It’s About the Money!

What does religion cost me? A lot!

The money you give to the church is money out of your pocket and into your pastor’s. Your church’s biggest budget items are likely to be the pastor’s salary and the building. If your church is larger, there might be a second pastor or possibly other staff too. As you become a core member of the church, you will feel increasing pressure to give more and more.  Trust me, I know firsthand.

If I asked you to give me 10% of your gross income, would you have questions of me? “What are you going to do with it?” “What kind of return should I expect?” If I lie to you, would you cut off the money? You should. It doesn’t “come back to you ten-fold.” That is a false claim by some churches.

Step back and ask yourself, “Does my pastor make more money than I do?” “Does he or she live in a better house?” “Is my pastor’s retirement plan better than mine?” If you are of the belief that your pastor is more deserving than you, you are wrong–he or she is flim-flamming you.

Here is an entertaining little video that illustrates how focused on money some churches and clergy are:

Notice at the end how the elders throw the first few dollars onto the steps to get people started throwing their money at the feet of the pastor. Clever? Manipulative? You decide.

So maybe that’s an extreme. No…some pastors/churches are simply more sophisticated about fleecing you. If you feel good about giving money to the church, you have been successfully fleeced; you have been taken advantage of. Here is an article about how wealthy the Catholic church is:

How Rich Is the Catholic Church?

Interior of the Basilica of Saint Peter’s, Vatican

I have seen firsthand the opulence of some of the churches in Europe. The use of parishioner’s money to guild a cathedral with silver and gold is an absolute disgrace. To a lesser degree, but the some theme nonetheless, churches in the U.S. today are palaces compared to the typical poverty rhetoric.

The Vatican Billons

It really is about the money. It’s about getting YOUR money!