excusemesir

There in lies the rub my dear watson...I do believe in all that "nonsense". Now, if I'm wrong and you're right, we're both hunkey-dorey, but if I'm right and you're wrong, you've got a serious problem.

unity

Maybe my question was missed. It was a serious one. What does God need with money?

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megatanman

Not from where I stand,The average citizen makes approx 50K a year so 10% contribution of wages will come to:

50,000 x %10=5k

10 years=50,000
20years =100,000
30 years=150,000

So after 30 years of going to church you would have expended 150k of your hard earned money...If I am the one that turns out to be right..how do "you" figure you'd be hunky dorey?

From where im standing ,your clearly got @#*%$*!

besttan

God doesn't need money. The bible exhorts followers of Christ to take care of the widows and orphans. The less fortunate. Churches over the last 2000 years have taken that mandate, coupled with the mandate to the Israelites to take care of the Temple with the 10% tithe, and made it into something it was never meant to be. To make an infrastructure of a "church".

Now some churches are decent with money, most aren't. In my experience most are paying high salaries, huge building costs and more. In a few, very few, pastors don't even take a salary but money is spent helping those which need it most, the poor.

There is a difference between God and religion which some on this forum seem to be getting mixed up. God is the creator. Religion is something made up by men and for men's purposes. Most religions these days have very little to do with God and His purposes. Most churches don't even follow God's principals anymore sadly. The bible speaks of this time as the time of apostacy, when most fall away from the faith. Much of that apostacy is a result of religion and the taking God out of it.

Kathe

unity

^^^ You go girl! :)

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excusemesir

God doesn't need money. The church needs money. The "church" is the body of believers here on earth. No one can function in society without resources. For all of known history the primary resource has been some type of money, whether it was bartered coins, chickens, cloth, or anything else of value. For God's opinion on money see the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 22, beginning around verse 20.

excusemesir

mtm...I wasn't talking about the money. God's "penalty tax", which was meant to stand for being a non-believer, has nothing to do with money.

Kathe...well said.

unity

Right.........

Anyway, if I wanted "God's" word why would I read something written by man? See, there is the problem right there. The bible has been so morphed and distorted over the years to take advantage of the weak minded.

Besides, if the bible was so "correct" then tell me when the last time an adulterer was put to death? Its in the bible after all....

I think hope and prayer is more powerful to the individual than giving money to some brick and mortar institute.

Maybe it would fly if there were not so many religions all trying to pretend to be the "right" one. Like any minority they are always shot down. Any religion that does not accept other religions as also fact and truthful is no different than basing people on race. :( If your a Christian than you can NOT make any claim that Zeus was/is not a real god. Right?

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megatanman

Zeus is god? or will it be Zeus vs. God.....hard one to call but Zeus is a badazz with that lightening bolt.

I will put my money in my pocket...you can put yours in a collection plate under the watchful eye of "god" while his messengers put it in a hookers purse.

besttan

Well you brought up some good points which I will humbly try to address.

1. Men often make the claim that the bible has been so distorted over the years that it is nothing like it was. That claim was put to rest when the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the late 40's, early 50's including one copper scroll. This is what one archeologist wrote of them:

Probably the Dead Sea Scrolls have had the greatest Biblical impact. They have provided Old Testament manuscripts approximately 1,000 years older than our previous oldest manuscript. The Dead Sea Scrolls have demonstrated that the Old Testament was accurately transmitted during this interval. In addition, they provide a wealth of information on the times leading up to, and during, the life of Christ.
—Dr. Bryant Wood, archaeologist.

They found that the scrolls were word for word what was in the current Hebrew text.

I believe that people take God out of the equation in things like this. That they actually belittle Him by thinking that He couldn't possibly keep His word intact down through the years, as if He has no control over it. I believe He has control and that His word is intact.

2. People bring up things like putting people to death a lot. The problem comes in that societies change and things that were done as punishments 4000 years ago are not allowed by society today. We have a different punishment allowed by our laws, of which God advises us to follow. Our societies laws do not allow us to do some of the things that were prevalent in society back then.

3. I agree with you that hope and prayer is much more important to the individual than giving to a building/church today. So is following the commandments of God. Using part of your income for charitable work, especially helping the widows and orphans, is important. You do not have to contribute to a church in order to do that.

4. Again, religion is a man made thing. God is creator. He should be honored, worshipped and obeyed. He states exactly who He is and how we are to be towards Him in our life. It is simple, not complicated like most religions make it out to be.

Simply, live your life God-centered instead of self-centered. Accept Jesus Christ, the son of the living God as your Savior and honor Him in all things.

Kathe