Christians: How do you justify building multimillion dollar plush churches while children starve?

Question

Does your god require such opulence for his worshiping? Did Jesus instruct you to spend all of that cash on churches instead of helping the needy?

I found it very encouraging that very few defended this practise. While I do agree that these concepts do cross religious boundaries the christians have been most famous for it since the middle ages. As pointed out, their's is also the one that should be most against it because of the example of their Jesus. There were many excellent comments to this and I will turn the best answer selection over to voters in hopes that others will read what has been written here. Thanks for your imput all !!

Answer 1

Well they do spend $250 million annually to try and convert Jews in the USA.

Answer 2

God does not require this...as far as I can see it is not Christians...it is every religion that has some doing this.
Please check out churches in your area that use schools, movie theatres, old office buildings, rent spaces in strip malls etc. There are many who do not waste money. I spent many years at a church that was in a theatre and ended up at one w/ a building. The reason is that it helps to have a place to meet at any time, serve your community with, a place seekers can find easily etc. With in the church people often argue over where the money is spent...
Every dime we have belongs to God...he asks us to give back only 10% . Find a church or organization that you feels best utalizes that 10%...then give more. Check your own check register and calander and be sure you are doing "right" w/ what God is giving you and make a path for others to follow.

Answer 3

I think this has aklready been answered
Our Church is going to be huge. But it is going to be just as plain as a building can be.
You have to have a place for believers and non-believers to go (The reason Church's exist is to save the unsaved). My Pastor is doing up to 6 sermons a week. Down from 8.
He just needs a bigger Church to hold more people. The more people there are in the world, the bigger buildings you need to seat them. My Church helps out the needy all the time. They spend tons of money on the poor, and they help run a home for recovering addicts and alcohalics.

Answer 4

You can ask us that,Not Christians as a whole anyways! You will have to ask the men who want these monuments built in such grandiose ways. Just like the Pharisee's and Sadducee's who dressed in Purple expensive garments and wore big gold jewelry. They sucked the money form the common people and the rich alike. Yet Jesus the King was humble and plainly dressed. Not all Christians can answer for the acts of greedy men, who claim to be Christians!

Answer 5

Just because a building says church, doesn't mean the ones who run it are very godly. But in my area, I haven't seen any multimillion dollar churches either. I wonder what one would look like? Also, you can re-direct this question over to the government. How can they justify spending trillions on a war while half the world is starving?

Answer 6

Well, I'm achristain, and that's a good question. Gold Chalaces and patens are a tradtion, but I think we really don't need to be buliding up very fancy bulidings, although they are breathtaking. I think that churches should be modest, afterall, Jesus was a modest person on his time on earth. But other religions do the same thing your taliking about: Jewish synogauges and Muslim mosques can also be very fancy bulidings. Perhaps all religions should put a wider focus on helping the needy. BTW, you really didn't have to put the sarcastictly innaccurate view of our faith i the additional details.

Answer 7

I agree with you on this. Why build these huge churches when you need to be spending this money on other things? Build hospitals, give it to the needy. Do something such as Habitat for Humanity and help your fellow man. You didn't see Jesus using any money to build a huge building.....

Answer 8

No, but it is known that people are drawn to that so in an effort to evangelize, the more impressive the church the larger the congregation. Also, some churches are huge out of necessity..because they have a 5,000 member congregation. Also, some believe it shows that God has blessed them. You've got a good point though.

Answer 9

Sadly to say, there are some religious organizations that are doing just that. The bible speaks of building up treasures for ourselves.
This is just exactly what hurts Christianity.
I as Christian person view these churches very dimly as doing what they are supposed to be called to do. I for one would tend to ingnore them. In the end they fail.
look at the many televanglist that did the same thing. where are they today? they ended up as dismal faliures. they were not doing the Lords work after all and were brought down.

Answer 10

I know my church has modest chapels, and beautiful (probably expensive) temples. But these temples are supposed to be a bit of heaven on earth, and have a very important purpose, and I've venture to say that catholics feel the same way about their cathedrals.

At the same time, I know my church has the one of the largest humanitarian efforts in the world, so it's not like we're trading one for the other - we're doing both!!! I think what really pays for these temples is the fact that we don't have a paid clergy, that's what we trade for them.

best wishes

Answer 11

Sweet question. I'm sure it has been asked before, but I never get tired of seeing it. They need to look at the way the very place they go to worship their "god" is a contradiction to the basic teachings they are supposed to know all about as good little xians. But, not all churches are like that. I'm an atheist and don't care about their lack of clarity of thought. Just so you know.