Oh Ya?

Now you get nothing.

And I want your tax-exemption revoked..

And your leadership jailed for empowering pedophiles..

/1 of these three would happen..

"The idea was to let them know where our money comes from and where it's going, which is important," Tosi said

The Ten Commandments don't say anything about lying your ass off, do they?

"The idea was to let them know where our money comes from and where it's going, which is important"

Financial transparency: you're doing it wrong.

"Without naming names, the church leaflet two weeks ago began revealing exactly how many parishioners tossed their church-supplied donation envelopes into the collection basket at Sunday Mass - and how much cash was in each envelope."

So wait, how is it "outing" anyone if no one's being called out by name?

No names associated with the money, I don't see a problem. It's not necessary, but it IS fascinating to see the break down. I wonder how they track cash.

Since when does God need money? He's supposed to be all powerful, so he probably doesn't need to pay the electric bill.

Organized religion is for stupid people.

How dare they insult people without using any names whatsoever?

/you're doing it wrong, subby

I'd slip 'em a million.

Zimbabwean dollars that is.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-all she had to live on."

The following is what the church should be expecting its parishioners to give:

Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you. 1 Peter 5:7

FTFA "Without naming names"
I don't see a damn thing wrong with this - its anonymous, and as long as it doesn't become a weekly thing,it ives folke 'who can give a lot more' a good indicator that theyre' below par. Folks who can't afford it know it & they won't or shouldn't change. Blowback might be those who give a lot now realize whateverybody else gives & adjust their donations to suit. Given the numebr of churches that expect 10%, I'm thinking there's a fair number of cheapskates there.

If my church did this, I would write them a check for $13.37

headline is misleading, SUBBY
You can't "out" someone if you don't publish a name.

What I always enjoy about Catholic church is the way they never pressure you for money like the evangelicals. Now I feel so ashamed for my brethren. My husband is going to flip out when he reads this- he hates it even more than I do. He wouldn't even go to a baptist church because they asked people to "come forward" with their donations (thereby highlighting the people who were not donating).

What I find more upsetting though is that many people donate a dollar every sunday and then make a big contribution at some point during the year. Or sometimes they have that extra five for the church. I know I have. Mostly I just give a dollar and wait until I make a larger donation in a check once a year. I think it is awful to be rude to people because they keep up by donating a little every week (especially in hard economic times). They will probably just alienate people who otherwise would have made their large donations later in the year. Its not like someone has to look hard to find another Catholic church to go to.

I'm sure there's some old lady living on Social Security who gave half of her disposable income but since it was only a few bucks these so-called "Holy people" are sneering at her.

HighOnCraic: "Without naming names, the church leaflet two weeks ago began revealing exactly how many parishioners tossed their church-supplied donation envelopes into the collection basket at Sunday Mass - and how much cash was in each envelope."

So wait, how is it "outing" anyone if no one's being called out by name?

Jeez, you gotta make stuff up to get it the be "fark news worthy"

For example

Fark headline: MILLIONS DIE IN IRAQ!
Actual article headline: Antibacterial soap use increases

As people have pointed out ... they didn't name names so it isn't as bad as you make out subby.

But it is a clear move to improve profits which is the primary motivation of any church. The only reason to sell snake oil is to make money.

Oh here's an idea:

Don't go. Pray at home with your family, or invite friends over to worship with you. Let the church fail just like Citigroup and Bank of America need to do. All three entities have mismanaged money heading into the current economic environment and deserve to collapse in on themselves. A newer stronger firm will emerge on all three fronts in the future.

""The church has needs," said Claudia Morelli, a longtime parishioner. "People may have given $1 for years and years. These days, what does a dollar buy you?""

The "church people" should try getting a real job if they want more.

hemsk: If my church did this, I would write them a check for $13.37

Blasphemy!

John 2:14-16

All organized religion is a scam.

If I attended that church, which I never would since I don't believe in a magical guy in the sky, I'd donate a dime every week just to see it in print.

Whats wrong with you people? Covering up all those priests, getting the message out about the evils of birth control while making sure that the poorest members of the faith continue to breed like rabbits t'ain't cheap you know!

FTA: "The idea was to let them know where our money comes from and where it's going, which is important," Tosi said.



TRANSLATION: Jesus needs da chedda!!!1!

I'm thinking some people are forgettign what Fark is supposed to be about - making up cool headlines is one thing, but making up BS to get grenlit & get people to look at the article - isn't that what mainstream media is for?

NBD - no names - no foul. Those enormous mountains of brick and mortar are expensive to maintain. All they're doing is providing the members with information about their source of income. A good thing.

hemsk: If my church did this, I would write them a check for $13.37

$6.66 is a better idea IMO.

"The idea was to let them know where our money comes from and where it's going, which is important"

Yes, but where is it REALLY going?

(God) loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more. Now, you talk about a good bullshiat story. Holy Shiat!

I'm a devout atheist and my wife is a hardcore Episcopalion.

I opened a letter from the church that contained what was basically an invoice. It showed what she had given so far and showed what she "owed" based on 10% of my income. The scary part was that they knew exactly what my income was the prior year and expected to get their cut.

So, I immediately cut them off and they got nothing. Told my wife she could go get a job if she wanted to give them any more money.

Magic Kingdom: FTFA "Without naming names"
I don't see a damn thing wrong with this - its anonymous, and as long as it doesn't become a weekly thing,it ives folke 'who can give a lot more' a good indicator that theyre' below par. Folks who can't afford it know it & they won't or shouldn't change. Blowback might be those who give a lot now realize whateverybody else gives & adjust their donations to suit. Given the numebr of churches that expect 10%, I'm thinking there's a fair number of cheapskates there.

It sounds like it IS becoming a weekly thing...

I know that no names are being blatently written in the bulletin, however you know people are looking around and stating "there goes a $1 person right there" maybe not out loud but still thinking to themselves. Not to mention the smugness it gives to those who are donating $100+ a week.

It is a shady tactic on behalf of the church, but with it being the catholics I am not surprised...

Organized religion is all about the money? I am shocked.

I say we throw up all our money into the air, and what God wants, he keeps.

Anyway... I went to Catholic school in Queens as well- Our Lady Queen of Martyrs (which I always thought was a good nickname for my mother, but that's neither here nor there). Anyway, we were relatively poor, though I never knew it growing up. My parents scraped by to send me to that school, and every sunday we went to church just so she could put an extra $2 in the donation basket through our offering envelopes, because we were expected to pony up a little more for our tuition in that manner as well.

And what did we get for our tuition dollar? My grammar school education sucked. The lay teachers were underpaid, and some of the nuns were painfully stupid, but hey, they worked for free.

Meanwhile... this was happening while I was there (new window). I was already a grown man when the story broke, but this had been going on for years, including the years I was there (in the mid to late 80s- I remember the good monsignor well, though not in a rapey sort of way, thank goodness.)

You know, $2 million would have bought us a nice education. When the good monsignor was finally ousted, the church coffers were bare, and there wasn't enough money to replace the school's dying furnace. You cannot imagine how angry I was when the news broke. My parents sacrificed to send me to what they thought was a good school, just so this gullible ass could give the money to junkies and con-artists. fark you, monsignor.

But hey, at least it wasn't a rape scandal. We got that much going for it.

I was already turned off to organized religion by then. This merely confirmed everything I'd long felt. The Mother Church is run by fallible men. Make your own relationship with God if you need that sort of thing. Eliminate the middleman.

This passage better illustrates what a scam all organized religions are:

Matthew 6:2-8: Therefore when you do your alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. 3. But when you do alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand does: 4. That your alms may be in secret: and your Father which sees in secret himself shall reward you openly. 5. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. 6. But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly. 7. But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8. Be not you therefore like to them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him.

Get your paycheck and send me half
and I'll send you God's autograph.

stoppit: NBD - no names - no foul. Those enormous mountains of brick and mortar are expensive to maintain. All they're doing is providing the members with information about their source of income. A good thing.

Why not state, we recieved $8,527 in donations last week? why break it down by how many people donated what? to perpetuate the gap between classes? All this does is provide smuggness fodder for the "haves".

The Platinum tithers at Landover Baptist sniff and say "cheap Caty-lick Mary worshipers. You're still going to hell."

neomatt: headline is misleading, SUBBY
You can't "out" someone if you don't publish a name.

I love FARK newbs.. they always out themselves.

LOL

"It's not about the money."

Wooden Jesus where are you from?
Korea or Canada or maybe Taiwan.
I didn't know it was the holy land...
but I believed from the second that check left my hand...

"Last week there were 661 donations totaling $8,527"
"monthly church expenses top $20,000"

$443,000 of tax-free income per year, $240,000 in expenses - that 46% profit margin is pretty sweet. I'm in the wrong business!

/starts investigating how to open up a chain of churches

Hmmmm - organized religion usually has very little to do with religion and allot to do with organization. Dont knock god when its the people who abuse his authority that you are mad at.

When we refer to Judaism, or Christianity, or islam we dont really refer to anything... Its just some foggy idealistic vision that nobody really believes. Some people believe some of it. Others may believe other parts of it.

I believe lots of christian things, but to call myself a christian would be to imply that i believe in whatever church you have a bias against. I dont like that.
---------------------------------------------------

The beggar who acts indignant quickly runs out of charity.

KillTheStupid: I'm a devout atheist and my wife is a hardcore Episcopalion.

I opened a letter from the church that contained what was basically an invoice. It showed what she had given so far and showed what she "owed" based on 10% of my income. The scary part was that they knew exactly what my income was the prior year and expected to get their cut.

So, I immediately cut them off and they got nothing. Told my wife she could go get a job if she wanted to give them any more money.

Wow. Un-freakin-real. You should have demanded they return everything already given that was listed on that 'invoice'.

Can't they just melt down all those gold crosses and scrape some gold off the walls if they need money so badly?

/well-washed heathen

Sorry - I just don't see a problem. If there are a few people who are carrying most of the burden, the members should know that the situation is tenuous. From my experience, the people donating the most money are older and more affluent. They could afford to donate more and they did. I was privy to details only because I developed contributuion software for the church (tax receipts had to be issued and the congregants could specify what areas they wanted their money to go to). Some people voice their contempt for organized religion and claim that the motivation is always suspect. I was an active church person at one stage in my life and the church I attended had a number of very generous people who donated large because the needs were large - to maintain the ediface and to keep the good work of the church going. They looked for no reward and received no special status in the church. I was one of those people who donated little, aside from my time and was never made to feel less of a member because of it.

another subby who either didn't read the article or didn't understand it or just wanted to use it as an excuse to bash religion.

troll score: 2/10

eddyatwork

Organized religion is all about the money? I am shocked.

The Church Of Obama looks in your direction and laughs!

/Hey where is my entitlement check?

Je5tEr: KillTheStupid: I'm a devout atheist and my wife is a hardcore Episcopalion.

I opened a letter from the church that contained what was basically an invoice. It showed what she had given so far and showed what she "owed" based on 10% of my income. The scary part was that they knew exactly what my income was the prior year and expected to get their cut.

So, I immediately cut them off and they got nothing. Told my wife she could go get a job if she wanted to give them any more money.

Wow. Un-freakin-real. You should have demanded they return everything already given that was listed on that 'invoice'.

So send them a note with a nickle in it and tell them they have no right or obligation to your money.

Have no qualms about telling off pushy proselytizing religious groups. Its called standing up for what you believe in.

I assume you handed them their ass.

KillTheStupid: I'm a devout atheist and my wife is a hardcore Episcopalion.

I opened a letter from the church that contained what was basically an invoice. It showed what she had given so far and showed what she "owed" based on 10% of my income. The scary part was that they knew exactly what my income was the prior year and expected to get their cut.

So, I immediately cut them off and they got nothing. Told my wife she could go get a job if she wanted to give them any more money.

You should sue for "services not rendered"...Did your wife recieve any "enlightenment" or "miracles" during the year, if not I say FRAUDS!

At least the Catholic church doesn't REQUIRE members to give up ten percent of their income as "tithe" like the Baptists do.

Any church that forces members to piss away their retirement funds should be taxed.

(The nickle represents charity of the heart - they can take it and be happy or get nothing)