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by almostApatriot1 2809 days ago
Paul Allen was a good man but...

"I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God"

Some think wealthy people should be held to a higher moral standard for a number of reasons
2 comments
muraiki 2809 days ago
I understand what you are saying, but I think that people unfamiliar with Christian theology might misunderstand you. It's worth noting that the disciples responded to that with astonishment: "Who then can be saved?" -- even though none of them were rich! Crucially, Christ's response is that with God, _all things_ are possible.

Ultimately, the standard for the Christian is to become like Christ. To walk the path of the cross means to cover and take upon the sins of others, beholding all as worthy of the Kingdom and only oneself as deserving of Hell. This is what Christ did upon the cross for us, and it is what Christians are called to do for all. See the writings of St. Silouan the Athonite for more on this.

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Delmania 2808 days ago
It's a bit more than that. That particular passage was also about eliminating anything that got in the way of following god. I believe Jesus also said if your hand causes you to steal, cut it off. You could also argue that this is a passage about trust as getting rid of everything to follow a god requires a lot of faith that a god will survive.

For those of us who are atheists, the messages would be to not place things above people and to take risks in aiding others. Usually the things we fear never materialize.

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Delmania 2808 days ago
He donated 2 billion dollars of his wealth to advancement of science, technology, education, wildlife conservation, the arts, and community service. What standard are we talking about?
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