Are the poor morally superior to the rich?

[craig]

The rich certainly have the means and opportunity to sin more.

 

[Slartibartfast]

The amount of money one possess has zero influence on their morality, excepting that there are going to be more temptations if one is rich.

 

[bongsaway]

Whose morals are we using in the judging?

 

[craig]

Whose morals are we using in the judging?

I think a discussion of how any of the major religions answer this question will be interesting.

 

[craig]

The amount of money one possess has zero influence on their morality, excepting that there are going to be more temptations if one is rich.

Is the poor person who gives half of what they have to charity and diminishes there own standard of living superior to the rich person who gives away half their fortune but without materially affecting their own comfort?

 

[Slartibartfast]

Is the poor person who gives half of what they have to charity and diminishes there own standard of living superior to the rich person who gives away half their fortune but without materially affecting their own comfort?

Yes.

 

[Schism]

Morality was the first casualty of the I-Me-Mine culture.

 

[craig]

Morality was the first casualty of the I-Me-Mine culture.

I think that is why most religions think selfishness is a sin.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

These are old questions:

 

[ecofarm]

The Bible verse is about the persuasion of money. It's about the desire to do things for money. It's about believing money can do things for oneself. It's about materialism. What Jesus warned against was materialism. It's difficult for the rich to enter heaven because the trappings of materialism haunt them more than the average guy.

Jesus was not saying money is bad. Jesus was not saying being rich is bad. Jesus said materialism is bad. Not exactly a revelation but it's a way to bring philosophy to commoners.

 

[tosca1]

The rich certainly have the means and opportunity to sin more.

I think, the poor is more likely to call on, and pin his hope on God.
And Jesus did say, it's harder for the rich to enter Heaven.
Money tend to become the master of man- it takes someone with a very strong sense of God to keep to the straight and narrow.

 

[code1211]

The rich certainly have the means and opportunity to sin more.

Seems odd to make that association.

Sin seems like an odd topic to consider.

 

[Tinkerpeaches]

The rich certainly have the means and opportunity to sin more.

Everyone is a sinner, there is no such thing as more or less sin.

 

[craig]

Everyone is a sinner, there is no such thing as more or less sin.

You don't believe in morality?

 

[Tinkerpeaches]

You don't believe in morality?

Morality is a human construct, it doesn’t actually exist outside of a society which is more than one person agreeing something is wrong or right.

There is nothing in the universe telling you it would be wrong to kill me except other people agreeing with it.

 

[craig]

Morality is a human construct, it doesn’t actually exist outside of a society which is more than one person agreeing something is wrong or right.

There is nothing in the universe telling you it would be wrong to kill me except other people agreeing with it.

Sociopath or Psychopath?

 

[Tinkerpeaches]

Sociopath or Psychopath?

Diagnosed psychotic but it doesn’t change the relevance of my point. If you are on an island by yourself is anything you do actually wrong or only when others say it’s wrong?

If it is then what are you basing that on?

 

[craig]

Diagnosed psychotic but it doesn’t change the relevance of my point. If you are on an island by yourself is anything you do actually wrong or only when others say it’s wrong?

If it is then what are you basing that on?

Morality evolved in culture to protect culture. What is right or wrong is relative to that culture. So if you can't distinguish right or wrong, it means that you have a physical malady or had nurturing that prevented enculturation.

 

[code1211]

Everyone is a sinner, there is no such thing as more or less sin.

The comment to which you responded was along the same lines as so many that end with "POOR AND MINORITIES HARDEST HIT".

The poor are somehow comforted by the notion that "the rich" are somehow not nice or good and are evil in many ways. I was raised in a household that promoted this point of view.

No basis in fact, but a prevalent idea.

From my experience, the level of "sinfulness" in any individual is pretty much an individual thing.

 

[Grasshopper121212]

The amount of money one possess has zero influence on their morality, excepting that there are going to be more temptations if one is rich.

Have you ever been amongst the poor including the homeless? The same temptations exist amongst the poor as the rich.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Have you ever been amongst the poor including the homeless? The same temptations exist amongst the poor as the rich.

The same imagination perhaps, but certain temptations require resources.

 

[Grasshopper121212]

The same imagination perhaps, but certain temptations require resources.

Like what?

 

[Slartibartfast]

Like what?

Going to Thailand to engage with people who were sex trafficked isn't for poor people.

Buying up patents for common medicines and jacking up the price so people die isn't for poor people.

Perverting the political landscape with vast amounts of dark money isn't for poor people.

Cheating on your taxes and then hiring an army of accountants to hide it isn't for poor people.

 

[Grasshopper121212]

Going to Thailand to engage with people who were sex trafficked isn't for poor people.

Buying up patents for common medicines and jacking up the price so people die isn't for poor people.

Perverting the political landscape with vast amounts of dark money isn't for poor people.

Cheating on your taxes and then hiring an army of accountants to hide it isn't for poor people.

Yet, in the ghettoes they pimp and traffic women, men, boys and girls in greater numbers.
Poor people stay on medicaid jamming up emergency rooms with sniffles so people who really need the help can't get it. Surgeries are put off because not enough beds that are being used for sniffles. Ask any nurse at a hospital or any waiting room.
Again, many of the poor are involved in gang activities with dark money committing crimes and often under the influence of drugs doing bad things.
Hard to say about taxes if poor people paid any. But, 50% of the population doesn't pay a dime. The top 10% wage earners pay 90% of the taxes with the 1% paying most of it. Of course they can't engage in it unless they report their illegal operations.

Sorry, you failed with those 4.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Yet, in the ghettoes they pimp and traffic women, men, boys and girls in greater numbers.
Poor people stay on medicaid jamming up emergency rooms with sniffles so people who really need the help can't get it. Surgeries are put off because not enough beds that are being used for sniffles. Ask any nurse at a hospital or any waiting room.
Again, many of the poor are involved in gang activities with dark money committing crimes and often under the influence of drugs doing bad things.
Hard to say about taxes if poor people paid any. But, 50% of the population doesn't pay a dime. The top 10% wage earners pay 90% of the taxes with the 1% paying most of it. Of course they can't engage in it unless they report their illegal operations.

Sorry, you failed with those 4.

Incorrect, those things are available to rich people as well, however, the stuff on my list is not available to poor people.

Also, your points 2 and 4 are not actually temptations.