Sunday 3 December 2006

What is it about organised religions?

There has always been a long and weary examination of religion.

Ever since man first created a reason for death and the resultant comfort and quelling of his fears of it, the religious leaders of this world have been powerful people. They have been able to establish rules and impose regulations upon their peers with, semingly, little real objection from them.

In the modern world, with wide and instant communication, the religious orders are happy to use the mechanics to account for their enormous wealth, but have become, generally, far too fond of their life style to try to change the way they do things.

What is the most common characteristic of most established churches today?

Good works? No.
Instant response to requests for help? No.
The distribution of largesse? No.

It is the acquisition of even more wealth.

Look at any of the apostolic television programmes featuring 'priests' in the USA. These priests are not humble men. They dress expensively. They spend a small fortune publicising themselves.
They spend an even bigger fortune ensuring that their 'collections' from their audiences are instant and maximised (all credit cards accepted).

Are they walking in the footsteps of the man they say they worship?
I don't think so.

One day I was walking past a large church, here, in Spain. It was a magnificent building in one of the wealthiest parts of town. I am told that a great number of people died during the construction and subsequent maintenance of this magnificent building. It was filled with works of art, valuable fittings and furniture and the gleam from gold and highly polished silver and brass was everywhere.

The church occupied a prime real estate plot worth a great deal of money.
Just inside the enormous double doors was an exquisitely carved, antique table.
On this table was a small collecting box.
On this collecting box was a lable.
On the lable was written "For the poor"

What is wrong with this picture?

No comments: