a Bible. That's probably the only book I would spend that amount on. Unless it's a very good Biblical commentary.

I do find it alarming that I have spent over $100 several times on textbooks for biology, chemistry, etc. Now that I have a problem with lol

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Altari' post='1518201' date='May 4 2008, 12:52 PM']Any work must be registered in order to file a copyright infringement lawsuit. However, the registration can take place any time, even after the infringement has occurred.
Oh you got me...

Actually, the problems with the opulence is not just the opulence. It is the misappropriation of funds given by members in good faith. A pastor that is able to live such a lush life is obviously abusing the trust placed in him to be a good and honest steward of the church's finances.

Edit to clarify...[/quote]
How much is much much or too little?

[JesusIsMySuperHero]

[quote name='mortify' post='1517914' date='May 3 2008, 10:57 PM']With all due respect, I have yet to see a Protestant adopt a life of poverty as our Lord did, and as many religious monks and nuns do in order to live a life closer to the Gospel. Since you reserve the cheapest for God, I wonder what you reserve for yourself?

As for the Scripture, it stands clear. Many people, not just Protestants but even Catholics, behave like Judas Iscariot. They criticize spending for the Lord's sake and they say its better to spend for the poor. The reality is, if we love God and revere Him, we will be *compelled* to make the most beautiful things for Him. It's only natural that the Monks spent decades making one beautiful manuscript that contained the inspired word of God. And as I said, God Himself commanded only the most precious materials to be used for the Tabernacle, the Temple, Priestly vestments, and all other things associated to worshiping Him.[/quote]

Oh my goodness.

So if you live a life of poverty, you live closer to God!

Let me throw this out there, I have thousands of dollars in the bank, more than enough to pay for the first year of college for the course I want to take. Now, by your measure, I must be wordly, unmoved by God, and just plain sinful that I would save money to enjoy myself. . .

The idea you must live in poverty to live for God is just plain wrong. I'm not saying that gain is godliness as well. But it has to be taken in context. If God has given you the ability to save for the things you want, and you don't that is a greater sin!

Edited May 5, 2008 by JesusIsMySuperHero

[Alycin]

[quote name='JesusIsMySuperHero' post='1518994' date='May 4 2008, 11:50 PM']Oh my goodness.

So if you live a life of poverty, you live closer to God!

Let me throw this out there, I have thousands of dollars in the bank, more than enough to pay for the first year of college for the course I want to take. Now, by your measure, I must be wordly, unmoved by God, and just plain sinful that I would save money to enjoy myself. . .

The idea you must live in poverty to live for God is just plain wrong. I'm not saying that gain is godliness as well. But it has to be taken in context. If God has given you the ability to save for the things you want, and you don't that is a greater sin![/quote]


Dude, did you even read what I was replying to?

[JesusIsMySuperHero]

[quote name='Alycin' post='1519002' date='May 4 2008, 10:56 PM']Dude, did you even read what I was replying to?[/quote]
Opps, wrong person. . .

Sorry about that.

[Alycin]

[quote name='JesusIsMySuperHero' post='1519007' date='May 4 2008, 11:58 PM']Opps, wrong person. . .

Sorry about that.[/quote]

It's okay!

[Altari]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1518221' date='May 4 2008, 12:13 PM']How much is much much or too little?[/quote]
It is subjective, of course, and up to the church community to decide. Having had someone clarify the Catholic perspective (which I don't agree with, but won't argue), I will just explain the problem I have, as a Protestant. There are many "preachers" who make their wealth off the offerings of their congregations. It is irresponsible, in that it is both sinful and a cause of sin, for a pastor to use tithes as a means to his own end.

While it was argued that "all sin is equal" to Protestants, not all sin is equally harmful to the community. The sin of greed is the same as the sin of bearing false witness - but a pastor lying about putting the milk jug back empty is not as communally harmful as displaying the sacrificed wealth of the congregation.