Robert Kiyosaki of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame may be setting himself up for some controversy. Here's an excerpt from today's column, in which Kiyosaki interprets the biblical Parable of the Talents:

My politically incorrect interpretation of this parable is that the poor are wicked and slothful -- in other words, evil and lazy. My favorite line from it is "Enter into the joy of your master." If your master is God, then God's joy is the abundance derived from making money, which in turn creates more abundance. If that means God doesn't like poor people, then so be it.

Is it me, or is that a little harsh?

In the parable, a talent is actually a unit of money, so you can see how Kiyosaki comes to this conclusion. However, this parable is generally thought to mean you should use your "talents" to their fullest potential. To do less is wicked and against the wishes of God.

Regardless of whether you buy this parable or not, for Kiyosaki to take it and come away with "make money, good; not make money, evil" is ridiculous.

I can understand why someone might have contempt for a person who doesn't try, who doesn't make the attempt to reach their fullest potential. But Kiyosaki's conclusion is flawed for so many reasons I can only begin to list them. Here's three off the top of my head:

1) Not everyone starts out at the same economic place. Donald Trump's kid will have more money than my kid even if his kid does nothing but lay in front of the TV for his whole life while my kid builds a fortune over many years. Is my kid more evil as a result? (While we're at it, am I more evil than Donald Trump?)

That's an extreme example, but are poor kids automatically evil if they don't manage to climb out of the circumstances that they're born into? Are they evil if their economic status keeps them from getting as good of an education as rich kids, thus hampering their ability to make money over the long haul?

2) Everyone does not have the same potential for riches. A major league baseball player that makes millions of dollars is not less evil than a grade school teacher. Our society does not reward all skills equally. Even beyond the money paid for certain professions, some people are more skilled than others--some might say they have more "God-given talent." Does Kiyosaki believe God has chosen these people over the others?

3) Money is not the only goal for most people. If it were, everyone would simply choose whatever profession makes the most money and matches their skill level. But people often choose their professions based on their interests, based on what will give them the most satisfaction (or the least misery). Are they evil if they choose to become public defenders instead of personal injury attorneys?

Kiyosaki would probably argue that I've twisted his words, that the examples I use are all of people who are using their talents fully, even if the rewards are different. He might say that it is the lazy people who don't try that he is talking about.

Maybe that is what he means. But what he says is "the poor are wicked and slothful." Kiyosaki boils it all down to money.

I'd hate to think that way. Am I wrong?