god and money?

Question

if christians need money for their TV ministry, what is that TV ministry for? to get money, to support the TV ministry. see, thats worse than doing coke to work more to get more money for more coke. if money is needed by the church for bills, why dont they sell a picasso on ebay. They are hipocrates and liars and if you give them money than i have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

Answer 1

It seems that christians want to have preaching available 24-7 and they are willing to pay for the priviledge - there is nothing wrong with that. It surely looks like a super lucrative business for those TV ministers, I can tell you, and they wouldn't waste their money producing the shows if it wasn't lucrative for them (just like any other TV promoter).

Actually, I have recently found a TV Minister that I like a lot - and I am not christian at all. Joel Osteen and the Lakewood church are so different than every other TV ministry that I have seen. Very positive and uplifting, he incorporates scripture with many of the ideas that could be called new age. I have heard him say things that sound like Louise Hay and Wayne Dyer and I think that is awesome. The first inclusive, positive TV preacher - who would have thought?!

I don't give them money and I don't think they preach to make money (though they sure seem to). I think they preach on TV for the same reason that others will come to your door or argue with you at the office about your beliefs. I think they preach on TV to reach the widest audience that they can, which appeals to them because they are spreading the good word to the largest number of people possible.

I don't really understand the need for all these evangelists (or the 24 hour christian broadcasting network). The rest of us can either take it as "Boy these christians must really love to pray" or "Boy these christians must have a hard time remembering their faith if they need 24 hour reminders available!"

Peace!

To add: Odd to see all the disparaging remarks about why a church would need money. It is all very well to say that a church should be about the spirit and not about the money, but as soon as you have an "organized" religion, you need funds to support the "organization" - like any business.

Since all that money comes from the faithful, i'd say it is their business - but I think the organization is the problem with most religions. It necessarily takes the focus from the spirit to the wallet - ie will we have enough money to put on a new roof on the church that is mortgaged to the hilt - and what about Christian Charities and soup kitchens and other public works that the church and it's members want to contribute to?

You can hardly fault an organization that needs money - the problem is when the organization (like any other business) is subjected to unscrupulous people who embezzle that money for their own personal gain. Of course, it feels more scandalous in a church because they are supposed to have a high moral fiber, but it is just as devastating to those counting on you whether it is a church or business that screws you.

Peace!

Answer 2

Are you saying they are hipocrates? What is that? I think I understand your premise, but what does "hipocrate" mean?

Other part of your question means that being hooked on coke is analogous to being hooked on TV ministry?
You have to realize that TV Christianity is a business just like any other, like those paid programming channels. They're selling you religion, and that will get you to contribute so they can sell more religion, and then of course there are salaries to be paid, etc. If you don' want to buy their religion, don't.
Of course it's a fraud (is that what "hipocrate" means?) in a way, but this is a free country; and it's not a fraud of the illegal type.
If they choose to believe the fraud, while having the option to know it is a fraud, then it is permitted; not illegal.

Answer 3

tv ministry is to reach those people who otherwise may not hear God's message. such as the elderly in the nursing homes who can't go to church and can't see too well to read or just can't read.

Publicly funded television, in general, needs money to continue. It's because they aren't for profit and they can't run a television station for free. They rely on their viewers to help pay for costs that the station incurs. This ought to be common sense, but hey.

Second, it's Biblical to give to the church you belong to. If you don't belong to a church, you don't have to give. Third, a church can't just start selling things for the same reason Jesus became angry at the merchants in his temple. It turns it commercial and a worship place should never be a place that makes profit. A church has bills like any other building. They have to pay for water, sewer, gas, electric, yard and bus maintenence. It's also nice to pay the pastor especially if he is full time. It takes a lot of time to come up with sermons and it's hard for someone who has to work full time outside of the church to be able to do that. Since he works full time for the church, and the church usually cannot pay that much unless he is a big time TV preacher, it's nice to give him a house called a parsonage where he and his family can stay while they work full time for the church. This isn't just 40 hours either. This is around the clock going to seminars, funerals, weddings, private counseling, and whatever other church interests are going on.

Answer 4

Before giving money to any orgainzation.. you should check out how that money will be used. All not-for-profit organizations in the USA are required to show where the money goes...

does the money mostly go to pay the "Star" of the tv show? the preacher that is asking for the money in the first place?.. or for his house, car, the studio?

You did not mention a specific show or ministry.. but I'm sure you can find out more specific information with a good search on Yahoo Advanced search.

Answer 5

Every religion is a business. That being said, they still have bills to pay. As long as you don't make money your God, the two can be mutually exclusive. Either way, abusing coke, or abusing people by the asking of money when it's not needed are not in the best interest of anyone.

Answer 6

The Catholic church learned long, lomg ago that money is power. Back in the middle ages power was control of the land and the people on it. Today power is having the money to buy good press, pay for good lobbyists in congress to get the bills passed you need, and power is having the money to get the person you want elected into office. Churches, any church, require that power, that money, for control. Afterall isn't that what religion is really all about....control.

Answer 7

Well, here's my take on it.

Organized religions are offering something to people. Hope, faith and belief are their goods and services.

They are very much like a business in this way.

They do have bills to pay to keep going. Bricks and mortar buildiings, utilities, staff salaries, administrative costs, office supplies. All that costs money. Real money.

If there are people who choose to partake of the goods and services being offered by these organizations then why SHOULDN'T they be expected to pay for it?

By the way, none of them are required to pay, they choose to pay, by DONATION. The very nature of the word means it is voluntary, not mandatory.

If they are getting something worthwhile in their lives from these religious organizations then they should help to defray the monetary costs.

Most churches and ministries operate independantly and are NOT multi-million dollar corporations. Even in the Catholic church, they receive some money from the local diocese, but rely mainly on the community.

And why should those who choose to dedicate themselves to spreading God's word and to their parishioners be punished for it monetarily? Why is it bad to accept money for this, but we pay useless idiots like K-Fed $20,000 for an appearance? I think that any one of priests, ministers, rabbis or pastors are worth a million of K-Fed.

Our priorities in this society are all screwed up when it comes to money.

Answer 8

That TV ministry is to carry the Gospel to more people. More people than they would be able to reach going door to door. Your analogy of coke is absolutely obsurd. Where do you people get this stuff. From the devil's answer book.

Answer 9

I agree. The churches and evangelical ministries are like any other businesses geared to make a profit. Nothing more.

Answer 10

First of all, God doesn't need our money. He is God and all things are below Him and are subject to Him. That aside, the reason God asks for a tithe is for us. It's a way for Him to show us that we can trust Him for our provision. If we hang tightly to what we have then how can we cleave or hang tightly to Him? It's also a test to see just what we put our faith and worship in. The bible says we cannot have two masters. Man cannot worship God and mammon. Worship means to give oneself wholly over to. I admit there are scam artists out there claiming to be 'ministers of God' and it's a crime what they do. But that doesn't negate the true practice of tithing.