Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="vantexan" data-source="post: 5677040" data-attributes="member: 24302">For it&#039;s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven.&nbsp; I believe I got that right but may be off a word or two.&nbsp; Since you take everything literally you&#039;re probably thinking Jesus is saying it&#039;s impossible for a rich man to go to heaven.&nbsp; But then you probably don&#039;t know what the eye of the needle is.&nbsp; Definitely not a tiny opening on a small, thin metal object.&nbsp; Cities back then had walls surrounding them.&nbsp; At night the merchants were required to move their camels outside the gates.&nbsp; A door, known as the eye of the needle, was in the gates that a man could easily pass through but was very difficult for a camel.&nbsp; Not impossible, but difficult.&nbsp; Thus the reference.When the Church was established in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost after Jesus&#039; death the Book of Acts said they held all things in common.&nbsp; In his writings the Apostle Paul talked of taking up a collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem.Jesus said to render unto Caesar what is Caesar&#039;s.&nbsp; He never said that the government should be able to take a disproportionate amount of your income and then buy votes with what they take away from you.&nbsp; A system that would have been totally foreign to them back then.&nbsp; We are a big, rich country with the means to assist those in need.&nbsp; But we&#039;re also told if a man won&#039;t work he shouldn&#039;t eat.&nbsp; If you&#039;re able bodied you need to earn your way even if that means working at Walmart, McDonald&#039;s, or some such.&nbsp; Creating a dependent class to maintain your power through their votes isn&#039;t helping them and isn&#039;t Christian.&nbsp; Helping those in need is.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="vantexan, post: 5677040, member: 24302"] For it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven. I believe I got that right but may be off a word or two. Since you take everything literally you're probably thinking Jesus is saying it's impossible for a rich man to go to heaven. But then you probably don't know what the eye of the needle is. Definitely not a tiny opening on a small, thin metal object. Cities back then had walls surrounding them. At night the merchants were required to move their camels outside the gates. A door, known as the eye of the needle, was in the gates that a man could easily pass through but was very difficult for a camel. Not impossible, but difficult. Thus the reference. When the Church was established in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost after Jesus' death the Book of Acts said they held all things in common. In his writings the Apostle Paul talked of taking up a collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Jesus said to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's. He never said that the government should be able to take a disproportionate amount of your income and then buy votes with what they take away from you. A system that would have been totally foreign to them back then. We are a big, rich country with the means to assist those in need. But we're also told if a man won't work he shouldn't eat. If you're able bodied you need to earn your way even if that means working at Walmart, McDonald's, or some such. Creating a dependent class to maintain your power through their votes isn't helping them and isn't Christian. Helping those in need is. [/QUOTE]

Verification