Friday, July 4, 2008

Wasn't Jesus just as wealthy?

In just over a week, the Pope will arrive in Sydney. From my brief reading of the Pope and Catholicism in wikipedia, this is a rather ironic description:

The Church looks to the Pope, currently Benedict XVI, as its highest human authority in matters of faith, morality and Church governance.[7]

(my emphasis)

It may be a good time to reflect of what Jesus himself (assuming that he existed) thought of wealthy hypocrites:

Matthew 19:23-24 - 23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Matthew 23:1-36 23"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!

Luke 14:11- 11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."


And this is how the Pope himself likes to dress:


I hope ol' Benny enjoys the lake of fire, because if this is any indication, that's where he's going.

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