The Real Purpose of Churches
There is no "pastor" who
identifies himself or herself with that label, who does not seek
personal followers. Some "pastors" are very successful at gathering a
great crowd of people at their feet. We live in the age of the mega-church
and there are many of them. Herbert W. Armstrong was among those who
amassed a considerable number of human sheep. The front put forth to
the world and the public is always the same, which is to "preach the
Gospel" to the world. Without personal followers no "pastor" (unless
independently wealthy), could ever build a church building, a
"Christian" school, a "Christian" college or fund ministerial homes,
luxuries, jet airplanes, trips around the world, glossy magazines and so forth.
Although
always hotly denied the real basis for churchianity is money. Most
likely the world of churches will never disappear from life on earth.
Most all parents will forever teach their children to believe as they do
in
regard to religious beliefs and so the many belief systems
perpetuate endlessly. The Mormon Church has staggering wealth, as does
the Roman Catholic Church. The Worldwide Church of God during the life
time of Herbert W. Armstrong, although nothing to sneeze at in terms
of their bank vault, paled into insignificance compared to the Mormon
and Catholic churches and even the Jehovah Witnesses. The Southern
Baptist Conference and other groups are also vast religious empires.
In fact the combined wealth of all the churches together is nothing
short of countless billions in assets and revenues. Was God/Jesus
Christ ever really just a business enterprise? Apparently those who founded churchianity think so, as do those who perpetuate this vast money making industry.
Why
do men and women aspire to wanting to be "ordained?" In my opinion it
is because of human vanity. People love to be thought of as being
"important", "special", "above others" and "gifted" more than "common"
people. I have a friend I have known for many years, who was
"ordained" and although he has no following or church, he refers to
himself as "Reverend _____." He has learned that by using the term
"reverend", he often receives favors from other people, who deem him
as "special." It is sheer vanity and fraud on his part, and in my
opinion borders on blasphemy. My sister-in-law and my brother-in-law
use to attend a very large Baptist Church in a major city and when
the older "Senior Pastor", retired, they imported another preacher from
clear across the country. The new "pastor" was so vain and haughty that
our in-laws, took an exit. The man was intolerable. Young people
often run off to "Bible College" thinking they want to "serve" others,
and what it really turns out to be is that they become self-serving, at
the expense of the tithe payers.
Many churches now have "Youth
Pastors", "Children's Pastors", "Music or Worship Pastors" and every
type of "pastor" coming and going that are supposed to serve the "needs"
of others. When my two daughters were teenagers, long ago they were
bossed around by the youth pastor of the church we attended, and I had a
few choice words with this man, that my children were not his property
and that he was not their parent. When the "Christian" school my
daughters attended, gave the students so much home work that they had
to stay up until midnight or later with "homework", I knew then that we
were being robbed of our own family time and so we pulled our daughters
out and home schooled them. Many churches think they are God to those who attend and to their children.
I
can't really say that everything about church life is totally bad and
that is because human beings are social creatures and they are able to
have good times, in spite of the control and financial drain upon their
pocket books. I can remember we use to have volleyball teams at
Ambassador College and as employees we had great fun playing that
sport. We attended concerts, had beach outings, campouts and did some
fun things. We had some good friends and many good times at Shakey's
Pizza, which included a crowd of our people, guzzling mugs of beer.
We all learned from those experiences. Some of us simply could not
endure the authoritarian hierarchy, the "God-status" of the self-appointed "pastor-kings" or their endless rants and so took an out, never to return.
I
still know people that I went to church with many years ago, who still
dutifully attend church services every weekend, pay their tithes and
seem to be clueless. Some of us just don't understand how these people
think. Every pastor of every church will defend himself and his
church tenaciously. I have no doubt that many pastors are very sincere
and zealous about their beliefs, but sincerity and zeal does not
necessarily spell "truth." People can be sincerely wrong. For many
church goers, those of us who use to attend and now do not, seem to
have "spiritual leprosy." Not all church goers have the same attitude,
because some will be friendly and ask no questions, while others treat
you as if you have a contagious disease. I have even found that
atheists are generally thinkers, where the clueless sheeplike church
attenders are not. I have read a great deal from atheists and believe
there are many legitimate issues. Some atheists are friendly and
likeable and some are hostile and drive people away. I have no problem
having friendship with people who present themselves with a humble
attitude, no matter what they believe. I have a friend who grew up in
India, although lives in Canada and he is Caucasian and he leans toward
Buddhism. We have some things in common aside from religious beliefs.
Churches
will always deny that they exist as business enterprises for the
purpose of money, but men have always loved control and power over their
fellow human beings, and like all human governments, churches are tools
of control and free money. Churches treat their members as if
they are nursing infants and must be bottle fed for life. Those who sit
in pews are insulted as if they are mere spiritual children and must be
taught what to think and what to do and what to believe, because without their human "Pastor-God", they cannot function.
Is
there an optional way to live and learn without being dominated by men
and women who stand in pulpits and think they have a "right" to your
pocketbook?
Van Robison
