Reminds me of Blackthorne’s twisted ‘laws of virtue’ from Ultima V:
“Thou shalt donate half of thy income to charity, or thou shalt have no income.”
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I wrote God a cheque with the amount left blank, and instructed my executor to write in an amount equal to 100% of my estate and tuck it in the suit I wear at my funeral. I figure I’m covered.
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Exactly.
The church I grew up in spent more money on two major things when I was growing up:
- A new organ (a huge one, flew an organ builder out from Germany)
- An addition to the church.
Far more money than they ever spent feeding the less fortunate. Who, by the way, can’t use the gym.
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I would have more “faith” if I was giving it to God directly, and not a questionable middleman. What is his carrying charge?
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No, I’d say not, actually. That’s not to say that corruption didn’t exist (and doesn’t continue to exist), but that the church (churches) DID in fact do works of communal support, at a time when no other real mechanism existed to do so. In addition, the church was one of the only checks on monarchical power for a long time. That’s not nothing.
I’ve been watching the Tudors, and the last season covered the northern uprising when Cromwell (in Henry’s name) was destroying the monasteries and churches, taking the various shrines, and putting the spoils in the king’s pocket, essentially - the point of view of the faithful up there was not in line with Cromwell, who saw only the corruption. They viewed it as THEIR sacred spaces being taken from THEM, as their communal resource and part of their support system being decimated by a greed upstart. I suspect that’s right on the money with the histriography, too, with regards to reactions to some aspects of the reformation, which was a brutal process on both sides.
And of course, as you note, many churches continue to do good works in their communities.
I know this is an unpopular stance here, because so many people are pretty hardcore atheists and think all faith is inherently bad, but I think it’s the historically accurate one. I also generally chafe against broad brush characterizations that assumes people who don’t think as we do are merely rubes, instead of maybe having good reasons for why they believe in what they do…
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And many churches regularly feed the poor still today.
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I didn’t say they didn’t. I was throwing shade at my middle class white neighborhood church from my childhood.
This summer I was biking from my office in the Chicago Loop out to the suburbs after work, and Google Maps decided to take me through some bad parts of town. Saw a church having a BBQ (I think it must have been around Garfield Park), with signs and free food and drinks and stuff. “Party for Peace!”. Everyone honked as they went by, I waved. It was cool.
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Tithe for my pills and pool boys fund.
Here is one that I’m familair with. Pastor Charlie Brown (that’s really his name) would appreciate anything you send his way, and won’t accuse you of stealing for not sending enough.
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I hate religion with a fervor… an almost religious fervor. Seriously. EVIL people
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God can go get a 12 hour shift in the local Mickey D’s if he needs cash so much.
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Jesus rides beside me
Never buys any smokes
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He sounds nice normal.
“Bring the money … closer”
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It’s not the one on Peach Tree Ln, it’s the one over on Peach Tree Rd just South of the intersection with Peach Tree St but before you get to Peach Tree Ave.
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I’m a Mennonite living in SW Ontario that lives next to a Mennonite church that just completed a million-dollar renovation. I went to this church once and found the pastor saying something similar:
Even if you have other debts burdening you, you must pay God first.
Be afraid. Be very afraid. This is not limited to the United States. This is not limited to the far-right. This is not limited to evangelicals. This is not limited to mega-churches.
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We have too many first baptist churches AND too many peachtree streets!
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I don’t know, dude. I checked with God last time I saw Him and He said as long as I wasn’t being a horrible asshole, we were good on the money front. Then He said He had to go see a few guys about some jets and other questionable shit… He didn’t mention you specifically, but you might want to keep your head on a swivel. Peace.
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