Considering churches are big businesses, why would the pastor of these churches tell their congregations anything other than what is printed in the Bible? In other words, if new truth was found outside of the Bible, what incentives do the pastor have for telling his congregation this new truth?
2007-04-13 06:56:16 · 14 answers · asked by MoPleasure4U 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I think that any pastor, has a reason to tell the truth, because people instinctively know when they're being lied to, or they're receiving half truths. If the church is to grow and succeed in its stated obligation of bringing people into God's fold, then it cannot do so, if it is built on a lie.
So for short-term gains of bringing people into church based on a Bible, that is implicitly true in every word, in every sentence, and in every period. As opposed to a Bible that is a story of allegory, myth and mysticism, appeals only to the lowest common denominator of those seeking spiritual enlightenment.
As those people progress in their understanding of God and of their own spirituality, they will ultimately reach a point where that belief structure no longer works for them, and they move on.
I suppose it might be said that there's a never-ending supply of people at the low end, but any pastor, who is inspired by God to teach, and to live in God's image, will want all of his or her parishioners to move forward in spirit, and that is the motivation for telling the truth as they know it, and as they understand it, own their own spiritual level.
2007-04-21 05:13:46 · answer #1 · answered by Boston Bluefish 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem is that SOME CHURCHES ARE BIG BUSINESS. These pastors don't teach the truth anyway, they just teach and preach what people want to hear and give REAL Christian Churches a bad name. This "new truth" is just another product to sell.
The REAL TRUTH is: there is no new truth! The Bible is the complete, finished Word Of God. Pastors that are truly interested in the work of God will only preach from the Bible. Their incentive for this is that they have an obligation to God to tell people THE TRUTH, so the Bible is the only thing that is relevant.
2007-04-21 04:58:18 · answer #2 · answered by Leroy McCoy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be honest with you, not only is there a great need for discrediting truth, for pastors there is als a great need to discredit parts of their own belief system. The theory is that the great SKY P.O.P (person of power) is all knowing, all loving, and merciful, as well as all powerful. So, in addition to having to stay consistent with the stories of SKY P.O.P.'s inner creamy goodness, they have to create explanations for his not so creamy badness. The best way to account for this, as practiced in churches all across the United States, is to never speak of them. Since most of the believers don't want to actually READ their story book, much less the back story (aka, history), pastors figure if they don't bring it up, it won't be brought up and what the congregation doesn't know won't hurt them. This ensures a steady cashflow from their loyal constituents, which is what the pastors really care about anyway.
2007-04-13 07:12:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
U said it.
They don't tell the truth now.
Right from the Holy scriptures, they lie.
Not 2 mean that n/e1 paticular person doesn't have a loving heart (which sometimes they don't), but they Do Not Tell The Truth Now.
Proof: look right here @ Y/A, alone. How many ppl, r reviled by the 'Churches of Christendom', & their clerymen. Let alone over the entire earth.
2007-04-21 05:17:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
None. You are right that "religion" is big business. Business that is sheltered from taxation, and open to funding from the taxes "we" as taxpayers pay into the system. I recently saw an "audit" sheet of a local church, clearly by accident as I was working and picked up this piece of "trash" from the lawn. The church was a "small" one, yet on this piece of paper was all the expense record for it. Yearly gross income of over $130,000, 45,000 of it going to it's pastor. TRUTH has nothing to do with all these "churches" which keep popping up each and everyday. I once asked a baptist preacher why the ministry does not use psychology to help people with, instead of all these false hopes they use where people do nothing but wait on god to make all the efforts for them. Know what he said? In christianity, God is the "psychiatrist" and to get people to seek help for themselves would put them out of business. As long as people believe God will get to them evenually, they keep supporting the church. Backwards, forwards, up, down, anyway you look at it, MONEY not GOD is what it is all ABOUT............
2007-04-13 07:12:47 · answer #5 · answered by Theban 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you know most pastors in the world today are not even real christians they just do it because of the money, but i mean the bible doesnt even teach that people vote in their pastors its the elders that are supposed to do that if the pastor is speaking something thats not in the bible then its not truth the bible has to back up everything that you say about God and if you cant find it in the bible but you still believe its true then go to God and he will tell you wether or not it is true and you will never go wrong. as long as you make sure its God telling you and not your own thoughts or satan. make sure it is God.
2007-04-20 04:10:56 · answer #6 · answered by darth_cheezy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They shouldn't be telling them anything but the truth, which is the Holy Word of God which can ONLY be found in the Holy Bible! They will be accountable more so, because they are the head of the church and lead the flock.
2007-04-21 05:20:08 · answer #7 · answered by heavenboundiwillbe 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rev 22: 18 & 19: There is NO new truth outside of the Bible, period. Yes, there are pastors that keep the sheep from the truth. They are hirelings and Jesus warned us of them. The good shepard gives his LIFE for the sheep. Jesus rebuked the business style of church but they continue on anyway and will have to answer to Jesus for their errors. "My Fathers house is to be a house of prayer and you have made it a den of thieves." And He plaited a whip and drove them out- the money changers, those that sold... Read Rev ch 17-18 and see their judgement.
2007-04-20 16:28:37 · answer #8 · answered by copperhead89 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The incentive is to avoid damnation. Just because a person calls himself a pastor doe snot make him immune from judgment. No all who claim to be men of God are men of God. there are many impostors, and these impostors will burn in hell.
2007-04-21 05:20:34 · answer #9 · answered by Preacher 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my brother, they dont tell truth. most people tell what is written the books but in fact they themselves dont know if what is writ tern is true or not.it is there believe that those Scriptures are true and that is what they are telling.further more the more they speak , the bigger they feel and more empty headed they become.
2007-04-21 01:40:17 · answer #10 · answered by tylenol 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋