Yeah, and look how much Americans spent getting the vote out instead of investing in fixing things directly. Are you criticizing that equally as you do this push to get Bibles out? Which will last longer, Cammmpbell, a Bible or a bunch of campaign literature? Think about it!
That's a load of it. Don't try to shit a shitter. I was knee deep in the church for nearly forty years. A member of the Brotherhood, taught Sunday school, helped with programs like vacation bible school and RA Boys. Helped to coordinate religious retreats, visited sick people once a week...Tuesday evenings. Raked old folks yards in the fall. Worked on the building committee. Gave personal testimony in nearby towns.
By the time building maintenance and/or expansion, mortgage payments, preacher's home and travel expenses, contributions to funds like Lottie Moon and missionary programs, improvements to the property, incidentals, 10% to the convention or denomination headquarters, etc....................the poor be damned. Like I've said too many times. The sell what you have and give it to the poor deal just doesn't happen.
Most people don't want to know what the church does with their tithes. That way they can feel all soft and cuddly after they put their envelope in the plate.
Dear Cammmpbell: I would address this as two different problems rolled together
(1) financial/real estate management of churches as in physical operations
(2) spiritual development of the people making up the churches
I agree that both have problems.
Here is how I would solve them, instead of bitching about these problems existing:
(1) for financial management, I am recommending to charities, especially church ministries and nonprofits that don't charge money for their services and outreach, to learn to buy and manage rental real estate, similar to for-profit investors, where all the money coming in by donations or business investments goes into purchasing property at 100% tax write off as a business. Then use this property to teach volunteers how to "fish" how to generate sustainable income, not for personal profit, but to funds the nonprofit work. So you basically do the same for-profit business model as profession investors, but apply this model to generate ongoing funds for the charity. So this is more sustainable than relying on tithes and donations which get used up as one-time deals. You would build a base, and then use the base to fund the operations over time. If people do this, the you don't lose the money coming in on paying one-time light bills, or paying for supplies or food; you invest that longterm into real assets that stay with the church to continue generating funding. And the best things are (a) the volunteers learn how to become self-sufficient by being trained in the same financial and property management as business investors use (b) by using passive income to support themselves and their nonprofit work, they will have more time to do their outreach by not having to work full time jobs to donate portions each month to pay, because the rental properties would generate the money to cover operating costs (c) the real estate purchased can be used as rentals to help disabled, elderly, vets, mentally ill, etc. and set up school campuses where interns can be trained to provide services to the needy
(2) For spiritual development, instead of judging people on how much they give to the physical church, I find it is more critical to assess what gifts each person has to offer. Some may have a gift of mentoring people in business rather than in spiritual processes of recovery forgiveness and growth internally. Instead of judging this, I would encourage people to pick the outreach of their choice, find out what skills or knowledge they enjoy sharing, and volunteer in providing that to where the need is the greatest. When you start looking at people and situations this way, there is no need to judge and reject anyone. Every person and every part of the system has a purpose, and they can all work together.
I personally help with counseling people to overcome conflicts or issues they haven't resolved or forgiven, either mentally or emotionally or whatever level they are stuck with negative thoughts or judgments from the past. Once these are let go, forgiven or even loosened up a little, then people can see more clearly how to use their natural gifts and talents to help other. I find it very common for people to give up on one group, and go someplace else, if they are meant to take a different path to connect with new people and resources they would not have run across otherwise. So I try not to judge that either.
Cammmpbell whatever you are looking at in life, remember there is a good purpose for that system or institution; and as we correct what is wrong or abused with each one, we can work toward using each person or thing for a greater purpose that helps more people!
I hope this helps you see that even starting with a messed up system, whether the church or state, religious or political structures, these can be used to ORGANIZE people and resources to provide help in effective sustainable ways, NOT repeat the mess from the past.
Lastly Cammmpbell, please remember there is a difference between the local physical church and the SPIRITUAL church body which is all the people united in Peace. As there is a different between the local physical govt and the COLLECTIVE people as the govt which is all of us united under one Law. The point in life is to live by the SPIRIT of the laws that join us, and then let that guide and govern our physical actions in the real world. Put the spirit of the laws first, the rest will follow. Problems in our physical world, relations, and institutions can be resolved by working together in agreement in the spirit of truth and love of justice and humanity. This is true of both church institutions and state/govt that need reform.
All these things you point out Cammmpbell, can be corrected as we organize our resources.
Bravo!!
