Is it possible to become filthy rich without losing your soul?

[JRKH]

Amazing - Simply Amazing!!! How DO you do it. How DO you tolerate and defend bigotry?

When I see something bigoted, I’ll deal with the issue then.
The only thing I see here is someone who may have a problem with paranoia.

And would you defend him if he used the term “N-word” simply to generate interest?

Hmmmm - What is this “N” word you keep refering to?

This thread is an exercise in envy – people who are financially successful are baaaaaaad people. And we don’t need to prove it, we merely need to assume it.

So who are you envious of?

Peace
James

 

[vern_humphrey]

When I see something bigoted, I’ll deal with the issue then.
The only thing I see here is someone who may have a problem with paranoia.

That would be you – considering your reaction to someone who dares to defend others who are attacked by bigots. Nothing enrages a bigot so much as someone who will not share his bigotry.

Hmmmm - What is this “N” word you keep refering to?

You pretend you don’t know what the “N” word is?

So who are you envious of?

No one.

 

[JRKH]

That would be you – considering your reaction to someone who dares to defend others who are attacked by bigots. Nothing enrages a bigot so much as someone who will not share his bigotry.

Have you ever met me? My Family? My Friends?
Have we ever communicated anywhere except on these forums?
Have I engaged you at anytime on this thread before today?

How can you presume to know me well enough to level such a charge.
No matter - It is obvious to anyone reading this thread who has their head screwed on straight and who doesn’t.

You pretend you don’t know what the “N” word is?

I know lots of “N” words,
Nice
Natty
Nutcase
Normal
etc.

Which “N” word are you refering to?

Peace
James

 

[vern_humphrey]

Have you ever met me? My Family? My Friends?
Have we ever communicated anywhere except on these forums?
Have I engaged you at anytime on this thread before today?

How can you presume to know me well enough to level such a charge.
No matter - It is obvious to anyone reading this thread who has their head screwed on straight and who doesn’t.

Ah, the old “You really don’t know me, I’m not as I present myself here” ploy.

Yet the very people who use that ploy feel entitled to attack and condemn others on the basis of their posts – even when they don’t know them any better.

I know lots of “N” words,
Nice
Natty
Nutcase
Normal
etc.

Which “N” word are you refering to?

The one which you deliberately did not list.

Now stop playing childish games.

 

[JRKH]

The one which you deliberately did not list.

numbskull?
nitwit?
noogie:shrug:

Now stop playing childish games.

Why, If I’m going to be labeled a Bigot I may as well be labeled childish!
blftftftftfftt

Don’t worry - I’m done with you.

I hoped that my original post would have let you re-examine how you misr-read the intent of the OP.
Absolutely no-one has taken the “filthy Rich” term as anything negative except for you - and you are downright vehement about it. Since you are so sensitive about it, I will not address it any longer.

Peace
James

 

[vern_humphrey]

Don’t worry - I’m done with you.

Exercise caution upon departure to avoid being impacted posteriorily by the protuberance on the portal.

 

[mapleoak]

Exercise caution upon departure to avoid being impacted posteriorily by the protuberance on the portal.

Translation: “Don’t slip on the banana peel on your way out”.

 

[Safe_Eagle]

One of the saints (I don’t know which one) is quoted with a great maxim:

Doctors deal in poisons everyday. But they don’t have to be poisoned by them.

 

[Al_Masetti]

Take a look at all the members of Congress right now under investigation … at least by the right wing blogosphere … for soliciting el cheapo favorable mortgages from mortgage companies.

What a hoot!

 

[Al_Masetti]

Exercise caution upon departure to avoid being impacted posteriorily by the protuberance on the portal.

There must be a better edition of this in Latin.

But the accurate translation would be censored by our mods.

Something to do with doorknobs and the final part of the alimentary canal … I do believe.

 

[Al_Masetti]

Why would you assume that a successful businessman would be more likely to sin than a successful surgeon, airline pilot, or college professor?

Or politician.

Or NASA / NOAA scientist.

 

[mapleoak]

There must be a better edition of this in Latin.

But the accurate translation would be censored by our mods.

Something to do with doorknobs and the final part of the alimentary canal … I do believe.

But at least my adjusted and softened translation is clean enough not to be censored. Funny how translations can be so far removed from the original intent of what was written.

 

[stinkcat_14]

That would be you – considering your reaction to someone who dares to defend others who are attacked by bigots. Nothing enrages a bigot so much as someone who will not share his bigotry.

I take it I am the bigot here? To be honest, Vern is the first person who has called me prejudiced against extremely wealthy people. Nobody else ever has, and I even teach MBA students and if they don’t like something you say they are quick to let you and others know. So I guess I’ll have to go with the evidence and consider Vern’s opinion an outlier, and of course, we should put very little weight on outliers.

Now, getting back to the topic at hand:

Scripture in 1 Timothy 6:9 says:

Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction.

I thought of this scripture after I started the thread, but it seems to apply. I think that we see this in our highly capitalistic society which in my opinion, overglorifies wealth. In some ways our wealth is leading us to our destruction. Think of what has happened to church attendance, especially in our more prosperous parts of the country. So, the question is, how do we encourage the appropriate seeking of economic well-being without making the market to be some sort of god?

 

[vern_humphrey]

I take it I am the bigot here? To be honest, Vern is the first person who has called me prejudiced against extremely wealthy people. Nobody else ever has, and I even teach MBA students and if they don’t like something you say they are quick to let you and others know. So I guess I’ll have to go with the evidence and consider Vern’s opinion an outlier, and of course, we should put very little weight on outliers.

Back in the '70s, the Army went through extensive training on how to overcome bigotry. Extreme defensiveness is a symptom of bigotry – “I’m right, I tell you! The rich (or Blacks, or Catholics, or Jews) really are evil!”

So is selectively searching for “evidence” to back up one’s prejudices. A bigot cannot say, “You know, I was really out of bounds when I said that.”

 

[ribozyme]

Back in the '70s, the Army went through extensive training on how to overcome bigotry. Extreme defensiveness is a symptom of bigotry – “I’m right, I tell you! The rich (or Blacks, or Catholics, or Jews) really are evil!”

So is selectively searching for “evidence” to back up one’s prejudices. A bigot cannot say, “You know, I was really out of bounds when I said that.”

Do you have any evidence that your thought processes aren’t marked by confirmation bias?

 

[estesbob]

Do you have any evidence that your thought processes aren’t marked by confirmation bias?

Well my confirmation was some 45 years ago so i dont know if it sitll bias’s me or not.

 

[stinkcat_14]

So is selectively searching for “evidence” to back up one’s prejudices. A bigot cannot say, “You know, I was really out of bounds when I said that.”

You are absolutely right!

 

[vern_humphrey]

Do you have any evidence that your thought processes aren’t marked by confirmation bias?

You’d have to direct that question to the Apostolic Vicar of Alexandria, Egypt, who confirmed me.

 

[stinkcat_14]

Why would you assume that a successful businessman would be more likely to sin than a successful surgeon, airline pilot, or college professor?

Please provide an example where I said that someone who is pursuing extreme wealth is more likely to sin?

I said that there is potential to sin if your pursue extreme wealth, but I did not make any comparisons.

So let’s see your evidence.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Please provide an example where I said that someone who is pursuing extreme wealth is more likely to sin?

I said that there is potential to sin if your pursue extreme wealth, but I did not make any comparisons.

So let’s see your evidence.

Post 11:

Now the more relevant question is, can one become filthy rich while remaining in the state of grace? If it is possible, the next question is: is it probable? It could be that these entrepreneurs are so focused on getting wealthy that they ignore what is really important in life. It is certainly a hypothesis that one can find some evidence in support of.

Post 16:

However, I think some legitamite questions can be raised, such as:

1. Can you make $100 million without making money your god?

1. Can you earn $100 million without losing the humility that Christians should have?

Post 25:

And who are more likely to cheat on the income taxes, and who causes more damage to the economy when they do?

Post 28:

But there could be a correlation between the pursuit of wealth, especially extreme levels of wealth and immorality.

Post 33:

Now who is more likely to cheat on their taxes, the poor or the wealthy?

And on, and on, and on.

Now, who was it who said that if he isn’t writing a refereed paper, no need for cites?