Interesting article considering what's happening begging for money in the congregations

by JakeM2012 9 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  JakeM2012

  http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/us/sunday-stickup/index.html

  I thought this article had some interesting interesting comments including this, "If a pastor or church leader has ever told you that the Bible commands Christians to tithe or give 10% of their income; hit you up for multiple offerings during one service; made you march up front to give; asked you to donate to a mysterious "building fund" or give a "first-fruit" offering; or even given special recognition to big givers in your congregation, Lee and other pastors have a message for you:

  You are getting played.

  These rituals, they say, violate New Testament teachings about how and why people should give."
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  disposable hero of hypocrisy

  Point three is interesting about the misapplication of scripture, the widow's mite..
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  OzGirl

  I like point three as well.
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  freemindfade

  The widow part was awesome. And his part in quotes about mystery building funds and first fruits sounds like he watched the May broadcast.

  if he hasn't I would like to try and reach out to him to get his take on our Mr Lett.

  to me the widow thing is bombshell for the may money beg.
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  fastJehu

  Point three for me too:

  "Now he watches a widow get devoured -- she is giving everything to a religious institution that he has already shown is not worthy of her," Albertson writes in an essay, "Rethinking the Widow's Mite."

  "This is not a heartwarming story of a generous giver," he says. "This is a heartbreaking story of exploitation."

  I never saw it this way.

  Thanks to JakeM2012 for posting this article.
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  The Searcher

  Excellent new insight into the widow's mite!!

  Many thanks for this!
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  Slave4_38y

  
  
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  freemindfade

  The Searcher

  fastJehu

  disposable hero of hypocrisy

  
  

  lol

  Apostate New Light!!!
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  Heaven

  Religion is... Exploitation and Extortion.

  
  
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  Gentledawn

  Quoting from the article, because this goes to show the May JW.Borg broadcast had a money-making consultant advising them from the wings:
  
  

  Were these people cheerful or gullible givers? For Lee, a church elder who spent 30 years marketing and selling church products, they were victims of the "Sunday morning stickup" -- his term for manipulative tactics pastors and churches use to get your money.

  
  

  No. 3: Distorting two popular scriptures

  
  

  Some pastors don't just distort a scriptural passage. They misuse scriptural phrases -- such as the "first fruit offering."
  

  First fruit offerings were agricultural offerings that the Israelites gave to God in the Old Testament, says Lee, of "Sunday Morning Stickup." Yet some pastors invoke that phrase to tell people that God commands them to give the "first fruits" of their financial bounty, which could mean someone giving everything from the first check of the year to the first check one received after a job promotion.
  

  
  

  "It's a misapplication of scripture," Lee says. "They encourage individuals that before they pay their bills, before they buy their groceries or do anything with their finances, many of them say 'You have to take care of God first.' ''
  

  If pastors and churches are so cunning when asking for money, what can stop the manipulation? One pastor says technology may be the answer.
  

  The collection plate, the symbol of the offering, is going the way of VHS videos.
  

  The church is on the verge of a digital revolution in giving, says Albertson, the Lutheran pastor. More people are donating through online bank accounts and credit card swipes, he wrote in an essay, "What Will the End of the Offering Plate Mean for Christian Worship."
  

  "Nobody carries money in their wallets anymore," Albertson says. "There's a big movement up ahead of shifting over to various online giving platforms and digital platforms."
  

  Still, Albertson is not so sure that this digital revolution will end the practice of pastors shaking down congregations for money.
  

  "Religious leaders will find a way to use guilt somehow," he says.
  

  Some say that using guilt isn't bad. Shouldn't people be shamed if they're not generous? But how and why someone should be generous -- perhaps that's ultimately up to the person in the pew.
  

  So when the organist hits those celestial chords to signal offering time or a smiling usher beckons you out of your pew, ask yourself:
  

  Am I about to freely give -- or is this a Sunday morning stickup?