Wealth and Theft

A L O H A !

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Sittin` by the dock of the Bay

"The rich exist for the sake of the poor,

 but the poor exist 

for the salvation of the rich"

  " -poverty serves us better than wealth, 

especially since wealth becomes 

an obstacle

 even for those who do not devote themselves to it. 

Yet, when we must put aside our wrath, 

quench our envy, 

soften our anger, 

offer our prayers,

 and show a disposition

 which is reasonable, 

mild, kindly, and loving,

 how could poverty stand in our way?

"It is a better thing to feed the hungry 

than to raise the dead"

 St. John Chrysostom

 Magic Island shows her magic in this shot by Ted Trimmer

"Unless we look at a person 

and see the beauty

 there is in this person,

 we can contribute nothing to him. 

One does not help a person

 by discerning what is wrong, 

what is ugly, 

what is distorted. 

Christ looked at everyone he met,

 at the prostitute,

 at the thief,

 and saw the beauty hidden there. 

Perhaps it was distorted, 

perhaps damaged,

 but it was beauty none the less, 

and what he did 

was to call out this beauty." 

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh

Back in the day, Saturday Night may have meant a gig on my flute

" For most people, 

when they see someone in hunger, 

chronic illness, 

and the extremes of misfortune, 

do not even allow him a good reputation 

but judge his life by his troubles,

 and think that he is surely in such misery 

because of wickedness." 

St. John Chrysostom 

(+ 407 A.D) On Wealth and Poverty

 

I like to listen to the music in my head.  You?

“The bread which you do not use

 is the bread of the hungry; 

the garment hanging in your wardrobe

 is the garment of him who is naked;

 the shoes that you do not wear 

are the shoes of the one who is barefoot;

 the money that you keep locked away

 is the money of the poor;

 the acts of charity

 that you do not perform

 are so many injustices

 that you commit.”

 St. Basil the Great

 “- actually, it’s the upper-class people

 that are less likely to see

 that people around them need help —

 and therefore act unethically.”

 Scott Wiltermuth, 

 Social Status  Researcher,

USC. Marshall School of Business

" Human beings have accumulated

 in their coffers gold and silver,

 clothes more sumptuous than useful,

 diamonds and other objects

 that are evidence of war and tyranny;

 then a foolish arrogance hardens their hearts; 

for their brothers in distress, no pity. 

What utter blindness! . . . 

Attend not to the law of the strong 

but to the law of the Creator. 

Help nature

 to the best of your ability,

 honor the freedom of creation, 

protect your species from dishonor,

 come to its aids in sickness,

 rescue it from poverty .... 

Seek to distinguish yourself from others 

only in your generosity. 

Be like gods to the poor,

 imitating God's mercy.

 Humanity has nothing so much in common 

with God 

as the ability to do good. "

 St. Gregory Nazianzen 

(On Love of the Poor, cited on pp 295-6 of Clement's book)

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A recent study at the University of Minnesota

found that wealthy individuals

are more likely to 

behave unethically, take candy intended

for children,

steal.

In one of the experiments

drivers of more expensive cars

were more likely

to cut off other cars.

and refuse to wait

for pedestrians.

"The wealthy break rules,

not because they are desperate,

but because the feel

entitled

and want to get ahead."

Said Vladas Griskevicius, PhD

Such individuals were found

to have less empathy,

and are less likely

to perceive the impact

of their behavior

on others.

Study Author Paul Piff, PhD

discovered that when low-income individuals

were asked to imagine themselves

rich,

they subsequently behaved

as badly as

real rich people. 

This explains a lot

to me

about our politics.

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                             Warmly, cloudia

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, 

and the life of the candle

 will not be shortened. 

Happiness never decreases 

by being shared.”

 Buddha