Is having nice things a sin?

[Doc_Keele]

Jesus had a one-piece undergarment - so NO.

 

[JRKH]

Originally Posted by JRKH
These are reasonable answers from one who “obeys God’s commands by heart”. The first questions would naturally be - What is the best use for these monies?
The answer will naturally depend on the individual family’s overall situation - number of children, age, etc.

No judgement involved. I speak of no affluent people here.

If you review the OP you will note that “an amazing house”, and “a really nice car that few people can afford”, were both mentioned as a possible expendatures of the money. My referencing of “large houses” and “fancy cars” goes back to that.
I am making no judgement of any one person.

Peace
James

 

[lemondiesel]

Acquisition of material goods indicate lust, envy, false comfort, idolatry.

On can debate all of Gods followers should be that of a peasant. For example look at the Our Father. Examined carefully it means “Give us enough food to eat today with no debt today.”

 

[Delta288]

Matthew19:24

And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Hey Art,

Just had a quick skim through the thread, someone might have already said this, but I’ll say it again anyways…

In my opinion, its not the fact that people who are rich will go to hell. The very fact that you are on the computer right now probably tells me that you probably just one of the ‘middle class’ or above in a western society. Statistics tell us that the majority of people who live in western socieites are in the top 2% richest people on earth.

So I don’t think it would relate to the fact that you are rich in its own entity, I think it relates to what rich people (stereotypically) spend their money on. In short: Money isn’t bad to have, just make sure it doesnt have control over you.

Just my thoughts,

God bless

 

[Black_Rose]

Hey Art,

Just had a quick skim through the thread, someone might have already said this, but I’ll say it again anyways…

In my opinion, its not the fact that people who are rich will go to hell. The very fact that you are on the computer right now probably tells me that you probably just one of the ‘middle class’ or above in a western society. Statistics tell us that the majority of people who live in western socieites are in the top 2% richest people on earth.

So I don’t think it would relate to the fact that you are rich in its own entity, I think it relates to what rich people (stereotypically) spend their money on. In short: Money isn’t bad to have, just make sure it doesnt have control over you.

Just my thoughts,

God bless

That is clearly impossible: Europe has 732 million people and the US has about 300 million. Using a denominator of 6.8 billion humans on Earth, one does not come up with two percent when the numerator is European and the US population. 140 million people comprises two percent of the world’s population.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population

 

[JRKH]

Hey Art,

Just had a quick skim through the thread, someone might have already said this, but I’ll say it again anyways…

In my opinion, its not the fact that people who are rich will go to hell. The very fact that you are on the computer right now probably tells me that you probably just one of the ‘middle class’ or above in a western society. Statistics tell us that the majority of people who live in western socieites are in the top 2% richest people on earth.

So I don’t think it would relate to the fact that you are rich in its own entity, I think it relates to what rich people (stereotypically) spend their money on. In short: Money isn’t bad to have, just make sure it doesnt have control over you.
Just my thoughts,

God bless

What one chooses to spend their money on is a reflection of what they feel in their hearts. If God is central to their lives, their spending will reflect that. If “self” is central to their heart then their spending will reflect that.
Money (an inanimate object) cannot have control over anyone. It is only their own desires that can have such control. The question becomes whether those desires are properly ordered (Virtuous) or whether those desires are disordered (Sinful).

Peace
James

 

[Art321]

Acquisition of material goods indicate lust, envy, false comfort, idolatry.

On can debate all of Gods followers should be that of a peasant. For example look at the Our Father. Examined carefully it means “Give us enough food to eat today with no debt today.”

So you are saying that all of Chirst’s followers should be poor?

 

[didymus]

I don’t know if they are kept in a separate archive but awhile back in one of his Catholic Answers Minute segments Fr Vincent Sherpa said that we are all called to poverty, chastity and obedience.

Poverty, meaning putting God before our material possessions, being good stewards, and being willing to give them all up for His sake if need be.
I think the danger is that the more you have and the nicer it is the more attached you become to it, though simply having it is no sin.

Chastity applies whether married, single or religious and obedience to God is sort of obvious.

 

[OraLabora]

Owning “nice things” can be one of the most economical choices.
Good quality items tend to last longer. Taking good care of the things we have, even if they aren’t the highest quality, also keeps things “nice” longer.
It all boils down to good stewardship.

Peace
James

That’s true. Take my choice of car for instance. It had to meet several criteria:

1. family oriented (I settled for a station wagon)
2. excellent safety (has all the safety features including stability control, something I deemed necessary after my wife had a bad accident that could have been avoided by it, in fact this car was to replace the wrecked car which was totaled; fortunately my wife walked away)
3. decent fuel economy (my car gets 35-37 mpg on the highway if I obey speed limits, and I ruled out SUVs because of fuel economy; I can go 550-600 miles on a tank of gas)
4. excellent handling
5. comfortable for long drives which I sometimes need to do
6. longevity.

Where I live, longevity is usually determined by rust. So the car I chose came with a 12-year corrosion warranty whereas most makers offer 5 year warranties. I’ve noticed some brands of car with already significant rust on them by age 5, and most of the same model as mine, with no rust at 12 years.

I got it in 2007 and anticipate keeping it for at least as long as the corrosion warranty, God willing. I have been very happy with my choice, unlike some past cars which have turned out to be disappointments and got traded before their time.

 

[presidentjlh]

No, I don’t think owning “nice things” is a sin, provided you are remembering to be charitable.

Let’s say there’s this multi-millionaire. He lives in a nice fancy house, has a sweet car, you know, the works.

But, he also spends much of his time and money with the poor, i.e. buying them food and water, helping out at homeless shelters, even taking people into his house if need be. For every million dollars he has, he spends half of it on the poor. Is this man not doing good?

This man is not living out of greed, but rather, he is living in charity. He is rich in heart as well as financially.

If I recall correctly, there was this story about this very wealthy man who took in people who had lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina. His name was never given as he wanted to remain anonymous in his charity, and not bring attention to himself.

That man did right by the Lord. Just because he had wealth does not make him greedy. He used it to further the cause of Christ.

 

[Art321]

Thank you! This truly helps and thank you for anyone who participated in this thread!