Most of my international donations go to doctors without borders and the red cross. Not to any religious institution. I have sometimes given via a Jewish-branded group, but that ends up being like the United Way, their value-add is to find local charities to support.
And while I’m sure there are Christian missions that help the locals in very real ways, a lot of the money goes towards travel and upkeep of the volunteers, and i wonder what fraction of about making Americans feel good vs. actually helping poor people with their pressing issues.
To be clear, I was never suggesting that church goers don’t support other worthy charities. Many are quite generous with charitable contributions to secular groups. I know many generous Christians and Jews myself. I’m sure other religious groups do as well but I don’t have as many friends in my immediate circle from other denominations.
I was simply stating the fact that most churches don’t dedicate a meaningful portion of their budget to helping the needy. Many churches are openly advocating abortion bans without regard to the consequences for poor families.
I wonder what that % would look like if you segmented the data into size of church (small, med, large; not sure if using { membership | headcount | total donations } would make the most sense, though).
I also wonder how the numbers break out when controlling for “type of community” (urban, sub-urban, rural, uber-Po’).
In 1:14 He’s creating the stars (including our sun) and moon.
We don’t exactly know what was causing the light in 1:5… I’ve always imagined that creating the stars He was gathering the light. Sort of like when I go out and trim lilacs from the lilac bush to make bouquets that I put in the house.
Perhaps 1 datum point: my church doesn’t include many “charitable” fund items in their budget because they have separate accounts/funds for that.
Those who give can designate their giving (or a portion thereof) to a specific fund (we have one that is focused on local support, one on missionary support) and that money is essentially channel w/o any impact on the budget.
However, our financial statements will reflect giving toward these funds and what was “paid out” from these funds; but any “budget reconciliation” with actual revenue/expenses will not show these other accounts.
And I can’t imagine that our church is unique in this regard.
Yeah, I braid my hair and wear jewelry too. Rarely expensive clothes though, so I’ve got that going for me… as long as you don’t count my engagement ring anyway, which I think was pretty expensive.
Paul also gives instructions on what a woman should wear when she’s prophesying in church, so while I don’t have all the answers about that passage, it seems safe to say that even Paul didn’t think all women were supposed to be silent in church at all times.
If your financial statements reflect giving towards these funds, I believe it should show under the appropriate line items in the report I linked to.
If your church has a completely separate charitable foundation and funds donated there aren’t passing through the church at all, I’m guessing it probably doesn’t show up.
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
Furthermore, the second is rooted in the first. People who are strong on the first are going to do the second. Part A of the second is to avoid the sins of commission – the “Thou Shalt Nots”. Part B is positive stuff, but you’ll naturally help those closest first. Then, get to people you’ve never met.
There are lots of secular organizations that organize help for strangers. They’re good at it. Christians should support them.
But, no secular organization is focused on “Love the Lord your God …” (that’s pretty much a tautology). So it’s natural that churches should emphasize that.
Sort of interesting the difference in reaction to the church not doing much for the poor. Some believers seem offended to suggest that their church might not, while other believers state that it’s not really the place for the church to do that. The Bible mentions caring for the poor and less fortunate many times, so even if the church isn’t the right vehicle to do so it certainly got a lot of emphasis as something that the faithful need to do.
Interesting that the church shouldn’t really get involved much in something that believers are commanded to do, but should get very involved in abortion prohibition which doesn’t merit much discussion in the Bible at all.
the above is sadly lacking in many religious institutions.
I started reading thru this thread and I am still just as confused now as I was before about abortion. I am the type of person who if I hear the word abortion I run the other way - normally I find 4 sides:
(1) Don’t abort a fetus
(2) Abort a fetus
(3) Grey areas from rape/incest/disease etc
(4) Moms body (I don’t want the baby/cannot afford).
(2) (3) and (4) are pretty much the same but 99% out of my control so I tend to lean to (1)
But I am challenging myself to listen as I have two adult daughters and I want them to feel safe around me and hear my opinions about this. So if I ever write something here that sounds ignorant please point it out (you normally do anyway). Bottom line, I am reading and really am trying to reflect on this. TYVM!