Cruentus
Grandmaster
Money issues regarding the Catholic Church have been mentioned, so I thought I would address them.
I find it odd where our society sometimes puts value. We are willing to pay $8 for a movie, and $10 or more for candy and pop corn and pop, yet many of the non-religious don't complain about movie prices and over-priced candy with the same zeal that they complain about OTHER people putting 5 or even (holy-cow) 10 dollars in a collection basket at a church that they don't even go to. Ironic, don't you think.
The fact is, the church needs money to survive; any institution does. And, when you don't charge for your services, you have to ask for donations. It's just that simple.
Now I often hear other whining about the Catholic Church and the way it spends money on buildings, art, etc.
Well guess what, most of the donators, like myself, find these things of value. We like it. And it should be of no suprise that most of the complainers aren't even a part of that church, and don't donate to it anyways.
Some important things to note: Catholic Clergy takes a vow of poverty. Priests make what is considered poverty level income, with no hopes for getting a raise. Priests are not in the same category as these televangalists who drive around in Merceded-Benz Limo's.
Another point: I've been to mass before where I didn't like the homily. I went to one recently, at a different church where the priest had said that volunteer work is something of great value. Then he did something of little value, which was he proceeded to read all of the positions open for volunteer work at the parish, and their discriptions. That was the homily....I had to listen to 20 minutes of THAT!
But, guess what? That was only 1 Sunday folks. And that was only 1 priest. That should hardly be used as a method to judge an entire organization or way of thinking.
So, if you were at 1 or 2 homilies where you disagreed, join the club with every other Catholic out there. If you didn't like how one priest presented the idea of "donating," then you could have gone to another parish, or just come back to the same parish the next Sunday, where the subject would have changed. Now, if your trying to purpose that you have been to countless Catholic Masses, and the entire subject of "almost" every one was "donate, donate, donate," then I would purpose that not only are you wrong in your perception, but that this is your narrow view, and your narrow opinion that your trying to pass off to this thread as fact. Sorry to be so harsh, and I don't know for sure if that is what some of you are saying. I can only make this conclusion, however, based on the fact that the experience of being asked for excessive donations doesn't coincide with that of countless other Catholics I know.
One final thing....Being generous is a Catholic value, but requiring donations of exessive value, or hoaxing people into giving, of donating beyond ones means is NOT a Catholic value. That is another thing that you won't find in the Churches teachings.
:asian:
I must get back to work now. A lot of good points on this thread, and I unfortunatily do not have the time to address every single one. If you have a question for me, however, please post it and I will try to get back to it as soon as I can.
I find it odd where our society sometimes puts value. We are willing to pay $8 for a movie, and $10 or more for candy and pop corn and pop, yet many of the non-religious don't complain about movie prices and over-priced candy with the same zeal that they complain about OTHER people putting 5 or even (holy-cow) 10 dollars in a collection basket at a church that they don't even go to. Ironic, don't you think.
The fact is, the church needs money to survive; any institution does. And, when you don't charge for your services, you have to ask for donations. It's just that simple.
Now I often hear other whining about the Catholic Church and the way it spends money on buildings, art, etc.
Well guess what, most of the donators, like myself, find these things of value. We like it. And it should be of no suprise that most of the complainers aren't even a part of that church, and don't donate to it anyways.
Some important things to note: Catholic Clergy takes a vow of poverty. Priests make what is considered poverty level income, with no hopes for getting a raise. Priests are not in the same category as these televangalists who drive around in Merceded-Benz Limo's.
Another point: I've been to mass before where I didn't like the homily. I went to one recently, at a different church where the priest had said that volunteer work is something of great value. Then he did something of little value, which was he proceeded to read all of the positions open for volunteer work at the parish, and their discriptions. That was the homily....I had to listen to 20 minutes of THAT!
But, guess what? That was only 1 Sunday folks. And that was only 1 priest. That should hardly be used as a method to judge an entire organization or way of thinking.
So, if you were at 1 or 2 homilies where you disagreed, join the club with every other Catholic out there. If you didn't like how one priest presented the idea of "donating," then you could have gone to another parish, or just come back to the same parish the next Sunday, where the subject would have changed. Now, if your trying to purpose that you have been to countless Catholic Masses, and the entire subject of "almost" every one was "donate, donate, donate," then I would purpose that not only are you wrong in your perception, but that this is your narrow view, and your narrow opinion that your trying to pass off to this thread as fact. Sorry to be so harsh, and I don't know for sure if that is what some of you are saying. I can only make this conclusion, however, based on the fact that the experience of being asked for excessive donations doesn't coincide with that of countless other Catholics I know.
One final thing....Being generous is a Catholic value, but requiring donations of exessive value, or hoaxing people into giving, of donating beyond ones means is NOT a Catholic value. That is another thing that you won't find in the Churches teachings.
:asian:
I must get back to work now. A lot of good points on this thread, and I unfortunatily do not have the time to address every single one. If you have a question for me, however, please post it and I will try to get back to it as soon as I can.
Unless you are the Scientologists 
That is a cult and it milks its innocent members dry!
