December (Web-only) 1999

ARTICLE TOOLS

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Bishop Musa el-Baramousy, the Coptic Orthodox bishop of youth work, is known to be one of the most evangelical among the Coptic Orthodox Bishops. According to Kees Hulsman, editor of Religion News Service of the Arab World (which provides English translation of articles in the Arabic press, including this one), he is especially known for speaking to Muslims in an explicit, yet nonoffensive way. The following article originally ran December 3 in al-Shaab, a Cairo-based Islamic paper that recently attacked the Egyptian government and harshly criticized normalizing relations with Israel. There is no doubt that Christianity, according to the Holy Bible, has its own viewpoint to money, and consequently to the market culture.

First: the Christian viewpoint to money. Christianity believes that:

1. Money is a gift from God. As the Bible says "As God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy."
2. Money is not essential in life. As the Bible teaches us, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist of his possessions" (Luke 12:15) and also "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4), because "In him we live and move and have our being."
3. Money is not essential for happiness. Solomon says, "Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife" (Proverbs 17:1). Happiness is a psychological, spiritual value that can't be bought by money.
4. Money is uncertain, as Paul advises the rich: "As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God"

What is needed is the minimum necessity to support life, not extravagance because "Whereas she who is self-indulgent is dead even ...