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enlightenmealready
USA
37 Posts |
 Posted - May 27 2007 : 12:57:26 PM
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This is a rambling thought, but I thought I would be nice to get a few more opinions on this from the group.
I stumbled onto a guy named Ed Young today, while watching TV. He is a Christian televangelist. His message was right on point in my opinion. He was making the point that God invented sex, and when we let it devolve into lust, we have destroyed the blessing. Essentially, he was explaining in a rational way, why degenerate, sex is a sin even though there isn't necessarily a victim. I feel this is a complex topic that I will in now way be able to do justice to here, but I feel Ed handled it well.
He got me curious so I hit his website, www.edyoung.com, and found another lesson about tithing. The video is at www.edyoug.com/watch.php. Again, tithing is a spiritual practice that I feel has merit and generally, Ed handled it well.
The cloaked message however, was that tithing is most effective when given to the local church, because that is how God intended it. Later, we get the emphasis that his church is the local church.
He made it clear that he also tithes, so he is living the way he preaches. Now, I think it is very obvious, that I could start a ministry myself. If I wanted my income to be $100,000 a year, I could pay myself $1,000,000 and give %900,000 back to the church and tell people I give %90 of my income back to God. The reality however, is that I haven't given anything to God. Needless to say, my optimism about his ministry was dashed.
Yogani is the only spiritual teacher I have ever encountered that has not ended up asking for money. What I'm questioning is how much should a spiritual teacher be able to ask for before the message they preach becomes tainted. Surely, they should be able to make some request for funds. Ministries don't pay for themselves. Are over the top donation sermons to be expected? Preachers are still mortal and fallible after all.
What level of fund raising is reasonable?
EnlightenMeAlready |
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Wolfgang
Germany
470 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2007 : 1:55:53 PM
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I don't think anybody can put a fixed number on tithing.
My viewpoint on this is, if I feel I should give something,
then I will do it with my whole heart.
If I don't feel to give anything, then I will not give,
and I will not feel guilty about not giving.
If at any point I get the slightest impression of being
obliged to give something, and that there is in any subtle way
a preaching which tells me, that if I don't pay my share
I will not be entitled to receive blessing, such kind of
"teachings" raise red flags for me.
An honest preacher in my eyes would always openly show
the results of fundraising. If the result are not shown,
then to me that would be suspicious.
I don't mind that a church or a preacher is fundraising,
after all, it's true that they have to live on something.
But openly showing the finances would be a good point.
my 2cts |
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riptiz
United Kingdom
741 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2007 : 5:57:35 PM
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Hi,
I have been studying with my teacher for 4 years and have not been asked for any money.
L&L
Dave |
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david_obsidian
USA
2602 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2007 : 6:33:19 PM
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Enlightenmealready,
every organization of people is an organization of people. Some churches like to think they are organizations of god. Fine, I won't argue with them -- but I don't agree. The question of tithing reduces for me to how much money I would be willing to give to what group of people and why. It's that simple for me.
It's easy for them to get a whole 10% of your money though if they convince you, however subtly, that they are something more than organizations of people.
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2007 : 10:50:20 PM
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I think you should contribute to whatever source you feel is doing God's will. That may be a church, or this website, or a homeless shelter, or whatever. Personally I can't contribute 10%.
But what Yogananda says is it means contribute 10% of your time which makes a lot more sense to me. Two half hour sessions at AYP practice, and you'd have 1.4 hours for something else. Or perhaps 1.4 hours distributed over the day for devotion thoughts. |
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darrylc
Australia
9 Posts |
Posted - May 30 2007 : 12:21:57 AM
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The best way to repay a teacher is to do the practices IMO
Giving $$$ or material things help reduce miserliness and encourage generosity (which help you in the end ;-) ie: ethics
Listen to the advice and keep practicing it.
best wishes |
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Separating the Teacher from the message
