I had a conversation with my priest this Sunday

[maxrandb]

I attend a Greek Orthodox Church, and our priest is fairly apolitical. If you ever want to hear a beautiful sermon, google “The Easter Sermon of St. John Chrysostum”, but you’ll need to imagine it being read with the passion, inflection and accent of a 75 year old Greek Priest and former Captain in the Navy’s Chaplain Corps, but I digress.

We were talking about the protests in Wisconsin, and the economy in general. He mentioned something about “conservative” fiscal policies, so I asked him; “Father, why doesn’t the church run its budget the same way”? “If you were to run the church budget the way the Republicans run the government’s budget, you should get up on Sunday and announce that everyone should reduce their weekly offering by 10%!”

“Look”, I said; “just think of all the increased opportunity the church would have…with the reduced donations, people would be free to feed the homeless, or volunteer…who says we need to replace that $14,000 walk-in freezer that we need for the Greek Festival”? “Just take in less money, and all the church’s financial problems would be solved”.

He looked at me and smiled and said; “It doesn’t work that way”.

I say we all go to our local places of worship, and demand that they reduce our weekly offerings. We must reduce the amount of money we send to the churches to save them.

If it’s good enough for government, it should be good enough for God.

[closeupready]

1. "It doesn't work that way" because most churches want to control how the money is spent.

Thus, if the church thinks they should fund protests aimed at Planned Parenthood, even though you are pro-choice, you have NO say in the matter.

By the way, I 100% agree with you. The fact that charity is administered by a religious group is a drawback for me.

[Bardley]

5. Q: 'What's the difference between the Church and the Pentagon'?

A: 'The Pentagon has to show you (at least one set of) it's financial books'

[closeupready]

2. dupe

self-delete

[gateley]

3. Amen. nt

[Scuba]

4. Apparently god has everything but money. n/t

[LAGC]

6. I was born and raised Greek Orthodox as well.

Am now happily an atheist, but I still do some work for and talk with my local priest from time to time.

I might have to try that line of reasoning on the priest as well, see what his response is.

[bluedave]

7. Catholic here

but came to realize agnostic is the only sane choice

[RedCloud]

8. I'm telling mighty Zeus! The true Greek religion.