I recently visited NYC & stopped in St. Patrick’s cathedral and saw a full-fledged gift shop right near the exit. I could not believe my eyes. I am catholic but do not normally go to church, however, was in complete shock when I saw this gift shop. Is it me or is this greedy? I recall reading something in my younger years about Jesus flipping over a table when people in his village were profiting off religion.
2007-01-05 07:21:11 · 12 answers · asked by Billy Jack H 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
I totally agree. I understand taking collections to pay for repairs, priest housing, etc. However, I don't understand why we just had to turn our old parish church into a chapel and build a 3 million dollar church. Yes, I said 3 million. Now we are supposed to be collecting so that we can install an enormous organ in the back. Nobody in our parish knows how to play the organ. We are also paying for professional paintings of the retired priests in the church. Plus, we are raising the floor in the back so that the pews are like stadium seating. This is outrageous and something should be done about it. We could do all kinds of good with this money.
2007-01-06 05:31:50 · answer #1 · answered by CedarledgeWIT07 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some people want mementos of places that they visit. Cathedrals are no exception. The money goes to the church and not some vendor parked out in front. They control what is presented. If it offends do not buy but it might save someone from taking a chunk of the building home. They open the building to everyone. It takes money for maintenance and cleaning from visitors. I would be more offended if they charged an admittance fee to pay for those costs..
2007-01-05 07:40:11 · answer #2 · answered by cece 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not a church going person but I was raised in a private religious school and I think yes, many churches now a days are ridiculously greedy.
It is one thing to raise SOME money to pay the church bills, employees and fund missions etc but to make the amount of money many of them do is insane.
My mother attends a very large church in dallas that has several book shops/ gift shops, a dinner and a STARBUCKS! Talk about corporate America haha.
2007-01-05 07:33:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Religion is a very lucrative business. St. Patrick's Cathedral is the epitimy of greed. The gift shop sells high mark-up items and they charge sales tax that they don't always report. They are presently asking the parishoners for $4 million in donations in order to purchase a more modern air-conditioning system. Thay have that money many times over in the bank.
2007-01-05 07:32:37 · answer #4 · answered by liberty11235 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the keep serves a purpose for travelers. in all probability souvenirs of St. Patrick's. Why not enable the church make some funds, why might desire to all of it circulate to that keep around the line? additionally maximum present shops that I even have seen is such places sell non secular issues that would desire to be very complicated to discover everywhere else. they are doing a provider in that way.
2016-10-30 02:21:37 · answer #5 · answered by atalanta 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes you read that. But I seriously doubt that that money is ONLY to pad someones pockets. A church is a not-for-profit organization and it has to make money somehow. You wouldn't complain if they made your favorite cookies and sold them at a bake sale to raise money. I know of churches that have coffee shops in them. I would assume that the money goes to missions, church bills, staff and all the things that a big church has to pay for. I don't think making money off of religion is right, but there is nothing wrong with taking donations to fund all the things I'm sure they have to fund.
2007-01-05 07:32:43 · answer #6 · answered by Kansas 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't see anything wrong with that. Churches have a lot of expenses just like any other building and need to make money anyway they can. Who runs the gift shop? Volunteers or paid cashiers?
2007-01-07 16:57:40 · answer #7 · answered by Classy Granny 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, Notre Dame in Paris has the same thing. It is kind of ironic being one of the 10 commandments is to not worship idols, which a lot of the gift shops in churches sell.
2007-01-05 07:29:29 · answer #8 · answered by atlantagal 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a form of extrinsic motivation for tithing. You get something physical for giving money. They money probably goes to feed starving children or something. Assumption is a dangerous.
2007-01-05 07:32:59 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes that is totally unheard of... churches/people are getting more lax concerning God's word now a days... it is all about money all about being the bigger "church" wow... that is terrible
2007-01-05 07:29:51 · answer #10 · answered by daisyduke_205 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋