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Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,700 posts, read 41,801,766 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer
I consider myself pretty religious, not overboard but still religious. Anyway, here is my story and a question.
I've always attended Church on a regular basis. At the start of this year I went through a series of surgeries to fix things received during a vehicle accident. Years past I have always given the Church a decent amount every year but since I haven't been able to go much this year it is lower.
Here is the part that I am confused about. I open my mailbox and there is a document in it that looks like a bill. A bill from my Church. Upon closer examination there is a letter in it that in summary states they would like me to "donate" the amount to make up what I usually donate. No get well letter, no how are you doing letter just something that looks like a bill asking for money. Is this normal practice for any Church?
NO, any church that would send you anything coming close to a bill is not a church you need to attend. A real church would offer you their prayers at the minimum, in your condition.
Sadly to say, we left a money-hungry church who showered monetary blessings on the Pastor, [ 6 figure income, home and car allowance, month sabattical each year, etc etc ]entered an extensive building campaign, and persisted in paying the woman who ran the nursery minimum wage; she was a single mom with two kids, one handicapped, who lived in a trailer. Several of us tried to budge the council to increase her income before giving him another increase ........... to no avail.
Ooooo...yeh, I agree with most everyone here that what happened is wrong. I think that any donation is made anonymously and only at the discretion of the person donating.
The Catholic religion, my background, is the worst when it comes to blurring the line between non-profit and profit. Do you realize, do you know, that Catholic priests were up until and I'm estimating here, a few hundred years ago allowed to marry. But at that time the Church was in financial trouble, and began calculating how much they would be able to save if when a priest died his estate reverted to the church not to heirs. The decision to prevent priests from marrying and insist on lifelong celibacy was business one.
Now look around America. In every city of any size at all you have Catholic hospitals and universities, Catholic high schools and grade schools in every neighborhood, all charging a tuition; the tuition in a Catholic HIGH SCHOOL today? About $7,000 a year, for high school! Seems like they should see the writing on the confessional wall. More and more Catholics are coming out of the haze of incense and Latin refrains, fewer and fewer of us can't see beyond the pageantry.
NO, any church that would send you anything coming close to a bill is not a church you need to attend. A real church would offer you their prayers at the minimum, in your condition.
My advice is find another church.
I agree.
I wish the OP would share his denomination and/or church affiliation.
I've seen posts similar to this before but wonder if it's the same denomination.
I'm not trying to pick on the Mormons but I believe they do have a tything system which as I recall is 10% (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). I mentioned earlier that my sister does give 10% of her income to her church but it's not something mandatory to the best of my understanding and from what she's told me they really do try to do things to help people. When she moved from the small town in Montana she lived in for many years, retired and took another teaching job in Guadalajara, Mexico at a religious school down there she found out they had many shortages of supplies and the members of her church back in Montana chipped in and donated to help them out. Her church is always broke because they're always involved in some sort of activity to try to help someone out.
I think to be fair we should put this whole thing into perspective and realize that the churches who are in it for the money and pester members to pay up even when they've had difficult times as the OP talks about probably do not represent what is happening in a great many churches, especially the little neighborhood churches that exist all across the country. I also feel disgusted by ministers who live lavishly and churches whose main goal is to build expensive new gold plated churches to attract new members. If I was religious and felt a need to belong to a church I'd be looking for one that operates like the one my sister belongs to.
Sounds like you are Mormon? They are the ones who are so greedy they make you think you 'have to' pay them 10%. Think of the missionaries that get barely over $100 a month for food and toiletries. Once they are done on their mission, they get a job, and pay the church back hundreds of times over. I mean, 10% of minimum wage is more than $100 a month! Greedy b#stards!
I grew up in a Baptist church, what really pushed me away from the Baptists, was the business end of how that church is operated. They talk of love, but really it is all about business.
Once a member of a church they do preach the tithe, and I was receiving reminders in the mail. the church secretary kept an account of how much I gave each week, comparing that to my projected income. they want their 10%.
My eldest sister and her Dw are deacons in that church, I assure you that it is very much a business. So many people are on salary, with expense accounts. Each department has a budget. There is a bottom line of what they need to bring in each week to keep the business going. In the church, on one side of the pulpit is a sign with last week's attendance and offerings, followed by the projected bottom line. So every one attending knows at all times if their church is in the black.
I consider myself pretty religious, not overboard but still religious. Anyway, here is my story and a question.
I've always attended Church on a regular basis. At the start of this year I went through a series of surgeries to fix things received during a vehicle accident. Years past I have always given the Church a decent amount every year but since I haven't been able to go much this year it is lower.
Here is the part that I am confused about. I open my mailbox and there is a document in it that looks like a bill. A bill from my Church. Upon closer examination there is a letter in it that in summary states they would like me to "donate" the amount to make up what I usually donate. No get well letter, no how are you doing letter just something that looks like a bill asking for money.
Is this normal practice for any Church?
Well, hang on. I really am suspicious of churches acting in a high-handed manner when it comes to money. And, having sat on committees of my own church, I recognize that even the most tightly run churches have ongoing expenses that have to be met.
The critical issue here is this: Did you pledge that amount? I'm Episcopalian, and Episcopal Churches budget strictly on the pledges of their members for the coming year. When a member falls behind on their pledge, most churches feel the pinch, for that means the bills don't get paid.
If, on the other hand, you just give when you feel like it without the construct of a formal pledge, then what they did was outrageous. You should notify your pastor of your hardship, tear up the letter, and not give it another thought. In fact, I think you should look for another church, one where parishoners are not viewed simply as sources of funding.
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