The Church as a business

[SuSuSushi]

I was raised in a church where we were required to "donate" 10% of our income (gross, not net) to the church as tithe. Then of course there was the collection plate that was passed around at each service that we were obligated to contribute to as well. At the end of each year the church accountant (or whatever they're called) would post on the church bulletin board a breakdown of what each church member had given. It was a very passive-aggressive way of forcing people to give, and simply wrong in my opinion. Bottom line, churches ARE businesses and they should be taxed.

[LogicIsYourFriend]

You are human, and so are church leaders. None of these people are God. Why do you give money to other humans? what do they do for you? Nothing, really. They tell you to have a 'personal relationship' with God, right? Then why do you need a church at all? Stop wasting your money on other humans, worship God in your own way. If you can't know God on your own, how the heck do you think others will be able to know him for you?

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Thanks for the feedback, Lutheran Church with great people. We have about 200-300 members (if you count on Christmas eve)

I understand they need the money but shouldn't they alter their budget just as everyone else does during hard times? Everyone is hurting.

[jrice]

Originally Posted by MontanaGuy

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.

The mormons are very centered on money, for example here in Las Vegas there is a HUGE mormon church (complete with gold or faux gold angels on the spires) that is for the wealthy mormons only--I have been told by one member of the church that to attend you must make 200K or more, if you do not there is a "less wealthy" mormon church about 1000 yards away.

Being a Catholic I know that they can be bad regarding their asking for donations and use of the collection plate but the Mormons have the catholics beat in their elitism

[grannynancy]

Have you first followed the command - if you have an argument with your brother to take it to them first?

You know October is when they do stewardship drives, so maybe someone was helping who did not know about your circumstance.

Has the church been there for you in your suffereing? Did they know about it? not knowing the circumstances I would give them the benefit. In rough times the church may have greater needs than fewer. How do they spend their money - are they doing God's work with it or growing fat and happy?