Poverty, Wealth, and Religion

Through the ages the lavish wealth of religions that profess Christianity has disturbed many people. Popes, bishops, and other religious dignitaries have lived in splendor supported by their flocks, many of whom have existed in poverty. The situation has not changed in modern times.

“Christ,” the U.S.News & World Report observed recently, “was a humble man who eschewed the accumulation of material wealth.” Comparing his example with the life-styles of TV evangelists, this popular newsmagazine said: “The Bakkers, on the other hand, drove a Mercedes-Benz and a Rolls-Royce. Oral Roberts has homes in Oklahoma, Beverly Hills and Rancho Mirage, Calif. Swaggart wears a $5,000 Rolex watch and lives on a 20-acre [8 ha], $2.4 million estate protected by a brick wall and hidden cameras. The master suite reportedly features a four-columned Jacuzzi.”​—March 7, 1988, page 63.

When professed Christian leaders adopt opulent life-styles, might it not make others wonder about their credentials as Christ’s true followers, especially since the apostle Peter said that Christ left his followers “a model for [them] to follow his steps closely”?​—1 Peter 2:21.