Does the church you attend talk about the economy or pursuing wealth?

Midnight mass last night with the inlaws had zero mention of the economy or pursuing wealth.
Neither was mentioned at the services at the yoga organization with which I am more familiar.

@dabbler I don’t mean for Christmas, I mean in general ever.

Oh! “The economy” is never really mentioned at the yoga center. Wealth is mentioned as either an object of desire (desire being corrosive, not desirable) or as sufficiency, having enough, being useful as a foundation for a life comfortable enough to be contemplative.
Per the vedanta teachings, being attached to anything including a pile of cash or treasure is unhealthy (especially if you don’t thing you have enough yet).

My church talks about the economy both in terms of social justice and as a reason why the community’s contribution of food items is more important now that we have 40% more families needing help from the church.

I’m a very lapsed Catholic and the main thing I remember was that the sermon had a little bit about the days bible reading and a whole lot about church finances, new roof, school needs various items, etc…

I later went to a couple independent Christian churches. It would be o.k. for a week then the next would be church finance. Like George Carlin says, “God loves you but can’t seem to handle money. He always needs a little more”.

That was the original reason for quitting church. I later learned that I didn’t believe anything that was taught. I finally became free of religion and it’s really great. Additionally, I can still go to Midnight mass and enjoy the music and decorations without getting mired in the implausible story of a virgin birth accompanied by angels.

There are a lot of churches that teach “The Doctrine of Prosperity.” As a Christian I find it kind of repulsive when people who claim to follow the guy who said, “It’s harder for a rich man to get to heaven than for a camel to get through the eye of a needle,” and, “sell all you have and give it to the poor and follow me” to try and twist his words into thinking that if you just love Jesus the “right” way, he will give you wealth.
It reminds me of another thing Jesus said. “And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”
To specifically answer, it is taught in sermons during worship and in Bible studies.

@Judi Exactly!!

Not as a rule, although it is appropriate to ask God for what you want. Just don’t mistake what you want with what you need. My understanding is that it’s also appropriate to ask God for favor (do a search for that one if you want to). But asking God for wealth to be wealthy? No.

Dave Ramsay runs Financial Peace University, which is based on Biblical principles. He promotes getting out of debt, living within your means, paying cash for everything, and tithing 10% or giving even more to missions work. It makes sense to me. http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-steps/?gclid=CKKG_anCnq0CFUTc4Aodvz0FlQ

@snowberry “it is appropriate to ask God for what you want”

I thought believers were supposed to ask God for what he wants… his will be done.

Well, I get what you’re saying, but my own experience has taught me a few lessons. A long time ago, I used to ask God for specific things. He’s got quite a sense of humor. He gave me everything I asked for. And then he let me deal with the consequences. Funny guy that God. Real funny guy.

Now I just ask him/her/it to lead the way, show the way. And give me half a brain cell to be smart enough to go there. No complaints so far. And where I’m led is always much more fulfilling to anything that I could dream up out of my own desires.

Never mentioned in my Christian church. People may talk about it in private conversation, but it is never part of the services.

I don’t attend a particular church, but have visited friends’ churches. The Prosperity message really upsets me—if you’re good, you’re rewarded with money. If you’re poor, you must’ve done something wrong to displease God. It’s horrible. I know many poor people who are extremely kind and wonderful and know too many cruel people with money. I also feel like the Prosperity message gives some people who have been blessed with wealth justification to scoff and turn away from those who are suffering, because they must’ve brought it upon themselves. It thoroughly sickens me.

The way I see it—we’re given gifts in this life and lessons to learn; for some, it might be money but for others it might be something else- tolerance, drive, luck, ability to connect with people, etc. Gifts are there to use, to create, to enable growth—nobody has all the gifts, and nobody has no gift at all.

For Disney’s take, start listening to lyrics at 1:12

We don’t discuss wealth/economy or the pursuit of these during church but we have a tight church family and when a part of our family needs help (food, clothes, financial) it is provided.
This is an Assemblies of God Church, by the way.

In Our Lady of Mammon, we hear nothing else. We pay good money, and lots of it, to be members so we insist on practical instruction on how to persuade Jesus to give us what we deserve.

Realize the church is interested in increasing your donations to it. If it were to mention the economy in a bad light, then that might decrease the amount of money people donate as they will get confirmation that the economy is bad and therefore realize they can’t afford to contribute as much.

@city_data_forum , Churches that teach the doctrine of prosperity usually say that if you are having hard financial times you need to give more and you will be “blessed more.”