Regarding Wealth...

You have at your disposal 8 legitimate ways of amassing wealth ...

They are:

Inherited Wealth -
riches derived from parents and other ancestors.

As steward of inherited wealth you should consider its sources.
You are under moral obligation to represent the past generation
in the honest transmittal of legitimate wealth
to succeeding generations after subtracting a fair toll
for the benefit of the present generation.
But, you are not obligated to perpetuate any dishonesty
or injustice involved in the unfair accumulation of wealth by your ancestors.
Any portion of your inherited wealth
which turns out to have been derived through fraud or unfairness,
you may disburse
in accordance with your convictions of justice, generosity, and restitution.
The remainder of your legitimate inherited wealth
you may use in equity and transmit in security
as the trustee of one generation for another.
Wise discrimination and sound judgment should dictate your decisions
regarding the bequest of riches to your successors.

Discovered Wealth -
riches derived from the uncultivated resources of mother earth.

Everyone who enjoys wealth as a result of discovery
should remember that one individual can live on earth but a short season
and should, therefore,
make adequate provision for the sharing of these discoveries
in helpful ways by the largest possible number of their fellow men and women.
While the discoverer should not be denied
all reward for efforts of discovery,
neither should they selfishly presume to lay claim
to all of the advantages and blessings
to be derived from the uncovering of nature's hoarded resources.

Trade Wealth -
riches obtained as a fair profit
in exchange and barter of material goods.

As long as men and women choose to conduct the world's business
by trade and barter,
they are entitled to a fair and legitimate profit.
Every tradesman deserves wages for their services;
the merchant is entitled to their hire.
The fairness of trade
and the honest treatment accorded one's fellows
in the organized business of the world
create many different sorts of profit wealth,
and all these sources of wealth must be judged
by the highest principles of justice, honesty, and fairness.
The honest trader should not hesitate to take the same profit
which they would gladly accord their fellow trader
in a similar transaction.
While this sort of wealth is not identical
with individually earned income
when business dealings are conducted on a large scale,
at the same time,
such honestly accumulated wealth
endows its possessor with a considerable equity
as regards a voice in its subsequent distribution.

Interest Wealth -
income derived from the fair
and just earnings possible of invested capital.

Honest wealth is entitled to interest.
As long as men and women borrow and lend,
that which is fair interest may be collected
provided the capital lent was legitimate wealth.
First cleanse your capital before you lay claim to the interest.
Do not become so small and grasping
that you would stoop to the practice of usury.
Never permit yourself to be so selfish
as to employ money-power
to gain unfair advantage over your struggling fellows.
Yield not to the temptation
to take usury from your brother and sister in financial distress.

Genius Wealth -
riches accruing from the rewards
of the creative and inventive endowments
of the Human mind.

If you chance to secure wealth by flights of genius,
if your riches are derived from the rewards of inventive endowment,
do not lay claim to an unfair portion of such rewards.
The genius owes something to both their ancestors and their progeny;
likewise are they under obligation to the race, nation, and circumstances
of their inventive discoveries;
they should also remember that it was as a person among people
that they labored and wrought out their inventions.
It would be equally unjust to deprive the genius
of all their increment of wealth.
And it will ever be impossible for men and women
to establish rules and regulations applicable equally
to all the problems of the equitable distribution of wealth.
You must first recognize man as your brother and woman as your sister,
and if you honestly desire to do by them
as you would have them do by you,
the commonplace dictates of justice, honesty, and fairness
will guide you in the just and impartial settlement
of every recurring problem of economic rewards
and social justice.

Accidental Wealth -
riches derived from the generosity of one's fellows
or taking origin in the circumstances of life.

Except for the just and legitimate fees earned in administration,
no one should lay personal claim to that wealth
which time and chance may cause to fall into their hands.
Accidental riches should be regarded somewhat
in the light of a trust to be expended
for the benefit of one's social or economic group.
The possessors of such wealth
should be accorded the major voice
in the determination of the wise and effective distribution
of such unearned resources.
Civilized mankind will not "always" look upon
all that they control as their personal and private possessions.

Trust Fund Wealth -
riches lodged in your hands by your fellows
for some specific use, now or in the future.

The trusteeship of the wealth of one person
for the benefit of others is a solemn and sacred responsibility.
Do not hazard or jeopardize such a trust.
Take for yourself of any trust
only that which all honest men and women would allow.

Earned Wealth -
riches derived directly from your own personal labor,
the fair and just reward of your own daily efforts of mind and body.

That part of your fortune
which represents the earnings of your own mental and physical efforts
-- if your work has been done in fairness and equity --
is truly your own.
No one can gainsay your right to hold
and use such wealth as you may see fit
provided your exercise of this right
does not work harm upon any of your fellows.

Illegitimate Methods of acquiring wealth

1. No mortal who knows God and seeks to do the divine will can stoop to engage in the oppressions of wealth. No noble man or woman will strive to accumulate riches and amass wealth-power by the enslavement or unfair exploitation of his brothers and sisters in the flesh. Riches are a moral curse and a spiritual stigma when they are derived from the sweat of oppressed mortal man and woman. All such wealth should be restored to those who have thus been robbed or to their children and their children's children. An enduring civilization cannot be built upon the practice of defrauding the laborer of his or her hire.

2. If any portion of your fortune has been knowingly derived from fraud; if aught of your wealth has been accumulated by dishonest practices or unfair methods; if your riches are the product of unjust dealings with your fellows, make haste to restore all these ill-gotten gains to the rightful owners. Make full amends and thus cleanse your fortune of all dishonest riches.

This information was obtained by reference to the URANTIA® book, pages 1462-65.

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Regarding Wealth...

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