The "God Said to give me your money" was a generalization.Headhunter wrote:In all my years of going to church (and I've attended services in several denominations in several different countries) I've never heard anyone proclaim that God said to give them money.
I've heard some use strong arm and guilt tactics. Some I would consider shady. Some religions ask for percentages of income. But I've never heard them proclaim that God said to give them money.
They proclaim to be doing God's will with the money. To using the money to spread his word, and provide for the less fortunate, but they didn't say he told them to collect it!
The strong arm & guilt tactics you addressed are what irked me the most.
I've seen revivals where some of the congregation looked like they barely could scrape together enough for Sunday dinner at Denny's be extolled to give all they could so the Caddy driving preacher could "do the Lord's work".
In this particular case, the "Lords Work" was him fathering a child with a 17 year old who had grown up going to that church. Later she was "excommunicated" for having an abortion. He stayed on as pastor several more years.
Yea, that's an extreme case, but just points to the hypocracy that exists.
All religions, just like any other Business, need the cash flow simply to exist. I get that. And I'm sure there are many solid organizations that truly do practice what they preach.
Like I said at the begining, I guess I'm just jaded.