Have you donated money to a church?

[Pierresro]

^What did God ever do to you?

Nothing there is no God!

 

[Pierresro]

Salvation Army

Salvation Army is the most homophobic society in the USA I would not urinate in there kettle even if they were on fire!

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

Most Sundays.

 

[ShadowCat]

ABSOLUTELY NOT! The catholic church is full of it! We needed help and they always say lean on us lean on us but when you're this close *pinches fingers* to losing your house and you need help paying bills they are dust in the wind. Thats fine you can't help someone in your flock then the only way is to save my donation I was going to give you. Plus it's not like they need it they have a room in the Vatican full of gold crap gold is $1500 an ounce I think they'll be ok. And then the nuns take a vow of poverty and don't even have money for nightgowns but these pedo priests are driving round in Caddy's and Benzes yeah me thinks not!

 

[eddielee]

Yes, to the local church that I go to.

 

[unloadonme]

For historical or architectural reasons, yes. For religious reasons, certainly not.

 

[HoodedRat]

^
Ah yes, I've done that too. Every time I've visited Wells Cathedral, Glastonbury Abbey ruins, and liitle village churches they always have a collection box for maintainence of the buildings.

 

[FPNY]

We are arguing about this very topic in my house at the moment. We recently moved to southeast Florida and the supposed bishop of my husbands favorite church is an anti gay guy. He doesn’t go for the equality bullshit. My hub is an Episcopalian and they are normally welcoming and loving. The actual church he attends he loves. The people are warm and welcoming and the priest is great. I don’t want to give anymore than say $5 a week. Hubby wants to give a percentage of our income. Normally I wouldn’t care but I’ll be damned if I’m going to support some anti gay bishop.

 

[zoltanspawn]

Normally I wouldn’t care but I’ll be damned if I’m going to support some anti gay bishop.

Thank you.

 

[NotHardUp1]

We've kind of done this topic before, as there was a thread about charitable giving. The context here is limited and doesn't address what percentage of a church's income goes to helping others or not.

That question will eventually be asked, and then the issue of whether staff help people arises. At this time, the majority of North America thinks so, with religious affiliation in Mexico at 92%, in the US at 82%, and Canada at 74%. That works out to over 418 million souls in this quadrant of the globe being religious, whether they are charitable or not.

 

[Alistair]

^ but they don't attend church and aren't tithing.

In 2013, the Pew Research Center reported that 37% of all Americans attended church on a weekly basis. In its turn, Gallup estimated the once-a-week church attendance of theAmericans in 2013 as 39%.

I bet it's even lower today, and the reason the catholic church consolidated and closed so many churches a few years back.

 

[jaynoel]

I won't even give money to a food bank if it's managed by a church or religious organization.

Most of the everyday Christian churches I see around me are slowly dying.
I'm encouraged by the fact that Church attendance nationwide continues to slowly drop and that churches steadily have less and less influence and power over the thinking of otherwise intelligent people in America.

 

[peeonme]

I have in times past, but most churches like to keep tabs on your giving via an offering envelope. I like to give in secret to God, not to the church. I will give cash only and want no record at a church as to how much I give. As for the idea of tithing, if it is done under the guise of "you owe God 10%" it is not an offering or a donation, you are just paying a conjured up bill based upon scripture that is being used to pressure you out of context.
2 Corinthians 9:7 " Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Compulsory giving is not a christian teaching.

 

[sixthson]

I have in times past, but most churches like to keep tabs on your giving via an offering envelope. I like to give in secret to God, not to the church. I will give cash only and want no record at a church as to how much I give. As for the idea of tithing, if it is done under the guise of "you owe God 10%" it is not an offering or a donation, you are just paying a conjured up bill based upon scripture that is being used to pressure you out of context.
2 Corinthians 9:7 " Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Compulsory giving is not a christian teaching.

Glad to see you, Chuck.

 

[Rickrock]

^ but they don't attend church and aren't tithing.



I bet it's even lower today, and the reason the catholic church consolidated and closed so many churches a few years back.

Not only is attendance falling, but fewer men are becoming priests so there is a growing shortage of priests to man the parishes. In the past most parishes had two or more priests, but now many have only one.

 

[seven2go]

^ Actually half of a priest since so many are serving two parishes.

 

[USEDCAR]

Nope, Churches are not what they used to be and that is helping people. The Pastors want to have mega churches and be famous like Joel Osteen and Td Jakes etc. I work night shift besides having a miracle mop info commercial now you have Pastors on tv begging you to donate money and having Actors telling testimonies.


Pastors have a bigger house better cars then i why should i give my money to them?

 

[NotHardUp1]

^ but they don't attend church and aren't tithing.

I bet it's even lower today, and the reason the catholic church consolidated and closed so many churches a few years back.

True, but the question is not tithing but ever giving to a church. Those are wholly different questions. Even the fundamentalists don't tithe any more. That's part of the trend of megachurches. It basically is the McDonald's model of religion. If we're only gonna get 1-2% of their take home pay, then we need LOTS more people in the building, plus folks watching from home.

Only the Mormons really get tithing these days, because they basically shame their members and limit their access if they fail to keep the law. No other denomination is allowed to be as invasive as the LDS is with its members.

And that's what we have today. BIG churches, loose associations, gymnasiums, yoga classes, sports leagues, knitting groups, music guilds, scout troops, addict clubs, and on and on.

As for weekly attenders, that rule has been out since the interstates were made. Once people got wheels and could book it, they were gone on lots of weekends. So, weekly attendance hasn't been a measure of membership for some decades now. Not news. Taking "not attending on a weekly basis" and turning it into "does not attend church" are two different things.

And Americans want their cake and to eat it too. We claim a religion but don't hesitate to take a road trip to see a ball game and forfeit church attendance that week. It's kind of like the supposed high value put on the environment and recycling. We are all too happy to fill up a recycle bin, claiming virtue in saving the planet, while blissfully ignoring the problem that we are consuming so much packaging that we CAN fill up a recycle bin.

It's not just the Catholics who closed churches. Many "mainstream" denominations shrank and clergy were forced to share duties across nearby congregations. Part of it is the shift to neo-Pentecostalist and non-denominational denominations, and part of is is the shift from rural to urban.

At any rate, there is always a clamor on the Left to pronounce religion dead and gone, but it's wishful thinking, not reality. It's like the dumbass article that detailed the religious affiliation of Canadians. After clearly stating that over 70% of Canadians identify with a religious affiliation, it tried to assert that Canadians are not very religious. Says you. Over 70% is highly religious. That doesn't mean fanatical or going into nunneries, but it's still a huge preponderance of the population choosing to affiliate with a religious belief. That's religion, not region. Redefining it to suit some progressive's world view is just a tres obvious.

 

[peeonme]

I quit the fundies back about 30 years ago, they were still beating people up about "stealing God's tithes", I hope that they have changed. They were also adamant about attending 3 times per week. If you tithed and attended you were a faithful member.

 

[TickTockMan]

And that's what we have today. BIG churches, loose associations, gymnasiums, yoga classes, sports leagues, knitting groups, music guilds, scout troops, addict clubs, and on and on.

In a round about way my first post was wrong. At the start of my breakdown I went to AA and they took place in churches (not the chicken place you fools). The groups had to pay rent so in a way, yes, but not really.