to the religious right... when does greed rise to the level of idolotry?

[salin]

The idea of giving greater tax shelters to the wealthy - and shouldering the cost in part by cutting tax incentives to businesses to provide health insurance to employees... seems to be pandering to the extreme level of greed. At what point - does greed start to equate a "worship" of money - to where it is justified to go against other religious principles and tenets to feed the greed? At what point does pursuit of greed suggest a form of worship to a golden calf?

[Skidmore]

1. Ahhh, we're way past the golden calf stage. That

baby's a full grown golden elephant.

[salin]

2. true

and a fitting explanation for the politicized religious right for throwing any Christian principles, tied to the teachings of Christ, aside for the pursuit of power and money via bushco and delay.

[morcatknits]

3. And

Isn't greed for power just one more type of idolatry that leads to another whole list of wrongs? Aren't those the same traits that have destroyed other civilizations? But then, that's just history!
morcatknits

[Ruffhowse]

4. It's all part of the new "Prosperity Theology" espoused by most of the

evangelicals these days. Basically this revolves around the idea that greed and materialism are OK and that "good" people will be rewarded in this world with increased material wealth and power, while "bad" people will be punished by being poor and powerless. This theology is obviously contrary to the basic teachings of Christ, but it sells real well in the modern evangelical churches around the country. It makes me sick to see Christ's teachings perverted to such an extent.

[On the Road]

5. Long Before You Reach the Stage of Idolatry

you run up against the commandment "Thou shalt not covet."

[salin]

7. and what exactly was all of that gnashing of teeth during Clinton's

presidency? If not coveting by the right.

[ret5hd]

6. when you have enough...

to keep your famly safe warm and sheltered but you still obsess with havng more.

i often ask the fundes run across: why haven't you sold all your possessions and given the proceeds to the poor? If the bible is the unerring word of god, isn't the danger to your soul so great, so desperate, so overwhelming, that you must make EVERY effort, no matter the discomfort of this world, to save it? Didn't jeebus say that if you want to be sure to get to heaven to sell all your possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow him? YES HE DID! Quit your job NOW! Please, i beg of you...the danger is too great! Don't drive home, you might die in a car wreck on the way...SELL IT HERE! Put your home on the market NOW! If your wife protests, explain your actions and ask her to do the same. Sell everything, give the money to the poor, and follow your saviour! If you don't do this, DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT THE UNERRING BIBLE AGAIN, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT EITHER!

[elehhhhna]

9. fundies think god's blessing them with money- -

and conveniently consider that Jesus-cash-giveaway business to be "quaint".

[0007]

8. We're witnessing it now. People are flocking to the church

to justified the means for war which means more money and bigger SUV's for the likes of Haliburton and the defense contractors under the reign of the Carlyle Group which has its nose in the White House.

Suppress the poor and bloat the rich with cheap labor cost. Break the unions. Cut out overtime. Keep the minimum wage as low as possible. Dictate morality to the ignorant in the name of Jays'us.

[Beer Snob-50]

10. I teach religious education for a Catholic Church

and we just went over in detail the 10 commandments. I brought up many instances where the republican positions went against a few of the commandments:

false idols=flag burning amendments
murder=policies against the poor, war on iraq
and heavy on the covet part as mentioned in the earlier posts.

[salin]

11. my read as well....

but the loud and vocal religious right - that has begun to take over even mainstream congregations - are making me feel alienated from my own religion. The over focus on "my salvation" with zero focus on the teachings of jesus strikes me as blasphamous - as if the belief is that Jesus only came to earth to die for them... but not with any messages for us to learn and live by. Then the over emphasis of a few passages (out of context) used to justify harboring and expressing opinions that are directly opposed to the teachings of Christ... were I living in another age I might use the word heretical...

[Beer Snob-50]

15. I have always been under the impression

that my salvation is directly tied in to the teaching of Jesus. I realize that the poor don't usually make large contributions to the rnc, but Jesus wouldn't be a republican I don't think.

[MadcityRock]

12. Idolatry is first thinking you know the mind of God

That's why it's forbidden by the FIRST Commandment. You seize on the notion that your puny thoughts and auditory hallucinations are God's own voice in your head, and now you know what is totally other and unknowable. You reduce the infinite to your own graven image. Other false idols, like money, fame and power, stem inevitably from this first mistake. So does blasphemy (3rd Commandment) when you open your mouth to tell other mortals that your thoughts are those of God. From there it's easy to go on to disrespect others, murder, theft, lying, etc. The growth of Bushtianity in America is perfect illustration, and a special place in hell is waiting.

Man makes God in his own image.
Reptilian brain; bicameral mind.

[Tafiti]

13. Don't worry. It'll NEVER get to that point...

...after all, their hero Pat Robertson basically says that capitalism is not only right, but actually endorsed by Jesus Christ. Apparently, this is in one of his books, though I've never actually read one.

[patcox2]

14. Bible worship and biblical literalism are forms of idolatry, too.

nt