Is poverty a punishment from God?

[jmcrae]

You are absolutely right – we must care for those who cannot care for themselves until they become self-sufficient.

But we must not lose sight of the true goal – which is to make as many people self-sufficient as possible. We should not neglect things like education, nor should we creat programs that tend to lock people into poverty. And to date, those are our two major failings. We have to break the poverty cycle, not perpetuate it.

We agree.

 

[catholic2]

Sometimes becoming rich is a punishment from God, who uses it to showcase one’s pride. An example of this would be Nebuchadnezzar who credited himself for all his riches and was punished, and that rich man who planned to build additional warehouses for his surplus wealth but the Lord required his soul that day! How about that rich young ruler who walked away from Jesus’ invitation to follow him because he didn’t want to give up his wealth.

I once amassed quite a few bucks and a whole family, but when I lost it, all that I had left was God.

 

[jimmy]

what do you think?.. are we poor because God is punishing us?

No. As Christ said, blessed are the poor[the beatitudes in Luke’s gospel]. Poverty is simply a situation of life that many people must live in.

 

[holdencaulfield]

Of course not. Job endured terrible things. Was he punished because of sin. No.

 

[Masada]

No.

Being rich, or beautiful, or powerful, or famous is usually a curse (or a least a burden to be overcome), not a blessing. All these things turn us away from God rather than towards God. Hollywood stars are usually all of the above things, but how many of them are happy? Brittany Spears?

By the same argument, material poverty is also the cause of crime, ignorance and immorality. So as such it is a curse that runs on both banks of the river. The only difference is type A or B.

 

[seekerz]

Funny, I seem to remember a similar question: who sinned that this man was born blind…? Many, if not most of the poor are born in that state, so if poverty is punishment for sin the next logical question is “whose sin”?

Then again, I also remember a poor little baby boy cradled in what was basically a cattle shed, then taking refuge from persecution in a foreign country, all because of our collective sins…I think the answer must be in the book that recounts all this.

 

[kiki22]

To be exact, poverty is not a punishment from God. Honestly, that can be a true blessing from God. Those who are poor are more grateful and thankful for the things they have or for the things they recieve. It’s not always about thinking of the negative things and wondering if this is a punishment from God because God will never put us in situations we can’t handle. All he does is test us because he knows we’re strong and smart enough to pass with our obedience. Anything that comes from God is a blessing because he loves us. Once you’ve become poor, then you can feel the reality of life.

–Krystle K.–
God Bless

 

[drafdog]

cf. Prov 30:7-9

This indicates that riches and poverty both may become traps for the weak.

Matthew

 

[distracted]

NO!

The poor know they need God. The rich feel they are self-sufficient, and therefore turn away from God.

wealth and materialism are a much greater threat to holiness than poverty and persecuting.

The faith is booming in Africa and Asia, even in China where Christians are cruelly persecuted. In the West, people turn away from God.

God Bless

So true… couldn’t have said it any better.

 

[distracted]

If it is… If a person’s economic situation is an indication of his/her eternal destiny…

I would be on my way to the lowest part of Hell…

 

[wcknight]

The other side of the question is also interesting. Is wealth a reward from God ??? Many wealthy people think they are something special because God has “blessed” them with great wealth either by birth/inheritance or by hard work or good luck.

BUT so many lessons are in Bible about the rich having their reward now, but not later on. Jesus tells us it is harder for a rich man to get to Heaven. For certain, rich folks tend to be more self centered and selfish. It’s so easy for the rich to say I worked for my wealth, let the poor work their own way up. I did it, so can they.

Riches or proverty can be either a blessing or a curse. IF you believe God is the fault of your misfortune or if you choose to ignore the plight of the poor, either can be a curse.

When we see someone less fortunate than us, whether they are poorer or handicapped, we need to remember but for the grace of God, I could easily have been them.

 

[trista6454]

In no way is poverty a punishment from God. Nothing God does is to punish you. He does it because he knows that you can handle the situation that he has put you in. It is God’s way of testing you, because he knows you will always come through, because you are strong and have faith.

-Krista R.-

 

[holdencaulfield]

In no way is poverty a punishment from God. Nothing God does is to punish you. He does it because he knows that you can handle the situation that he has put you in. It is God’s way of testing you, because he knows you will always come through, because you are strong and have faith.

-Krista R.-

Yes, like I said before Job is a great example of this.

 

[elt1956]

what do you think?.. are we poor because God is punishing us?

No. This was, I believe, a Calvinist theory that if one prospered materially it proved God was blessing you. The old work ethic. Useful to a degree, but wealth doesn’t constitute all meaning. Peace.

 

[elt1956]

what do you think?.. are we poor because God is punishing us?

So true… couldn’t have said it any better.

So true. But I believe the poor in Third World countries arre religious because they know they will probably get their “reward” in Heaven, not on Earth. The wealthy think they are in control of their reward. Peace.