this post was submitted on 15 May 2024
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Acts 4:34-36
"For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need."
They mean this Christianity, right???
Somehow that translates to you have to give 10% of your income to Pastor Brian. Any other form of charity is great but you should still give Pastor Brian his 10% because he's doing a lot by telling you to give him 10% of your income.
The vast majority of pastors are volunteers or bi-vocational. And yes there are abuses. But also lots of them giving their time and resources to care for the under-resourced. My church''s sr. pastor is going from full time to bi-vocational this year because inflation hit the church and his family. But our church distributed 12 million pounds of food since covid
Ok? So now he's earned 10% of my income?
The tithe doesn't go to a pastor, it goes to fund the whole ministry. People working full time deserve a living wage, he's no different. Most Christians don't tithe anyway, it's usually 15% of the people giving 85% of the funds.
Our church distributed those millions of pounds of food on a $350k total budget each year which includes still paying mortgage on an under-maintained property. The total payroll and benefits for two full time and four part time staff was $165k last year. I don't think they're robbing people who chose to support that.
I really not sure your point. Does acts tell you that God requires you to give 10% of your income?
Your church sounds like an outlier. Many of the church I've seen have been seeded by larger churches and ministries which they are then indebted to. Most of which would not be so forthcoming with their financials.
Thats not the question though. Why is it a church would say that tithing 10% of your income is a requirement?
Because it's a tradition from the old testament that some (by no means all) churches use. It's nowhere near as universal as your own anecdotal references seem to imply.
Yours is the only ethical church.
X-ist dog whistles are fun huh?
Maybe try researching church finances instead of going by the assumption that they're greedy because they're asking for money and look like your enemy.
EDIT: Sorry, I forgot it's a not-good to ask someone to do research without demonstrating my own. Unfortunately, I have other things I should be doing than research right now.
Lol.
The vast majority of religious workers are akin to workers at a scam call centre. Selling you "thoughts and prayers" and guilt tripping you to give them money. Basically fooling you into something non-existent.
Scammers also give a lot of their time and resource and work full-time. I guess they deserve a living wage too, huh?
The only thing they need is run a pretend-charity, community service and food drives?
You sure seem to like your make-belief system where you think they are net-positive to the community. I'm sure a you would feel the same about scam call centres, if only they could upgrade their PR with some charity. All that without all the violent history.
But oh no, they're brown people in a third-world shithole… so that's a pass. I love my own pretend-charity cult with supreme people.
There is definitely predation on 3rd-world countries by the centralized religions.
"Join us and we can get you + converted family jobs.We can get you loans. You will get money from us."
Then 1 year later ... " You need to pay back what we did for you ... pay up every week"
"Did you just try to runaway ? We will now track your every move... pay us or ELSE!"
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” – sounds familiar 🤔
Oh yeah there’s a reason a chunk of early communists were Christian pacifists
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Day
edit =sorry about the mix up
Thanks for adding those links.
It's annoying how many people are ignorant of the history of the Left.
here's the actual link :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Day
Silly me.
Christian communism is a theological view (with some historic precedent) that believes Jesus and his apostles were the first communists, so the overlap is clearly there.