My Ex Wants Money

[mcdaddy]

I gave 500 bucks to the family of a friend of mine that died last month. And would have given more if I didn't have 90,000 student debt.

 

Yeah, atheists are all selfish assholes.

[florduh]

Although they don't waste money supporting a church building, clerical staff, clergy, etc., the atheists I'm aware of personally seem to give rather generously to those in need. They are more generous than any Christians I have known. They also give anonymously and don't look for tax write offs. Hell, the Scientologists provide more real help than the traditional Christian churches around here, and they do not use their charity as a recruitment tool. Christians and their church businesses certainly do not have a corner on good deeds.

[wndwalkr99]

 

And we pray too.

 

Well! Aren't you special. And so helpful too.

 

Is there anything MORE worthless you could do? Probably not. You're likely doing more harm than good with the prayers, so you'd be better off keeping the money and the prayers to yourself, since they pretty much cancel each other out anyway.

 

http://web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/3_31STEP.html

 

 

[Guest end3]

Well! Aren't you special. And so helpful too.

 

Is there anything MORE worthless you could do? Probably not. You're likely doing more harm than good with the prayers, so you'd be better off keeping the money and the prayers to yourself, since they pretty much cancel each other out anyway.

 

http://web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/3_31STEP.html

 

No, I expect if I have difficulty giving, prayers move me towards a better mindset. In that, I think they are effective. The rest would be supernatural. I have faith that works as well.

[Guest end3]

Kind of amazed y'all equated the sum total of giving to ONE of several things we give to....doing the math on ONE.....and not assuming anyone gives without being seen. You just want to make the point you want to make and find agreement. Also, OB mentioned that 20 percent give 80 percent, and you discount this as well to make the simple math come out to "those rotten Christians"

[wndwalkr99]

Well! Aren't you special. And so helpful too.

 

Is there anything MORE worthless you could do? Probably not. You're likely doing more harm than good with the prayers, so you'd be better off keeping the money and the prayers to yourself, since they pretty much cancel each other out anyway.

 

http://web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/3_31STEP.html

 

No, I expect if I have difficulty giving, prayers move me towards a better mindset. In that, I think they are effective. The rest would be supernatural. I have faith that works as well.

 

So to help others, you pray for yourself to have a better mindset.

 

Got it.

 

I am so, so glad I'm not Christian. You people are idiots.

[mymistake]

Kind of amazed y'all equated the sum total of giving to ONE of several things we give to....doing the math on ONE.....and not assuming anyone gives without being seen. You just want to make the point you want to make and find agreement. Also, OB mentioned that 20 percent give 80 percent, and you discount this as well to make the simple math come out to "those rotten Christians"

 

What are you talking about End? Christians are not rotten. They are misguided. The point of this thread isn't that is it wrong to give. It's that giving to a Chruch pays for the Chruch building and the Pastor's wallet. It's not a real charity. My original post was about a church that mismanaged millions of dollars and are now begging even former attenders to help them out. They didn't listen to me when I warned them how to avoid this problem becaue they were too busy listening to their imaginary friend. That isn't claiming that a Christian won't give to things outside of Church. Rather Church is a waste of money.

[pratt]

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-03/singapore-mega-church-faithful-invest-in-malls-southeast-asia

 

Thu February 09, 2012, 6:00pm EST

Centuries after Catholics established missions in Asia, Singaporeans are flocking to a new species of churches making appeals more in common with “Material Girl” pop-singer Madonna than the Jesuits. Wearing a white leather jacket and jeans, Senior Pastor Joseph Prince asked God to reward a crowd of about 1,200 with houses, cars, jobs, pay raises and holidays if they contributed to New Creation’s multimillion-dollar funding drive.

 

Prince’s 24,000-strong flock belongs to a flourishing breed of churches from Houston to Sydney winning followers with a focus on personal well-being. As the rise of so-called mega churches helps make Christians the fastest-growing religious group in majority-Buddhist Singapore, their fundraising prowess is also making its mark, allowing groups including New Creation and City Harvest Church to invest in some of the island’s biggest commercial properties.

 

“Mega churches have been able to articulate Christianity in a very contemporary manner,” said Terence Chong, a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies who has researched such groups. “Being able to adopt the language of pop culture, mass consumption -- we think this appeals to the new middle class, people who are aspiring middle class.”

 

Security Guards

In a city state of 5.2 million people occupying a quarter of the area of Rhode Island, the mega churches stand out with their gatherings of thousands, near-celebrity leaders and outreach methods that range from magic shows and concerts to musical worship backed by electric guitars.

 

At the New Creation service, PowerPoint slides showed attendees how to write checks to the church, while armed security guards watched the cash. Worship and Holy Communion were followed by a video about a woman who donated on Miracle Seed Sundays even when her husband’s cancer treatments saddled the couple with debt. Images of a Volkswagen and a condominium showed the rewards that came to them for giving.

 

“As they come forth Lord to sow, release upon them Father the power to get, to create, to receive wealth in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Prince said in the rented Rock Auditorium at the Suntec City Mall. “Prosperity is right. Amen. We prosper to prosper others. We prosper to prosper God’s kingdom, so come believing.”

 

The special session sought to raise funds for the church’s half of a S$976 million ($783 million) retail and entertainment complex, which includes a 5,000-seat auditorium. The venue, which will double as New Creation’s meeting place, is set to open in November with concerts by musician and producer David Foster and friends including Chaka Khan and Babyface, according to a statement from the theater.

 

CHARITY? Well,,,,, like Cee Lo song,,, FUCK YOU and FUCK HER too

[Vigile]

Something like 20% (or less) of the congregants do something like 80% of the giving.

 

I remember when I stopped going to church about the same time one of my roommates from the same church stopped going. He had a good job and had been paying his 10% while I was not making so much at the time and I never really paid the 10% on a regular basis anyway.

 

My absence from church went by seemingly without notice, but when my roommate stopped going, the pastor came by our house and took him out for a drive to have a long chat with him about what was going on in his life.

[Vigile]

Although they don't waste money supporting a church building, clerical staff, clergy, etc., the atheists I'm aware of personally seem to give rather generously to those in need. They are more generous than any Christians I have known. They also give anonymously and don't look for tax write offs. Hell, the Scientologists provide more real help than the traditional Christian churches around here, and they do not use their charity as a recruitment tool. Christians and their church businesses certainly do not have a corner on good deeds.

 

The church I grew up in used to take the youth group to Mexico each year for a 2-week mission project (it was a total blast). The church we set up in in Mexico was a cinder block building with a dirt floor and the only structure in the neighborhood not made out of scrap material rescued from the dump. The kids in that church would sing with enthusiasm and were so happy and well behaved.

 

Then we would return home and give a presentation to our own church and the kids in our brand new $6M (this was almost 30 years ago) 2,000 seat auditorium while our own kids whined about having to sit through it (not that I blame them).

 

It (our own greed) used to piss me off that we had so much and thought we needed so much even though we were unhappy, while the Mexicans had so little, but all they needed and yet were so happy.

[raoul]

Kind of amazed y'all equated the sum total of giving to ONE of several things we give to....doing the math on ONE.....and not assuming anyone gives without being seen. You just want to make the point you want to make and find agreement. Also, OB mentioned that 20 percent give 80 percent, and you discount this as well to make the simple math come out to "those rotten Christians"

Oh you poor fucking martyr you. LOL

[Akheia]

Churches are about the least efficient means possible of getting money to people who need it. There's no question in my mind of this. I've got no issue with charities using my money for office/advertising expenses, none at all. SOMEONE's got to maintain the computers and pay for stamps and whatnot. But churches tend to spend money on stuff that'll get people saved and keep their butts in seats--not stuff that'll actually help feed, clothe, care for, and educate the poor and needy. That's why I posted that link on the previous page.

 

I nearly became homeless several times in college and in my early married days, and one of my very fervent friends (recruited by Evil Ex) actually *was* homeless--he lived for almost a semester in Evil Ex's dorm room (yes, totally against rules) until he got back on his feet. Guess how often our church helped us? I don't know of a single charity my church supported. We gave a lot of money to missionaries and church-related stuff like camps and retreats, but aside from a very old lady whose husband had been a pastor of one of the major UPC churches who lived on a church stipend on a mobile home in the church parking lot, I don't know of a single individual who got a red cent from our church. So much for helping the community, huh?

 

When my mother died and I was going through her paperwork and accounts, it shocked me that she did "tithe"--to secular charities. My sweet, uber-Catholic mother knew how to best get her money to people who needed it. She didn't earn a lot, but she gave damn near 20% of her pre-tax income to charities. It made me remember something she'd said about my dad after their messy breakup--the disdain in her voice when she said, "He doesn't even give anything to charity anymore." I knew she gave money to charity but had no idea until after her death just how much we were talking about.

 

So y'all will, I hope, pardon me if I say that church charity doesn't push my thrill buttons or inspire me to reverence for their fine example.

[bdp]

end, you're an arrogant asshole.

[bdp]

 

The small contributions of many

 

Towards making a very cushy 'house' for themselves. Worthless.

[bdp]

Just step back and look at the decision this man has made. The small contributions of many towards a goal vs. hoping that entity dies. Do you really advocate this? Because if you do, you need to accept the facts that go with it.

 

Edit: and the title: dumbass

 

Go fuck yourself.

 

Is this all your brain can muster towards an intelligent defense?

 

It sounds like nonsense.

 

It's not nonsense: you're an asshole AND a dick, so you can most certainly fuck yourself.

[bdp]

 

 

Moron

 

Nice of you to introduce yourself but most of us already know you.

[bdp]

Heck ma'am, you don't have a clue who I am.

 

I do: you're an asshole, and I've been here longer than you.

[Guest end3]

I won my weight class all 4 years of high school for asshole. Thanks K, what's up in your world.

[Paine]

send them 2 nickels since they need the 2 coins so much,,,,,,

 

or better, ask them to fish and see if they can get enough money from the fish,,,,,

 

Don't give them nickels---they are worth seven cents.

 

Give them two pennies taped to a visitors card from the competing church and a note with a cheerful reminder that God is omnipotent and that they must have sin in their church or otherwise it would be thriving.

[Akheia]

Paine, I'm lifting a fresh strawberry to you as we speak. Well played, ma'am; well played.

[CDFree]

I won my weight class all 4 years of high school for asshole. Thanks K, what's up in your world.

 

Boasting, is that another one of those Christian traits we are all missing out on?

[mymistake]

I won my weight class all 4 years of high school for asshole. Thanks K, what's up in your world.

 

Boasting, is that another one of those Christian traits we are all missing out on?

 

Why is it that when Christians hear that they will become a part of the Body of Christ that so many of them volunteer to be the asshole?

[Guest end3]

Y'all are getting creatively rude. I'm so humbled by the special effort...

[florduh]

Why is it that when Christians hear that they will become a part of the Body of Christ that so many of them volunteer to be the asshole?

 

 

 

Sorry, end. I love ya and all, but goddam - that's funny right there!!!

[jblueep]

Y'all are getting creatively rude. I'm so humbled by the special effort...

 

pot, kettle