steve-in-kville wrote:I am referring to those brethren in our churches who are wealthy or well-to-do (big wheels as they are often called).
Do we sub-consciously worship them?
I don't believe so.
I don't believe so.steve-in-kville wrote:Do we equate their level of wealth to a higher level of spirituality?
I think we do often esteem their opinions highly. Assuming their testimony is a good one.steve-in-kville wrote:Do their opinions matter more than others?
Depends on why they are poor and why they are struggling to make ends meet.steve-in-kville wrote:To this end, what do we think of poor people? Those who struggle to make ends meet?
I don't think so but I understand how they may feel that way if their opinions are not acted upon.steve-in-kville wrote:Are they lesser of a person than anyone else? Are they second class?
I suppose these questions are meant to be general questions. But aside from the economic aspect of these questions, lets drill down into what may be an underlying assumption, the assumption being that each person has the same wisdom, or the same expertise. This simply is not the case. When I fly, I want an expert pilot, when I go to the dentist I want to know that the dentist actually knows what he is doing. And I don't want to hire someone to fix my plumbing that simply has an opinion on how plumbing should be done. And in this country a person that is perpetually upside down financially probably isn't going to be considered an expert on financial issues. I think it is a mistake to pretend that each person in church is an expert or each person is equally gifted in all areas. We don't do dentistry by democracy.
So if there is a poor school teacher that is much more knowledgeable and experienced about music, his input might be considered more than the next persons. If the rich successful contractor has experience with remodeling then his opinion might be given more weight.
A reason that the rich are heard, could be any number of reasons.
1. Foolish people think that financial success = spiritual discernment.
2. Rich people might have more time to think through issues. Thus they are coming to the meeting with the issue well thought out in their mind. They had time to prepare. They may have had the time to discuss the issue with others. In this case the fact that they are rich works as an enabling mechanism. The poor people can also spend time thinking, but it is much more of a sacrifice and thus will stay poor if they spend lots of time just thinking.
3. Because they are asked for their opinion on a regular basis, the rich will become accustomed to giving opinions. They then have an inside view of issues and in the future are better positioned to base their opinions on their prior experiences. When someone acts on the rich persons advice, he is serving as a lab rat for the rich person. The rich person might be dispensing advice to 10 people and so is able to learn many nuances from all 10 of those instances. The poor person has no lab rats. Over time, the rich person has a much broader perspective on issues than the poor man does.
4. A unregenerate rich person might be unduly adamant in his opinion. He is used to his opinion carrying weight. Sometimes things said with volume and certitude are mistakenly taken as factual and carry the day.
However I believe that there are perspectives that are unique to the poor and the rich would do well to heed.
I think of the Princeton study that showed that money does create happiness, but only up to a certain annual income. Below that point the struggle of making a living detracted from happiness. But earning far beyond that annual income point did not cause any greater degree of happiness.
I think this is a bit how it is in the church. The person that is struggling financially may not (right or wrong) be heard as much. But in my experience the middle class are heard equal to the rich. I don't think we look at the issue in a way that "the richer you are the more you get to talk". I think it is more "As long as you have your life - including finances- in order, then you have an equal voice".