If they were not businesses no money would be changing hands, and I'm sure Jesus/God would want all to be free and not approve of them making all that profit out of it.
Why do Christians keep denying that organised religion is a business?
Tax dodging.
Why do Christians keep denying that organised religion is a business?
Why do you suppose that governments do not tax churches? It is because people in governments believed in God once. The work of God to save lost man from their sins and ready them for Heaven was highly respected by people. Satan has done well in blinding the eyes of the majority today
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You really need an education.....or possibly just a kick in the a$$......
Because it was not originally intended to be but in some cases, I am not going to specify which as I do not wish to offend anyone, that is what it has become.
God can perform allll these miracles, but he can't balance a check book? hmm. He neeeds yo money!
Why does an atheist have nothing better the do? Then complain about the bible?
All that shows to me is that you actually believe in God. But you try and talk yourself into. That he isn't real. When you know for a fact he is.
Sorry to be so blunt about it. But that's seriously just how I view this question. But if it makes you feel any better. There is alot of these questions. Where a person believe's in God. But deny's him because they are afraid.
Or else you won't care what Christians think.
Yes and does it make it wrong to be ran as such? Is God not an orderly God? Is it not a business to reach out to lost souls and give to them the gospel of Jesus Christ? Jesus said, that he must be about his fathers business. It takes money to buy buildings for a place to hold church services. It takes money to support the ministers of the gospel. It takes money to pay the utility bills.
Is this holding you back from being a part of a church somewhere? Don't let it. Just go and get involved somewhere, God will use you if you'll make yourself available.
Perhaps you would be much happier if all Catholic clergy went about half starved and in rags.well in such a case practise what you preach,besides Jesus did not castigate those with wealth but rather He warned them of being attached to money which could become an obession.
yeah, a business that changes the world for the better. I personally work for my church, and I know that our money is going to help people in foreign countries, to reach out to our community and to pay our electric bills etc. Nothing wrong with that.
Because it's not a business.... It's a SCAM!
%26quot;Because I gotta tell you the truth folks, when it comes to B*ll Sh*t, big time, major league B*ll Sh*t, you have to stand in awww of the all time champion of false promises, and exaggerated claims.........
Religion!!!
Think about it. Religion, has actually convinced people that there is an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do every minute of every day, and the invisible man has a list of 10 things he does NOT want you to do. And if you do any of those 10 things he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish. Where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time!!!!................
But he LOVES you............ He Loves you.... and he NEEDS MONEY!! He always needs money. He's all powerful all perfect all knowing all wise, but somehow... He just can't handle money?... Religion takes in BILLIONS of dollars, they pay NO taxes and they always need a little more....
Now you wanna talk about a good B*ll Sh*t story?...... Holy Sh*t!!%26quot;
You might see it that way and I might see it that way but we cannot expect a Christian to see it that way. I am guessing they are in it for some sense of a higher ideal. We may see them is blindly serving the power structures that keep them mentally enslaved. They might see themselves actively supporting and participating in the belief system that expresses their deeply held beliefs. And if that is what they believe, they are not wrong.
Those of us who have a 'truth' that gives us a different perspective on religion probably also have the wit to realise ours is just one truth of many. We see the 'religious' truth as false but equally recognise that all truths are a function of perspective.
If a religious person/organisation shoves its beliefs in my face or challenges mine, then it is fair game for a counter argument. If it is just sitting there, getting on with whatever it believes without harming anyone and without seeking to impose any aspect of itself on me, then my moral values incline me to respect that and leave them alone. So, my friend, I feel your assertion about the nature of religious organisations is unlikely to come as news to non-believers and unlikely to make any difference to believers except that it may cause unproductive offence. I don't think that is what you intended.
Go in peace.
all religions are business's not just the ct......................
Yea, but you forgot to mention the Church donates billions of dollars each year to help the poor and needy.
You are not going to believe this but that does not affect the true answer.
Christians are told time and again that the central bank of the kingdom of heaven is the only one we all subscribe to .
Regardless of our belief system or lack of it we all draw out of it and invest in it with all out time, talent and money.
Now as for the churches, they are bound by the law of the land and must keep accounts whether they conduct charitable works or run a casino.
So we have to answer to the general public and the tax man fo what we spend our money on .You are free to attend Annual general meetings if you are involved in such enterprises.
If you have a problem with the Catholics giving millions of pounds/dollars to Haiti or the Indian subcontinent then why not write to the Pope?
By the same token if you object to the extravagance of the vestmentsand the cosy life style of the top executives why not lodge your protest?
Just carping about it isnt going to change a thing is it?
Isn't that a bit like asking that old chestnut: %26quot;When did you stop beating your wife?%26quot;
Taking that example; if the prosecutor asks that question of the accused in court it subliminally puts the idea in the heads of the jury that the defendant (let's call him John Smith) used to beat his wife, even if he did not. And the only answer an innocent defendant can give is something like: %26quot;I did not beat my wife.%26quot;
Next day the newspaper headline reads: %26quot;John Smith denies beating his wife!%26quot; The average reader thinks something like %26quot;well, there's no smoke without fire%26quot;, or: %26quot;well, he would say that wouldn't he%26quot;.
And the prosecutor is half way to victory.
My point is that you make the leading assumption that organised religion is just a cynical business, and then if someone denies that it is, others will think something like: %26quot;well they would say that wouldn't they.%26quot;
Having said all that I should state firstly that I am an atheist and secondly that I disagree with your interpretation.
Yes, Churches require money in order to function. Where should that money come from? The alternative to Christians who subscribe to that religion contributing is for the State to pay for them. Surely you would not prefer that?
And whilst it may be correct to call them businesses, the important differentiation from a company like, say, MacDonald's, is that Churches are %26quot;Not-for-Profit%26quot; businesses That is to say, that the wealth generated is used for the benefit of the community and is not paid out in bonuses to individuals, or in reinvestment to make more widgets.
You also seem to take the view that religious people are stupid. I can assure you that some of the brightest people I know are religious. I think they are misguided, but I do not think they are too stupid to understand how their donations to the Church gare spent.
Most of us live in liberal democracies where people are free to make up their own minds about what they spend their money on. If it makes some people feel good to give their money to religious organisations then that's great. Why try to stop them? They may equally think it's crazy if you spend your money on material goods which you really don't need, but which make you feel good about yourself. In what way is your spending more rational than theirs?
Hope this is helpful.
it's hard to admit stupidity.
Hey! Hippie do you get your hash for free? Or does some junkie steal it for you? Enjoy your fix.
Why are you so anti-catholic? Were you sexually abused by a rogue priest or something?
