traders who are deeply religious

[cooldude]

Quote from acrary:

Sure, the parable of the talents in Mathew 25:14 - 30.
Man given 5 talents invests/trades and creates 5 talents more.
When his master returns he is told "well done, good and faithful servent. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things."

Money is not evil, just the lust for it.

I believe if you're a good,talented trader as proven by your results, you have a moral obligation to trade and grow the money the best you can. Just don't try to hold onto the money with a tight fist. Genuine opportunites will come up to bless others in need. It's at those times you will be expected to freely use the money for the good it was intended.

acrary, I wish you success in trading.


IMHO

That is the correct way to trade for any person.

Never invoke God for help in dealing with stress.
Never bribe God for His help to make your trade favorable.

You should be grateful to Him for being alive and have money to do your trades.

Just do it yourself and accept the outcomes of your own actions.

You are free to trade or not to trade.

 

[acrary]

Quote from hermit_trader:

Can they handle the pressure better than others? Can they withstand the ups and downs easier than people who are not religious?

Probably irrelevant. I've traded with many agnostics that had ice water in their veins. It's more likely confidence born from a positive track record that allows someone to handle "pressure".

Actually every time I've gotten kicked hard by a market I've said to myself "that's interesting" and let it go. Anything can happen in the markets. If you can't handle uncertainty, then go get another job.

 

[cooldude]

Quote from KingsSon:
...
You don't have any idea about the character of my God - none, zilch, nada.
...

So you are an expert of your God?
Is it that what made you choose the handle KingSon?
Vain human pride, sinful pride. Who can know the Infinite? But you do!
Like all Pharisees did. They did not condemn Jesus for blasphemy, they condemned Him for opposing them!
Like all Pharisees, you are also trying to self-entitle as the one who got the illuminating blessing and therefore can speak on His behalf.
How dare you pretend to speak on behalf of your God?
How dare you even SUPPOSE that your God has chosen you to be His Voice?

So I do not know God?
Well, I admit am an ignorant but what I can say is:

If there is a God :
He surely is Eternal and He is Almighty.
He surely is Infinite Wisdom.
Who am I, a simple mortal, to even speculate on His Way?
Who am I, a simple mortal, to even speculate on His Justice?
He surely is Infinite Love.
How dare I bribe Him by praying for profits from my trades?

If there is a God
And if your way is THE way to know your God then Lucifer will clap hands in joy. He may be already clapping his hands without your hearing it, deaf by sinful pride.



-Pharisee- a member of a Jewish sect of the intertestamental period noted for strict observance of rites and ceremonies of the written law and for insistence on the validity of their own oral traditions concerning the law.
i.e.
-Pharisees- those who claim to spread His Will while what they do is to use God for their personal benefit.

 

[Wallet]

To make a case for 12 commandments:

Moses was given the original 10 commandments on Mt. Sinai See Exodus Chapter 20.

However Jesus was asked which was the greatest

Matthew 22: 37 - 40

Jesus replied: “ Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments.”

 

[DBN2005]

Traders who are deeply religious, can they handle pressure better?....I guess another way to ask that is?...Does God give you your skills? Does God do your work for you?...I think alot of light can be shed from a man named Solomon, from the book in the Bible called Ecclesiastes. While it proclaimed Solomon the wisest man to ever live, he was still just a man with successes and failures. Solomon was also a great builder and built the first Temple and ordered many other building projects. He entered into trade agreements with surrounding nations which led to even greater riches. Solomon received 25 TONS of gold annually! While the trade agreements brought material wealth, they ultimately led to Solomon’s (and his kingdom’s) downfall. Not because there was anything wrong with prosperity, but Solomon dealt with nations that worshipped false gods and many of his agreements involved him receiving a wife. He ended up with 700 wives. These wives eventually swayed Solomon to turn from God. In the end Solomon pointed out that all the earthly treasures we strive for – riches, power, popularity – are empty and meaningless. True happiness, he concluded, comes from "fearing God and keeping His commandments."

 

[KingsSon]

Quote from cooldude:

So you are an expert of your God?
Is it that what made you choose the handle KingSon?
Vain human pride, sinful pride. Who can know the Infinite? But you do!
Like all Pharisees did. They did not condemn Jesus for blasphemy, they condemned Him for opposing them!
Like all Pharisees, you are also trying to self-entitle as the one who got the illuminating blessing and therefore can speak on His behalf.
How dare you pretend to speak on behalf of your God?
How dare you even SUPPOSE that your God has chosen you to be His Voice?

I never said I was an expert. I did point out that I know enough to see that you don't know the character of God.

Who can know the infinite? No one but God. However, if you would take some time to read the bible, you would realize that He has told us a lot about many things. The things I am telling you were first told by Him.

Do you really think it's prideful to simply repeat what someone else has said? You believe that because I say I am a servant of the living God that I am proud? *shrug* OK. God thinks otherwise, so honestly I don't care.

How dare I *not* speak on behalf of God! He has commanded me to - look it up in the bible. Now if I start saying anything He hasn't said then you have a leg to stand on. Can you point out anywhere I have done so?

So I do not know God?
Well, I admit am an ignorant but what I can say is:

If there is a God :
He surely is Eternal and He is Almighty.
He surely is Infinite Wisdom.
Who am I, a simple mortal, to even speculate on His Way?

I'm sorry - I'm not saying this to be mean or argumentative or rude - but you really don't know God. When it comes down to it, you are speculating on His way by saying the things you say. If you want to *know* His way, open a bible and read it.

Who am I, a simple mortal, to even speculate on His Justice?
He surely is Infinite Love.
How dare I bribe Him by praying for profits from my trades?

If there is a God
And if your way is THE way to know your God then Lucifer will clap hands in joy. He may be already clapping his hands without your hearing it, deaf by sinful pride.

Satan set the standard for pride by saying "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."

On the other hand, it's written that Jesus has made the believers "Kings and Priests unto God"

-Pharisee- a member of a Jewish sect of the intertestamental period noted for strict observance of rites and ceremonies of the written law and for insistence on the validity of their own oral traditions concerning the law.
i.e.
-Pharisees- those who claim to spread His Will while what they do is to use God for their personal benefit.

Your definition is correct. Your paraphrase is not - you are making a connection between being a hypocrite and being a pharisee. They are two different things. Since you haven't provided one source outside of your own belief which backs up your statements, doesn't that make you part Pharisee?

Yes, I took the handle KingsSon because He has made such - not I. The great thing is that it's not exclusive to me. Anyone who decides to follow Jesus can have the same abundant life.

We can go around in circles, but it's all just begging the real question: Do you know where you are going to spend eternity? If not, now is the time to find out for yourself what your options are and how to exercise them. You only get one trade.

 

[fframe38]

I am a Christian and struggled with this question early on in my faith walk. Eventually, I concluded that trading/investing is completely honorable, providing somebody isn't cheating (ie insider trading) or stealing, or defrauding somebody by their actions. I would also be against deliberate attempts to profit from calamities after they happen, although if one happens when you are already in a trade, that isn't really your fault and is a different scenario.

Back to the question of praying for trades to go your way, where Person A buys XYZ and prays it goes up, and Person B shorts XYZ and prays it goes down. The argument presented earlier is that God can't bless both of them, so it's a 50% crapshoot.

Well, here's the way I see it. Both people above are praying sort of in a "desperation act" or "last resort" mentality. This is incorrect, as they are also trying to "direct" the outcome of a stock, rather than remaining open to direction and flowing with it. On the other hand, if both individuals prayed that "God would give me direction on how best to close out this trade", they would then be open to receiving "help" in either maximizing the profit, or else minimizing the loss.

The better approach is praying to God for *insight* and *wisdom* in locating a good trade or investment and using the correct timing to achieve a profit. Then, remaining open to direction, course correction, or further instructions about how best to finish out the transaction.

Personally, I believe God also will give you help through your "intuitive sense" for those times when you might make a mistake. Typically, when I have felt "out of sorts" about a trade, I will continue to pray about it and often it is a sign that I have missed God's direction and it is time to close it out before something detrimental occurs.

 

[cooldude]

Quote from KingsSon:

I never said I was an expert. I did point out that I know enough to see that you don't know the character of God.

So your God appointed you to be my earthling judge and jury?

How dare I *not* speak on behalf of God! He has commanded me to - look it up in the bible. Now if I start saying anything He hasn't said then you have a leg to stand on. Can you point out anywhere I have done so?
...
On the other hand, it's written that Jesus has made the believers "Kings and Priests unto God"

Pharisees had that preference, they said : It is written in the Book and we are the TRUE interpreters and you ALL must follow OUR directions or be condemned to eternal suffering. (that is how they used to scare the illiterates of that time)

Since you haven't provided one source outside of your own belief which backs up your statements, doesn't that make you part Pharisee?

Your God gave me a brain to think and question. And we know that there are mountains of religious scammers who sell God's favors and you know what.

We can go around in circles, but it's all just begging the real question: Do you know where you are going to spend eternity? If not, now is the time to find out for yourself what your options are and how to exercise them. You only get one trade.

That is the beauty of His Work. Do you agree that I am a piece of His Work? Your faith is weak and you are confused and in your 'proud' mind, His Work is INTERPRETED as things going around in circles.

Again

I did point out that I know enough to see that you don't know the character of God.

You 'know' so much about His character and my ignorance (!), so tell me what do you 'think'/'know' :
Is your God my Maker?
Is your God infinitely Merciful?
Is your God infinite Love?
Is your God Perfect?
Tell me what you 'think/'know'.

 

[StreamlineTrade]

What for the unprofitable trader who has been a good Christian, Jew or Catholic?

Does anybody here believe that doing as God wishes will bestow success on a trader, or is it that the practice of being a good religious person will bring about success?

If so, then our churches would be filled with Wall Street types. Is yours? Mine is not.

I don't think trading is too easy - neither is living our lives according to God's wishes.

 

[Enfinity]

SORRY I missed most of this thread...but here you go

13 “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. 14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work270 and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matthew 25:13-30).

Quote from cooldude:

Okay, Okay, Okay...

Now, show me where did Jesus tell or teach them to SPECULATE for financial gains using financial instruments.

Show me where in the Book it tells people to USE MONEY TO GENERATE MORE MONEY.

Show me where!