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I have come to the conclusion that the most effective way of helping to relieve this suffering may be not to work against it directly (e.g., by working in a charity organization) but to make a lot of money that I can then donate to others who are working on these issues. (See, e.g., this interesting article: http://www.utilitarian-essays.com/make-money.html .) As a result, I'm considering a career on Wall Street.
I'm interested to hear what thoughts you may have on this. What would God think of this approach? In particular, does the "eye of the needle" passage apply here? Thanks!
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As long as it's legal, moral, and not against scripture, I would think God is fine with any career. I'm a financial planner and while I'm not exactly on Wall Street proper, the markets are certainly a major part of my job. While your intentions are good, I think you're missing the bigger picture.
I read the essay you linked to and, quite honestly, it's a bit too simplified. Nowhere does it mention God, but only what men can do to improve various situations, some of which are not exactly in line with Christian beliefs. Put simply, God does not need your money, He needs you. Choosing a career on Wall Street simply to make as much as possible to support various causes is a recipe for unhappiness if God does not want you there. The same is true with any job.
The "eye of the needle" passage applies to everyone regardless of income and wealth. I'm right smack in the middle class and not a "rich man" by American standards. But, compared to just about any other country in the world, I'm filthy rich, and you probably are, too. "Rich" is very subjective and depends on how you define "poor" as well. Christ meant that the rich man was dominated by his LOVE of money, not the money itself. I have many wealthy clients (by any standard), that give freely and are outstanding examples of Christians. Just because they're worth seven figures does not mean God will not allow them into heaven. At the same, I have plenty of clients worth considerably less, but miserly with their money. Even though they're not "as rich", they're love of money is hated by God. It's not the income, it's the intent.
The Utilitarian philosophy is very guilt-ridden. Many times the essay mentions that if a person has a certain job, then by definition, that means someone else did not get that job, leading the reader to believe that they have committed some sort of offense. Following this idea to its conclusion, we should all sit around doing nothing so that no one is offended. I strongly encourage you to consider this philosophy before following it too closely. God knows where He wants you, and it may very well be on Wall Street. But, will you make as much of a difference giving thousands of dollars away to men every year, or sharing the Gospel with your neighbor? Seek His will and you will find your answer.