After World Wars One and Two we helped our enemies rebuild their nations. In modern times, Americans give more than 30 billion dollars voluntarily to higher education alone each year. Support freely flows to all kinds of religious and charitable organizations as well. Why is this so? It could certainly be argued that our religious heritage is largely responsible. Adam Meyerson, president of the Philanthropy Roundtable, says that Americans who attend church or synagogue or other type of worship give three times as much to charity as do those who don’t attend any worship service. A third of the 100 billion dollars in charitable giving annually by Americas goes to religion.
While younger Americans tend to be less religious, the real money making portion of our population right now, continues to believe in God, although many have just some abstract idea of who he is. Others have firm faith founded upon scriptural teachings. Giving is all well and good, it is commendable. But the giving now will be of little benefit to us down the road. I’m talking about a hundred years or so in the future and of course we will all be in eternity then and it will not be our wonderful, commendable generosity that gets us to heaven.
Why did Jesus famously tell the rich young ruler that he had to give up his wealth to attain eternal life? It is because the young ruler loved his money more than he was willing to love God. Salvation granted through faith, not through our actions. Jesus was actually teaching his audience about the futility of seeking salvation through mere obedience to God’s Old Testament law. Salvation is obtained only through Jesus Christ.
This is Carl Ramsey and that’s Another View of the News.
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