Pope

[Greenhorn]

you should visit the Vatican

millions upon millions of dollars in art and gold on display

why?

Why not sell and help the poor . . .

I’m quite familiar with the Vatican, went to Rome on my honeymoon. Beautiful churches on every corner with beautiful art that lifts the soul to God. Highly recommend.

Have you been to US bank stadium? Millions upon millions of dollars there built for the purpose of playing football ~10 games/year. Why not sell that to help the poor?
Boat dealerships and boat shows? A lot of money there. Do you use the same logical reasoning?

$5 billion for an organization that has over a billion members is not that impressive.

 

[Kurtr]

I’m quite familiar with the Vatican, went to Rome on my honeymoon. Beautiful churches on every corner with beautiful art that lifts the soul to God. Highly recommend.

Have you been to US bank stadium? Millions upon millions of dollars there built for the purpose of playing football ~10 games/year. Why not sell that to help the poor?
Boat dealerships and boat shows? A lot of money there. Do you use the same logical reasoning?

$5 billion for an organization that has over a billion members is not that impressive.

The boat dealer ship pay taxes. The stadium produces revenue and is also taxed. The church pays no taxes.

So why dont they help the local churches.

 

[Greenhorn]

The boat dealer ship pay taxes. The stadium produces revenue and is also taxed. The church pays no taxes.

So why dont they help the local churches.

I don’t follow the logic. Have the government tax the Vatican so that it will can give to local churches?
Or have the government tax local churches on their revenue (donations)?

 

[Kurtr]

I don’t follow the logic. Have the government tax the Vatican so that it will can give to local churches?
Or have the government tax local churches on their revenue (donations)?

The churches should be taxed as any other business is and im not just saying catholic church all of them.

Cant tax the empire in Rome.

Rome should be able to kick in some money to help the churches here.

 

[Fester]

Putting aside the thread derailment, I’ll say I don’t follow the logic of these posts. It’s bad for a church to ask for money? You’re angry your parents give a lot to their church and so you’re not going to give?
Have you ever seen your local church’s financial report? I can almost guarantee it is in the red, definitely not pocketing much. Approximately 7-10% of church members give regularly.

And give the church all the flack you want about your divorces, but it sounds like your anger is more toward Jesus than the church:
“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.’ But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Matthew 5:31-32


I’d be happy to meet up for a beer if you all want to have an actual discussion on these topics instead of pissing on the church on a fishing forum. Let me know.

Lol you should give more money to the church..in the red? Our church paid off a 500k loan in 3 months...new floors. Yeah ibguess they were in the red

 

[701FishSlayer]

Ile gladly piss on any church I so choose. Shits the biggest scam ever. Why them catholics always touching little boys too? Some of you are proud to be catholic? Gtfo.

 

[Allen]

I visited the Vatican about 5 or 6 years ago. When I left, I said to myself "if I had been Catholic when I got here, I would have left a Protestant".

I consider myself Christian (probably not the best example of one though), but the Catholic church has always annoyed me with their exclusionary practices.

 

[johnr]

I’m quite familiar with the Vatican, went to Rome on my honeymoon. Beautiful churches on every corner with beautiful art that lifts the soul to God. Highly recommend.

Have you been to US bank stadium? Millions upon millions of dollars there built for the purpose of playing football ~10 games/year. Why not sell that to help the poor?
Boat dealerships and boat shows? A lot of money there. Do you use the same logical reasoning?

$5 billion for an organization that has over a billion members is not that impressive.

The football stadiums, and boat dealers are privately owned business with a for profit agenda, and are not tax free to help the poor. The church is. The comparison is Ludacris.
I give to our church, (not catholic) regardless, I am not on the boat that belief and religion are bad, just also not of the belief they need huge gold covered buildings, etc.

 

[Greenhorn]

I visited the Vatican about 5 or 6 years ago. When I left, I said to myself "if I had been Catholic when I got here, I would have left a Protestant".

Why did you think that? What about seeing the Vatican would have made you want to be Protestant? When I went it made me more proud to be Catholic.

The football stadiums, and boat dealers are privately owned business with a for profit agenda, and are not tax free to help the poor. The church is. The comparison is Ludacris.
I give to our church, (not catholic) regardless, I am not on the boat that belief and religion are bad, just also not of the belief they need huge gold covered buildings, etc.

Great that you give to your local church - do you want 20% going to our wise and benevolent government? If so, would you be willing to give more to cover the amount going to taxes? Our local parish had a processional crucifix that was two pipes welded together, we gave money specifically to get a nice gold-plated one - is this bad? If people give money for a beautiful gold covered building, is that bad? Beautiful churches help lift my soul to God and are things I want to help fund. Is this bad?

There are unfortunately only a handful of churches in this part of the state that I would call beautiful.

 

[Davey Crockett]

I was baptized and confirmed in a Lutheran Church. In my older age Iv'e come to belive that I don't need to dress up on Sunday morning and gather with a bunch of folks to have things right with God. We watch a live service online that our Kids attend every Sunday morning. Some may disagree but my religion is between God and myself.

 

[johnr]

Great that you give to your local church - do you want 20% going to our wise and benevolent government? If so, would you be willing to give more to cover the amount going to taxes? Our local parish had a processional crucifix that was two pipes welded together, we gave money specifically to get a nice gold-plated one - is this bad? If people give money for a beautiful gold covered building, is that bad? Beautiful churches help lift my soul to God and are things I want to help fund. Is this bad?

There are unfortunately only a handful of churches in this part of the state that I would call beautiful.

Again, If I had a choice to give my taxes to the places I felt were deserving I would, however none of us have a choice in that, and I wish they only took 20%.
You giving your money to whatever you want is great, no issue with any of this, if its a good feeling for you and you see it as good, keep it going.
But your gold covered idols are not part of the teachings of giving to the poor. A church regardless of domination is for the good of its members and the communities, them having huge buildings, gold idols to worship, and piles of tax free advantages, all the while not helping the drug addict, or the homeless is odd at best.
I give to our church to keep the lights on, the doors open, the preacher paid, etc. If they suddenly needed a bunch of gold chalets and diamond collection plates, I would feel a lot different.

 

[Maddog]

bingo

 

[bucksnbears]

Going to church is a waste of time. My own motto is, " people go to church to #1, judge others for what they wear, #2, just for others to see them going to church"
I'm guessing few go for info the Bible teaches, and if they do, it's soon forgotten.
If you really want to learn about Christianity, read the Bible.
No need to go somewhere to have someone read it to you and " interpit it" the way they want.
Being a faggot is against what the Bible teaches. Why is it now being excepted in churches?
That one totally befuddled me and pisses me off!

 

[Pheasant 54]

Putting aside the thread derailment, I’ll say I don’t follow the logic of these posts. It’s bad for a church to ask for money? You’re angry your parents give a lot to their church and so you’re not going to give?
Have you ever seen your local church’s financial report? I can almost guarantee it is in the red, definitely not pocketing much. Approximately 7-10% of church members give regularly.

And give the church all the flack you want about your divorces, but it sounds like your anger is more toward Jesus than the church:
“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.’ But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Matthew 5:31-32


I’d be happy to meet up for a beer if you all want to have an actual discussion on these topics instead of pissing on the church on a fishing forum. Let me know.

I am not angry my parents gave but it got to the point of basically abuse, literally coming to their home telling them they needed to give more , thats when I really got involved. Also the churchs financial reports would look a heck of a lot better if they werent all over built , its like keeping up with jones and they are all guilty of it. Like I said in my initial post best times ever in church were a simple country church , Greenhorn I assume you never to to experience that

 

[Davey Crockett]

I should add, I have nothing against Churches. I can't imagine what shape our country would be like without them. I believe that It's important parents make sure their kids go to Sunday school and attend Church with their kids untill the kids are adults. As far as the Church building itself , I feel Gods presence in all of them but don't have to be near or in a Church to feel that. I get where people have it in their heart to want to build a nice Church for God. Those old Sweeds and Norskies did an awesome job when they built this one. My Mom and her siblings went to this Church growing up. They were dirt poor. I bet it gave them a feeling of gratification walking into that Church and a bit of hope during those tough days.

 

[remm]

 

[Allen]

Why did you think that? What about seeing the Vatican would have made you want to be Protestant? When I went it made me more proud to be Catholic.

I guess I am in the crowd that doesn't think opulence is the best use of the money donated to the church. There's a legitimate debate of who owns the most art in the world. It's either the Catholic church or the Louvre museum in Paris. At some point you are just a hoarder, and the Catholic church has gone well past that point given a very large fraction of their holdings are simply stored in warehouses. It's simply excessive, IMHO.

 

[Tommyboy]

Church and/or religion is doing nothing but selling you an illusion. The illusion of going to "heaven" if you are a do-gooder. Do you really, really think that there is such a place? Over the thousands of years the bible has been pushed around and re-interpreted you believe the stories haven't been modified? Its a sham to take more money from you. Nothing more, nothing less. And please dont start in with the "faith" approach.

A person doesn't need church to be a good person. Karma always returns.

 

[catchindeers]

Far away, across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells

 

[Maddog]

Perhaps you are in a state of delusion by not having an open mind to what is written in the Bible. To each his own.