It's Just Wrong...
 

My cousin posted this pic from her visit to her place of worship, yesterday... :confused:

It is wrong on so many levels and they don't take American Express... :mad:


:D:D

I find it odd, that it's ALWAYS about the $$$$$$$


give some bucks....save your soul....yeah...got it..:confused:

Only time I go to Church....is when I drive by one.

My own way, in my own house...that's my place of worship..

The wording on the machine give this kind of message

"Jesus loves you....only after you give X amount of money"

Donations are supposed to be done so that one can contribute to the maintenance of the church and not for showing faith. You show whether you have faith by the way you conduct yourself everyday.

Organized religion is man-made. So are ATMs. I'll stick to non-religion. I'll stick to finding God in the mountains and streams, and the goodness in humanity.

God and ATM's
 

Everything is for sale now.

I think you'll find the Mtns and streams alot quicker....than the "goodness" of humanity..

And quoting good 'ol Richard..."so it goes"...

It is....what it is...

How else is the pastor going to be able to afford his mortgage for his home in the toney part of town? Do you know what is costs to fuel up a private jet these days?

Matthew 21:12

During my years in ministry I nearly went broke, but there are indeed some who prosper, perhaps using 1 Corinithians 9:7 for inspiration.

When I worked in Orange County, Ca, I used to see the TBN lady with big hair driving her white BMW convertible; she often had her matching pair of German shepherds (dogs, not missionaries) in the back seat.

Some prosper, some wither on the vine. My guiding principle, however, has been Micah 6:8.

How
 

It's not in how it's given - It's in how it's spent.

How the hell can I palm money from the collection plate with some monstrosity like that?;)

I suppose by holding out the mechanical hand, they won't ever have to hear any stories of woe from parishoners about losing homes to foreclosures, losing jobs and finding it difficult to feed the family. No conscience in a machine, just take the money.

And Glebo, there is goodness in humanity. Sometimes one has to look hard, but it's there. I've seen some of it.

Same here brother. I've traveled all over the world and have seen many religions. In the US the Baptist talk about the Catholics, the Catholics talk about the Mormons, the Mormons talk about ...... You get the idea. A church is just a building and there are people that need a structured/orchestrated setting in order to feel better I guess but not me. Most churches I attended in the past were just a microcosm of society and had their own clicks, everyone was a good christian in their own minds.

My dad was of a religion that didn't believe in churches, the women didn't believe in cutting their hair and only wore dresses. They didn't believe in TV or jewelry. It was sort of a cross between a Quaker and a Mennonite I guess. They held services at members houses. When I was young we were out back shelling some peas under the pecan tree and he told me I should go to his church as they were the only ones going to heaven. Well you guessed it as I went off on him and let him know that only one person gets to make that decision and he was not that person.

My feeling is that as long as I live my life the best I can helping people along the way and ask the almighty for guidance and forgiveness I'm good to go.

I find this thread interesting.

I recently went out to help with relief work in Joplin, Mo., a few days after the tornado had hit the town. I was amazed by the number of church buses that were parked everywhere; churches in the region had loaded up bus after bus, and the congregation members were all over the stricken area, doing what they could. The US government was not helping dig bodies out of the rubble---it was a region's worth of churches. People taking time off work, away from their own lives, to just come help.

On the periphery of the stricken area, various Christian organizations had set up tractor trailers for relief stuff. Food, clothing, shelter, everything was provided by organizations like the Convoy of Hope. Churches in the region donated so much stuff that those who had suffered from the tornado were taken care of almost immediately.

The Scottish Rite cathedral was packed with Masons from several states. They spent their time cooking and taking meals from the cathedral to the people working in the stricken area. One Mason brought a smoker and cooked 500 lbs of pork butts per day for the workers.

Interestingly, I did not see one atheist organization in Joplin helping dig through rubble. Also, I didn't see any trucks from an "I worship in my own way" organization handing out food or clothing. It was entirely donated from "Believers'" treasuries and labor.

I realize that it is easy to heckle "Christians", preachers, "the Church", and the notion of a congregation giving money to a church. Indeed, like every human endeavor, humans occasionally screw religion up. But, you might want to go out and get some ground truth before you anonymously deride these organizations from the comfort of your keyboard.

This is the way I feel too but I understand not everyone feels the same. Through out history offerings, payments and support has been given to various churches for various works. Should that include the 3-7% for processing fees and the now 21 cents for debit card swipes, possible machine fees, let alone accounting fees?