TIME – “Does God Want You to Be Rich?”
The cover story of the September 18, 2006 Time magazine, which was entitled, “Does God Want You To Be Rich?” raises some interesting questions. Here are a few quotes from the article which is an interesting back-and-forth between some rather well known names.
I think God wants us to be prosperous. I think he wants us to be happy…I think he wants us to be a blessing to other people. But I don’t think I’d say God wants us to be rich. – Joel Osteen This idea that God wants everyone to be happy? There is a word for that: baloney. It’s creating a false idol. You don’t measure your self-worth by your net worth. I can show you millions of faithful followers of Christ who live in poverty. – Rick Warren
Here is a sampling of some Time polling numbers… 1. God wants you to be financially prosperous: 61% -yes 26% – no 2. Poverty can be a blessing from God: 45% – yes 49% – no 3. If you give away your money God will bless you with more: 31% – agree 63% – disagree 4. Giving away 10% of your income is the minimum God expects: 39% – agree (47% – Protestant, 18% Catholic) 57% – disagree
