Wednesday, 29 October 2008
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Post a Comment
- Back to sirnickdon's Revelife Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in sirnickdon's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
Comments (19)
Pretty much.
Please please! It isn't a sin to own a Hummer... remember that when the prodical son came home his father took the best calf to sacrifice, gave him a gold ring and dressed him with the best clothing... Jesus wants to give us the desires of our hearts...BUT just as long as you don't worship it. LOL
I know many Christians that have been blessed, but your heart is first for God. Don't beat yourself up because you like the design of something. I can think of other ways of spending the money, but if I were blessed enough to afford one.
My father loved airplanes and owned a few of them in his lifetime, but they are expensive... it didn't matter that he used them to fly for a few ministers to get from one place to another he just loved the aircraft.
Just keep your focus on serving Him and he will add things to your life, if you don't get the car you'll get something much better! Then you won't miss not having th e cool car. Remember this, He is waiting with excitment to have this relationship with you so go for it...Don't worry, He will take care of us in this tough time. who knows maybe some day you'll own something even better.
Ugh. I guess I can't say with certainty that it is a sin. But it makes me a little bit sick. Seriously, what waste and selfishness. Even if God has blessed you amazingly, that is no excuse to spend like a maniac. If I had the money to buy a Hummer outright (not go into debt, another issue) I would definitely not do it. I would be so excited that I could actually buy a like 14000 car and then spend over a 100,000 helping others. Honestly. Priorities.
that's a lot for a car that is not good for the environment ...
It's a waste of money for anyone to own a car that expensive. A car is just not worth it. Like the wise man said "Vanity vanity all is vanity...chasing the wind.
Where in the Bible does it say "thou shalt not own a Hummer? And why is is selfish? And if you're worried about the environment, airplanes are put out more CO2, is it sinful to own one? In fact people exhale CO2 is it sinful to breathe withou wearing a rebreather?
I do not think it is a sin to own anything as long as you own it and it doesn't own you. If God has blessed you financially, and you can buy the thing with no debt, then do it! If owning it would be a bad distribution of your finances, don't.
It would not be a sin for my wife and I to hav two vehicles at the moment (we only have one and we share it), but if buying a second means we have to go into debt to do it (a concept that is clearly taught against in the Bible), it would be a sin for us because we are not using what God has given us wisely.
Sin? It depends
The monetary value is irrelevant. Sometimes if all we have is $10 extra bucks in our pocket and it is spent with selfish motives rather than how God has called us to...that's sin too.
It's easy to attribute labels to Christians who have a lot of money...but there are several middle class and even lower class Christians who spend their money unwisely as well...and they are no less guilty.
Just a thought.
I dont think its a sin but I do believe when God has given us money, whether by the ability to work hard, won, or by inheritance; we should be the best stewards with what God has given us. 1st economically, you cant travel too far with out filling up again and again (not smart). 2nd selflessly, you could buy yourself an economical car and some one else a vehicle and that is using God's money to the best.
I could get all scriptural here but I was supposed to just answer the question and taken up too much of your post.
This is a great question, thank you.
I don't think it's a sin as long as they earned that money and arn't getting money for free such as redisribution of wealth or anything. Knock yourself out if you have the money to spend.
@Simbathe2nd@xanga - @cowboy_christian@xanga - @kerusso - How do you account for the idea that all money is God's money, that we are merely stewards of that money, and that our task is to seek first God's kingdom? Even if the pricetag on a new Hummer is a mere 1/25th of your income, it is still more than many "widows and orphans" in America see in five years of full-time work, and more than many Christians in impoverished nations will see in a lifetime.
I understand that discipleship standards don't entail Christian living in poverty, and Jesus himself enjoyed occasional lavish feasts, etc., but there has to be a line to draw, where a person's selfish spending is in conflict with their Christian discipleship. If not at a $120,000 military-design vehicle, where do you draw the line?
-NDSR
@sirnickdon - There might be a need for a Hummer. Hummers can go where alot of SUVs or even Range Rovers can go (ie through heavy snow, very muddy dirt roads). I don't think everyone who can afford one should buy one. I depends upon the need. I have a 4wd SUV and have never needed to use the 4wd, however I don't think it is sinful to own it. I owned a fwd model before I traded it for this one.
How about a person who collects things (exotic cars, stamps, coins, etc.)? Is that sinful? We could go on naming things that the apostles could never have dreamed of. It all boils down to: "... godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:6-11
@sirnickdon - Here is how I see it:
This is one of the "grey areas" I believe that there is a line of sin, but that line is movable. Consider this: God is not interested in how much money a person gives. The point you are trying to make is sinful in itself.
If one looks at someone and says "this man is more spiritual than that one because he gives more of what he has" then you are not taking the heart of the second man into account.
If you say "This man has sinned because of what he has" then really all you are doing is saying that you don't have it, so it is sin.
One might say that you are rich enough to have access to internet, therefore you are in sin, because the money you spend to use the internet could be given to the poor. Some people go to the local school or library for internet. That means it's free to them and so they are not in sin, right? Well... how did they get to their school or library? A car maybe? You mean to tell me that there are good Christian poor folks going hungry, and you have the gall to spend money on a car that takes money (gas) to run? Then you take that car that you spent money on and go waste time on the internet that could be spent helping the homeless find a job?
Heathen! I doubt your very salvation!
I am being extreme, of course.
you see, it is easy for me to say it is sin to have more money and toys than I do, but I rarely consider my own blessings and how some would criticize me for it.
In that, I would say that the line is not in your possessions, but it is in your heart. It is no more sinful for a man to own a hummer than it is for me to own my 91 LeSabre or for a family to own a minivan, or for one to pay for internet. It is the heart that matters.
@cowboy_christian@xanga - I hear you on this. I really do. Especially knowing nothing of the context, it would be wrong to look at someone driving an H3 and saying that they are ungodly. Perhaps they faithfully give 90% of their income to the church and other charities and have taken twenty-five years to save up enough money to buy a great new car to cruise around town in.
In that case, I would shake my head a little, but I would understand. We all have our quirks. And I think that whatever local community that H3 driver is part of would know what kind of person they are, and would certainly not judge them by their car.
At the same time, the discipleship community does need some criterion to judge these things by, other than simply "the heart" of the person. The heart has to be manifested in practical ways, or the heart isn't truly where they are claiming. "If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and
yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is
that?"
I think an upward line has to be drawn somewhere. It will be drawn in different places based on where the discipleship community is located, and its surroundings, and the circumstances of the individual community. I don't want to advocate some legalistic standard, but communities do need to have standards, otherwise, what is discipleship?
And I don't see how any standard, really, can advocate the inclusion of opulent cars like Hummers, or houses of 20,000+ square feet, or tens of thousands of dollars in cosmetic enhancements. These all seem like signs of our society's emptiness to me, and I find it very difficult to square it with Christian discipleship.
---
Of course, the truth is that I pirate wireless internet from some careless neighbors (a different sort of sin), on my inherited laptop, and if they finally secure their network, then I will be traveling by bicycle to the local coffee shop every day to keep up with my Internet luxuries, since I gave my car to my brother-in-law a while back.
I don't think this is an expectation Christ has for the average Christian in my community, and I wouldn't try to impose it on any other Christian. So I don't want to sound like I'm advocating my standard for everyone, but I am certain that there has got to be some standard.
-NDSR
@cowboy_christian@xanga - Have I mentioned that you've quickly become one of my favorite posters and commenters?
thank you! That is an honour to hear (read)
@jseaglin - How can you be focused on serving him and spend more money than the income of an entire developing nation on a car?
I think a decision to buy a Hummer is indicative of the state of one's heart. Clearly such a person is not thinking of the poor as Jesus did. Clearly they are not thinking of God's environment. Do you see where I'm going?Also, I think it's notable that the hummer must be bought, while the ring and cloak were given, and that those were parts of a story Jesus told to show how excited God is when a sinner returns, and it must be looked at in its context. Parables are not good places to find theology, usually.@aledawithwings@xanga - Well if you think that God doesn't want to to own a hummer don't buy one my point was that yes you are right the god looks at the condition of the heart, but to own something doesn't make you a sinner either. If some one is a Christian and can afford an expensive car I would hope thay are using all there money to help others as well. But if you start judging people because of what they wear or posessionsyou are going to find your self in a big mess. I would never spend that kind of money on a car, personally but Jesus told the deciples to fish in a certian place and they sold their fish in markets to pay there taxes... Don't limit God! When you put God in a box He will prove you or me wrong everytime!
@aledawithwings@xanga - Parables are not good places to find theology, usually. This is where we find the best theology, What do you think Jesus was doing when he taught them, teaching them Theology in a story. Not just telling a story.