Posted by
Bob Siegel on Friday, January 18, 2008 9:23:39 AM
“I believe in God, but the very notion of people making a living out of
talking about God seems distasteful and hypocritical.”
I sympathize with your concern. I
really do. All of us have had the experience of hearing pastors talk far too
much about money, especially when the church is going through some kind of
building program. As for
tele-evangelists, they tend to emphasize contributions until the rest of
us are sick to our stomachs.
Still (as the old saying goes) we don’t want to let a few rotten apples
spoil the whole barrel. The truth is,
pastors and other full time ministers get a bad rap and this suspicious reputation
generally finds origin in a person’s biases toward religion or negative
experience with the church. If one
begins with the assumption that God doesn’t exist or that the Bible is not
true, or that God is not making
Himself known today, obviously they will see no use for a person who seeks to
bring us closer to God. But think for a
moment: Aren’t these assumptions that can be questioned or do you really know
for a fact that your assumptions are based upon truth? If, in fact, God has chosen to reach people through
people, then those who do so full time are involved with a very respectable
vocation.
“OK, sure…Maybe, I guess. But do
they have to bring money into it?”
Actually, we are all familiar with many altruistic jobs, careers that
exist for the sole purpose of helping others: Doctors, counselors,
psychologists, teachers, lawyers (well, at least honest lawyers). Not only do these
professions make money, some of them make a good deal of money. Still, we assume (for the most part) that
such individuals chose their work out of a desire to genuinely help
others. What then is the difference
between the careers listed above and a Christian minister? The former will charge a fee for their
services. The minister charges nothing. He may ask for a donation but the donation is
voluntary. And yet, he’s accused of being a money maker while the others get a
free pass. Just something to think
about.
This is Bob Siegel, making the obvious, obvious.
All Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE
New International Version
NIV
Copyright 1973, 1979,
1984 by International Bible Society
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
All rights reserved.
Other related posts:
Why Are There Different Versions of the Bible?
Posted at 9:28:29 AM
on
Friday, January 18, 2008
Why
This Evangelical Christian Minister Does Not Support Huckabee Posted at 5:24:28 AM on Saturday, January
05, 2008
So What If He's A Mormon? Posted at 4:05:11 AM on Sunday, December 16,
2007
Was Joseph Smith Really a Prophet of God?
Oh, That Horrible Christianity!
Posted at 4:53:43 AM on Thursday, December
13, 2007
Is The DaVinci Code Something to be Taken Serliously?
How Does One Become a Christian?
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