To be clear, I dont believe that doctors, teachers, and priests should not be paid. In fact, I think that doctors and teachers should be higly compensated. I just think that you should never take your wallet or check book out and pay directly to them. This presents a problem when it comes to religion because of the seperation of church and state which I also strongly believe in. Which brings me to the conclusion that priests, rabbis, and the like should have to get a real job and be part time religious professionals. It is one of two main reasons I did not persue a career as a priest. (they also dont let you marry)
I believe these things should be free to the people who otherwise would be the customers because money corrupts the pure expression of the purpose of the profession. In medicine, HMO's determine what procedures you can and cant have because of cost benefit analysis instead of that decision being left to you and your doctor. In education it effects the content of what one learns. And in religion, it affects the messege you get from your chosen spiritual leader.
In the case of mega-churches its pretty obvious the message is designed to capatilize on the charisma of the cult leader and appeal to a broad audience in order to rake in the piles of cash. On the local level it affects the content of the preaching of the Priest and the openness of the congregation. If the big donors to the church dont want to hear about their duty to the poor but want to hear about how evil the gays are then thats what they hear because the priest knows what side his bread is buttered on. In the Sept. 19, 2004 edition of the Journal Sentinel;
Pastors often get caught in the middle of such conflicts,
Reichter said. One side in a dispute might want the church to get involved in
such social issues as poverty, hunger and housing, he said. But another faction
might want the church to focus on providing comforting services, Reichter
said.
"Sometimes, the people who are major (financial) donors are in the
comfort zone of life," he said. "They don't want to look outside to the
larger world. They can bring pressure for things to stay the way they have
always been."
The article begins by saying that in another parish the minister issued a notice that if adgitation by the parishners that contribute less financialy continues they would be booted from the congregation.
None of this is directly related to the article I am posting below. It just briefly mentions that the charity by ministries can be used as a tool to swell their ranks. Even though the poor cant contribute much financialy.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2007/10/dc-church-gives-homeless-a-rid.php
1 comment:
I also oppose privitization of the roads.
Post a Comment