Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Where Is the Wealth of Nations?

["Jonathan King" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On 10/10/07, Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:
> On Wed, 10 Oct 2007, Jonathan King wrote:
>
> > So it's a chestnut, and maybe out of priint, but an interesting book
> > youi may like is (if I recall correctly). "Rich Christians in a World of
> > Hunger".
>
> This must be it:
>
> "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Affluence to Generosity"
> http://www.amazon.com/Rich-Christians-Age-Hunger-Generosity/dp/0849945305

Yes; that's the one. It isn't a flawless book, by any means, but I
think the message is real, sincere, and (still) very timely. (Which is
not to say that there are not generous Christians, just that there are
might be fewer than you might expect given the level of affluence in
the US and what I have always taken to be a fairly unambiguous message
in the scriptures.)

> One of the popular ideas among some of today's conservatives is that the
> rich are "blessed."  They believe that God has made them rich: It was
> God's will that they would become rich.

But I don't see this as an argument against generosity. Arguably,
quite the opposite.

> Endless pursuit of additional
> wealth can always be justified in that belief system.

I don't think so. Or, rather, you might try to justify it, but I think
that, to the extent that you were persuing wealth for its own sake,
this justification would not ever be seen as totally satisfactory.

> Doing nothing for the poor is also easily justified.

Not in any church I have ever been in. (Nor in any synagogue, for what
that's worth.)

> Is that belief system any better than
> the Hindu caste system?

Is that belief system one you actually see in earnest practice anywhere?

> I guess the book works against the view I just described.

Exactly so. So why exactly did you bother to write the response you
did? It's been a while, but I believe that Sidler's argument is not
that rich Christians are wicked, but that some of them may have lost
track somewhat of what their duties to those who have less might be.
(Again, not all of them, but there is an audience for the book.)

In any case, this must be the Nth edition or reprinting of this, so I
am guessing Stephen is already aware of it.

jking

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