Is anyone else a bit bothered by this?

Question

No matter where I go I always see full brick churches, two stories high with big expensive stained glass windows and rich wooden doors and fancy details everywhere. Then I see 60 year old schools and libraries crumbling at their base, with rotting floors and stained walls and they are still being used by students. Is education not more important than religion yet? It's disgusting that churches can spend so much money on building momumental buildings when the money could go to so many other things.

I do realize that churches are funded by it's members and that schools are funded by the government, that is not my question....my question is are you not bothered by this. Please do not be confused, when it is clearly stated.

Answer 1

YAAAAAAAAAAA! That's why I attend Southside Church in Chilliwack Canada.
We meet in a School Gym---------------- that allows 80+ of collections (NO TITHING ALLOWED) to go to foreign and local missions.

Answer 2

Whoa - hold on a second here. Most of the buildings you refer to are older than most schools. You obviously haven't seen all of the schools that do exist. Rich neighborhoods and rich areas of the country have schools that would beat any church hands down! It depends on the county and how much money they have. Also remember that, most churches do not have as many children in them day in and day out to destroy them much faster than churches!!! I go to a relatively new church and it's beautiful, but you know what - they are doing something that the schools have not allowed since 1962 - prayer and that is worthy of a beautiful building. They are totally kid friendly and do more good for young people there than any public school is allowed to! Like teaching morals, values and the Word of God. Let's see - downtown Chicago - obviously - you haven't been there. Most of the schools are much newer than the churches. The biggest church in the area is like 100 years old. But think about it - young parents without kids have masoleums because there are no children to destroy them. Parents who have 7-8 kids have trashed homes that they can't keep up with. Schools have hundreds of students everyday - the cost to keep them perfect would outweigh that of a church anyday. Most people do not even give to the church where they are a member or attend anyway - everyone has to pay taxes. But, in many cases, I've found that the teachers salaries are going up to $80,000 per year while the school building remains untouched. Don't blame the churches - let's talk about politics and our government!

Answer 3

A building does not a church make. The church of the living God is in the hearts of the people that have accepted the reality of God. What we call churches are building of fellowship that have been brought into existence to mimic the Old Testament Temples that were the dwelling of the high priest and the Holy of Holy's. They were all works of art and God's presence was met there. Now we are in the Holy Spirit administration and the Spirit of God dwells inside of us as intended in the first place. It irks me too when I see these huge worship centers and fellowship halls several acres big,and setting empty much of the time. Some are used for support groups and youth outreach groups, but many set empty other then Sundays and possibly Wednesday.
The small worship groups that meet in homes are the thing of today, in truly ministering to the needs of each other. The big business churches that you are seeing are spending much of their time in administration duties and little on outreach. None of it really matters too much because God will build a Taj Mahal if it will bring one person back to God. It just seems like most get out of hand in the process? There are probably some Wall Street types that could not believe God was in it unless there was a Mercedes setting out front. It may be setting out side of the building but it ain't setting outside of the True Church that is inside of them. No money there, it is all FREE...........

Answer 4

This is kind of an easy one actually. Churches are well taken care of by the people who attend them. The congregations donate money and have fundraisers in order to maintain a building that houses their ministry.
Schools on the other hand, are paid for by the government, through government funding, and tax money. Schools do have fundraisers, but most of the money seems to go to athletics and teachers salaries.
In other words, people put up the money for what they care about. If people care so much about the way their schools are taken care of, then they should give money at the fund raisers, and speak up about where their money is going.

Answer 5

If you go inside on Sunday you will see a collection basket and a Priest/Preacher putting the sales job on you sometime during every service. You are right this country has perverted itself into some kind of theocracy in which everything that is taught in those crumbling schools must meet the approval of the religious zealots. We are one small step away from being Afghanistan under the Taliban. The lack of real education serves the theocracy well, it keeps their churches full of donors every Sunday because they all think it is somehow part of the American way. Keep the sheep stupid so they are easier to manage/lead/extract cash from. It is a deep sickness/cancer that will hopefully be cured before it kills us all.

Answer 6

Except for the fact that the money the churches get is from their congregation while the money the schools get is from the government.

It seems that politics have put education down near the bottom of the list of Things To Do. Go talk to your congressman about it and find out why they aren't paying to fix up the school.

Answer 7

The government regulates the money that goes to the schools and libraries. In America we are free to donate as much money as we choose to any church of our choice.Unfortunately, if you give money to the government you have no control over where it ends up being spent. There are many run down churches also.

Answer 8

It bothers me very much. Also, when you live in city with lots of homeless people, and you see them walking on the street or sleeping on the street while that big church building is empty. That's creepy too.

Why do people choose to give their chairty to a church, instead of to things that really help people? In my opinion, this is because the heart of organized religion is to get people to stop thinking rationally, and hand over their time, money, and their children's brains, to a bunch of people who they probably wouldn't trust if they were thinking rationally.

The only thing you can do about this is talk to people. It is their money, they earned it. If they want to give it to people to build big empty monuments, well, it is worse to use force to interfere with that, than to let it happen. Setting up some government department to say what people can spend their money on would create a million more worse problems - like with corruption and with bribing opportunities and with slowing down or preventing good things - than this one.

Answer 9

Your not very bright are you ? Schools are publicly funded and the government budgets the money. Churches are funded by people that wish to spend their extra income that way. Maybe people should not be able to drive sports cars because that money would be better spent elsewhere.

Answer 10

Not all churches are like that. The church buildings may be very old and just very well kept. Do you stop at all these churches and question them. Don't ever judge a book by it's cover on anything.

Answer 11

The money the churches spend on luxuries could feed the poor in their area. Sell the Vatican, and let the pope have a modest 4000 square foot home instead, and you could feed nations. It is just about the money. Collection basket? Did Jesus say "pay to talk with god"?