| DanaC |
08-20-2007 05:58 AM |
I think it depends a lot on which branch of the Church you're dealing with.
If you are talking about the Evangelical strands of Christianity, much of their development included concepts similar to the Methodist faiths: that to work hard is Godly, that to acquire a better standing in the community and business world was a sign that you had worked hard and were therefore Godly. Now, that may well not be what's going on in the Evangelical sects now...but from such a base it's easy to see how gaining wealth and 'doing well' was not and is not seen as contradicting their faith.
In the Catholic confession, however, whilst it was always acceptable that The Church gain status and wealth, in individual terms they had more apostolic assumptions of their clergy.
rk, I am as hostile to religion as the next dwellar (especially if the next dwellar is you :P) but we need to be careful not to make assumptions of the whole, when it's a much more fragmented picture than that.
Across the world, your own country included, much of the charity and outreach work that helps some of the world's most vulnerable people, is conducted by well meaning Christians, with their Church as the organisation funding, managing and providing that exercise. Those are genuine charities. There are no doubt churches which are run like businesses and preachers who have made themselves wealthy. They are not charities. But by the same token, there are secular charities which are scams and yet get tax breaks.
I do think churches should have to prove their charitable status like any other organisation. (though you wouldn't be able to impose that on the Catholic Church without causing a massive worldwide argument).
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