How Does the Church View Personal Wealth?

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Alex_H

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Hi all, 😃

I am 22 and in college. I am just beginning life and I have so many options as to what I want to do! I was thinking of becoming a teacher but then I felt kind of guilty. As a teacher, I would make some money and I was wondering if that was considered a bad thing. Is it wrong to want a nice house and car? Should we all aspire to poverty, instead?

After all, Jesus did say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. I’m worried that if I have nice things in life, I won’t make it to heaven!

Any ideas on this?
 
I don’t know about you, but I live in the United States, and in the United States teachers are woefully underpaid.

Aside from the salary and monetary wealth issue, if you are a good teacher you can make a more positive difference in the world than many other professions. I say go for it!
 
Alex_H said:
Hi all, 😃

I am 22 and in college. I am just beginning life and I have so many options as to what I want to do! I was thinking of becoming a teacher but then I felt kind of guilty. As a teacher, I would make some money and I was wondering if that was considered a bad thing. Is it wrong to want a nice house and car? Should we all aspire to poverty, instead?

After all, Jesus did say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. I’m worried that if I have nice things in life, I won’t make it to heaven!

Any ideas on this?
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That lesson is for people to not hang all of their love on money.
The rich men in question are those who do not share their blessings with those less fortunate. All of us are called to charity. Recall also the Widow’s Mite lesson.
Everyone is to be mindful of those less fortunate. So long as you use any wealth for helping others when you can, you’re fine.
 
Stephen_says said:
I don’t know about you, but I live in the United States, and in the United States teachers are woefully underpaid.

Aside from the salary and monetary wealth issue, if you are a good teacher you can make a more positive difference in the world than many other professions. I say go for it!
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Thanks!

For someone like me, who is used to getting paid around minimum wage, forty thousand a year isn’t bad!!
 
Its not bad to earn money by being a teacher…after all you need money to survive (food, heat, clothing, shelter etc)…you can always make donations to the church and catholic charities with spare cash if you can afford to
 
pianistclare said:
That lesson is for people to not hang all of their love on money.
The rich men in question are those who do not share their blessings with those less fortunate. All of us are called to charity. Recall also the Widow’s Mite lesson.
Everyone is to be mindful of those less fortunate. So long as you use any wealth for helping others when you can, you’re fine.
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Absolutely agree.

I think about this a lot, too.

I know Catholics who are well off and they do the right things with it.

You can do a lot more good for the world as a wealthy person or even a professional (teacher, etc.) than as a poor person.
 
There’s distinctions that need to be made.

A person can be utterly consumed with earning money and having certain material goods. Their entire life’s purpose could be living a certain lifestyle. In many contexts, that could be mortally sinful.

A person could also have a strong attachment to material things, and have tremendous difficulty imagining life without them. They could have what they need to be comfortable, but also want just a bit more, and just a bit more higher quality items on a consistent basis. Perhaps that can be venially sinful to a slight or a grave extent.

What should be cultivated? Poverty of Spirit.

You can read a good article on the topic HERE, HERE, and HERE.
 
Alex_H said:
Hi all, 😃

I am 22 and in college. I am just beginning life and I have so many options as to what I want to do! I was thinking of becoming a teacher but then I felt kind of guilty. As a teacher, I would make some money and I was wondering if that was considered a bad thing. Is it wrong to want a nice house and car? Should we all aspire to poverty, instead?

After all, Jesus did say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. I’m worried that if I have nice things in life, I won’t make it to heaven!

Any ideas on this?
Click to expand...
If you earn a Master’s degree and teach college, you’ll earn a lot more. I earn more than $100,000, which allows me to donate to charity and my parish and still live nicely. I will earn more once I have more experience. Not every college professor earns that much, however. I’m at a wealthy college or I might only earn about $80,000, which, to me, is still good.

IT earns a lot and nurse practitioner. Pharmacists start at about $80,000, but pharmacy school is hard unless you’re good at chemistry. Try dentistry for the really big bucks!
 
signit said:
You can do a lot more good for the world as a wealthy person or even a professional (teacher, etc.) than as a poor person.
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I don’t know. Jesus didn’t own a thing!

I do know what you mean.😃
 
Im thinking of that verse…

“Woe to those who try to pile up earthly riches”
 
mikekle said:
Im thinking of that verse…

“Woe to those who try to pile up earthly riches”
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Again, context is everything.
The wealth is not sinful, unless it’s ill gotten gains,
Making a god of wealth is terribly sinful, and a source of woe.
One can have resources, but we are all called to share with those less fortunate, the church, and our families.
 
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