Thread: Can a rich man get into heaven?

Originally Posted by Writ-with-Hand

There is nothing wrong with being wealthy, and given that most Americans live above the world average in material comforts... if being wealthy meant damnation in hell I guess every liberal dick swinging American is heading there ass in handbasket. I guess voting for Obama ain't getting your ass out of that is it?

Back to politics huh, you should have said every conservative dick swinging American.

Originally Posted by Blood

Joe, stop doing that. Everything is about envy with you. The rich are greed driven, there's no other way around it, and it doesn't particularly bother me because I'm greed driven too.

Nice try. But I doubt you think of yourself as greed-driven. Wanting more for yourself or your family -- for savings or security or comfort -- or maybe just for some cool stuff, isn't greed by most people's measure. One of the definitions of greed is: "a selfish and excessive desire for more of something." If that's really how you feel about wealth, then that sucks for you. Because, of course, someone who is greedy by that definition will never feel any kind of real satisfaction or contentment.

Most people, except Gordon Gecko maybe, think of greed as something bad. If the rich are greedy, then they're bad. Insisting that the rich are greedy/bad is a great way to rationalize the feelings of resentment that come from envy. It's also a good way to deal the frustration that comes when some people realize they haven't made the kind of good decisions that might lead to wealth.

The rich are greedy. They're all unhappy. They didn't really earn it. They just caught a lucky break. They must have cheated. They're all going to hell.

Resentment and envy are at the root of all these generalizations. Whether or not they might actually apply to some rich people is really beside the point. It's really all about the person making the value judgments.

Take Oprah. She's filthy rich, yet look at all the good her money has done to people all around the globe. You have poor folks--selfish bastards--drinking alcohol, smoking weed, and sponging off the government 24/7. Are they getting a ticket to heaven? Why should kind-hearted rich folks be denied a chance to enter paradise?