Examples of Newsvine POV Articles

What if reading the news becomes like Newsvine. This is my boy's reaction to a pov expressed by a Newsvine reader on Bono's Prayer Breakfast article...

For years American Christians have used feel-good religious mumbo-jumbo (Prayer of Jabez?) to rationalize their obscene lifestyles, and if they're correct about the Bible being the inerrant word of God, each and every one of them (including me) will burn in hell for it. And what is this obscenity of which I speak? Being filthy rich in a world where thousands starve to death or die of treatable diseases every day. Just bought a new iPod? You're going to hell. Just ate out at a five star restaurant? Bottom floor. New leather seat covers for the Beemer? Burn, burn, burn.

The Religious Right makes much of our butt-fucking and baby aborting evils, but you hear very little about our rampant economic indulgences. I just spent $362 on a Motorola SLVR the other day. On a phone! With that money, I could have saved a village in Rwanda. I'm going to hell.

It is true that Jesus says some obscure metaphysical shit about only going to the father but by him, etc. etc. everlasting life etc. But in Matthew 25:31-46 he sheds all obscurity and makes it very simple: not taking care of the poor and the sick equals burning in hell for all eternity.

So why is it that I know so many Christians with luxury sedans and video iPods? I can only guess it is because they, like me, find it easier to distract themselves from the suffering world than to commit themselves to that incredibly impossible challenge: changing it.

But God wants us to be happy, you say. God wants us to be blessed. Bullshit. If there is a God, and if He did write the Bible, then He has made it abundantly clear: He cares more about children being fed and sick people being healed than he does about you putting beautiful bamboo floors in your add-on Florida room.

You're probably going to hell just for reading this when you could be helping a stranger. I'm certainly going to hell for writing it instead of living it. Maybe if we all feared hell as much as we feared homosexual sex, we'd actually do something about it. Until then, I guess I'll just go download the latest episode of the Daily Show on iTunes. Jon Stewart is funny.

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Michael responded with...

I think this is a good writing on wealth and Christianity. It's looking at some of what Bono fights for.

Here's a sample

Category #1 Righteous Rich
People who become rich because God has blessed them, they have worked hard, invested smart, and have not obtained wealth through sin. These people also spend their money righteously through tithing, sharing, caring for the needy, etc. Examples include Abraham, Job after he was restored, and Joseph of Aramathea.

Category #3 The Unrighteous Rich
People who become rich through sin and spend their money in a sinful way. Examples include Pharaoh, Judas Iscariot, and the rich young ruler.

Category #2 Righteous Poor
People who are poor because they are righteous, are righteous despite being poor, and act righteously with their money though they are poor. Examples include Jesus, the widow who gave her mite, and orphaned children.

Category #4 The Unrighteous Poor
People who have no money because they do not work, do not spend wisely, and do not tithe to God. Proverbs speaks a lot about sluggards and about people not eating if they won’t work, and Paul says that any man who does not provide for his family has denied his faith and is worse than an unbeliever.