Money As The Root Of All Evil.

Some people think that the money is the root of all evil. No. That is not what St. Paul said. He said radix mallorum est cupiditas which, as my 1988 teacher told us, means "the love of money is the root of all evil". Not money in itself. And cupiditas is from the Latin cupere meaning you really lust after it. Like in sexual lust. The same root is found in the name Cupid.

So if a minister wants $50,000 for his Mercedes, that's good. If he's going to enjoy it, no. It's for church business. Unless he picks up a prostitute on the way to church. Notice why sexual lust is what Paul refers to too.

Items of value are included. Anything of worth. If a man steals, that's theft. If he enjoys the item when he gets home, that's cupiditas again. Steal a radio, but don't listen. Unless. You sell it for money. But don't enjoy that money though.

It is wrong to steal even bread to feed your starving children. The Bible is clear on this. But like Reverend Lovejoy tells Lisa Simpson in "Homer vs. Lisa and the Eighth Commandment" (Season 2, Episode 13) really, for stealing bread for your family, it's wrong. But only "No. It is if he puts anything on it. Jelly, for example". Because, again, Lovejoy was thinking about cupiditas, or the lust of material things. No, not cupere, sexual lust. Well, he was a fictional character. But I don't know.

So in conclusion, if you steal, that's one thing. But don't take it home and enjoy it. Because it become another sin then. Cupiditas, or the love of material things.

 

An organized ignorance that has millions believing that their beloved sadistic monster of a deity demanded a bloody torturous death as payment for their salvation...

Is leaps and bounds more inherently evil than the concept of money.

 

Money is not the root of all evil. It is greed for money that is evil, especially when it overcomes virtuous or ethical conduct and resorting to vices in order to gain money.

Greed in its essence is craving , a strong desire that can overcome the conscious mind's discretion and will for the sake of inappropriate sensory gratification.

Strong desires in the form of cravings and aversions, are considered to be evil as per eastern religious philosophy, and all vices like lust, greed, hatred can be found to be such strong cravings and aversions at their fundamental level. All crimes can be traced back to these vices, and ultimately to strong desires in the form of cravings/aversions.

The Zoroastrian religious exhorts its adherents to work hard, make money, enjoy the proceeds and give generously. Fasting and being unproductive is considered sinful. Spirituality in zoroastrianism is associated with purposefully generating wealth, doing it honestly and sharing it.

The Zoroastrian Jamshedji Tata is considered to be the greatest philanthropist of the twentieth century , superior to the likes of Bill Gates and Rockefeller, with donations of over 102 billion dollars .

Freddie Mercury, known for his charitable nature and the Live Aid concert in 1985 is also a Zoroastrian,

 

Despite all appearances, no one is truly evil. They are led astray by delusion. If you contemplate this truth often, you will offer more light than blame and condemnation.
The Dhammawadaka