Show Me the Money!

"Protestantism has the method of Jesus with His secret too much left out of mind; Catholicism has His secret with His method too much left out of mind; neither has His unerring balance, His intuition, His sweet reasonableness. But both have hold of a great truth, and get from it a great power.”

Matthew Arnold, English Poet and Critic (1822-1888)

I opened an interesting article on the internet and noticed an advertisement off to one side.  It asked the reader to "click" if you're a Christian.  Being a somewhat well-trained dog, I dutifully "clicked."  Well, to no great surprise, Reverend Franklin Graham, son of renowned, wealthy, and deceased, evangelical pastor Billy Graham, wants my money.  The ad seemed a bit disingenuous.  It has since been removed.  So, you might ask, what made me think he wants my money?  Is this is a confidence trick, perpetrated by a con artist, a fisherman, dangling some invisible bait?  Is this an evangelical pastor?  

Well, to my mind, if you're even considering filling out the proffered form, you're nibbling at the bait.  I don't nibble.  I am, however, more than happy to proudly proclaim, "I am a Christian."   Mr. Graham finds it necessary to justify the request with a well-written couple of paragraphs about Christianity being under attack from all sides.  Does it really require justification for any faithful Christian to declare their love of Christ?  But, it would seem simply declaring I'm a Christian isn't enough for organized religion.

The first clue of a hidden agenda, for me, was his group weren't clearly upfront about who they were when they asked me to "Click" if I'm a Christian.  The second clue was asking me for all of my contact information so they can call and/or mail me their "information" on how I can help them "lead more people to proclaim 'I am a Christian'."  It isn't like its rocket science, stand the hell up and proclaim it.  No money needed, simply fill your heart with love.  The third clue was discovering I can help them immediately by following the instructions at the very bottom of the page which states, "After filling out the form above, please make sure to forward this page to other people proclaiming, 'I am a Christian'."  So, now you want me to work for free to make you rich?  Oh, yeah, like sending this out to all of my intelligent contacts won't just piss off and alienate every one of them.

“Jesus himself did not try to convert the two thieves on the cross; he waited until one of them turned to him.”

-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), pastor, theologian, author

It isn't the sending an invitation to proclaim "I am a Christian" that sticks in my craw, it's the printed form.  I have faith in my friends and relatives, but I can't guarantee they won't have a momentary brain fart, not think, and dutifully fill out the form as instructed.  If they do so and get the expected deluge of information in their mailbox, my new name will be "Poopy-Head."  Nobody wants their mailbox, internet or otherwise, constantly filled with requests for money.  We get enough of that from the politicians and other charities who send us mountains of crap without being asked.  I wonder if Mr. Graham considers how many of God's trees he uses for one mailing.

I just don't remember ever reading that Jesus Christ wanted His philosophies to be a multi-million dollar enterprise.  However, I do remember something about giving away all of our worldly goods to the poor, and then following His path.  I remember a greedy pope who conned people into believing that tithing would pave their way into heaven.  This idea after he also conned knights to rape the Holy Land and bring back the riches to receive the same pavement.  I also never read anything about giving money to a "collector" who would, then, give it to the poor for you, sans the collector's "administrative fees" of course.  This scam seems to shirk the faithful's responsibility for investing in the poor onto someone else, doesn't it?  Kind of like using a priest as a go-between for confession; like the omnipotent God can't simply hear me if I pray.  But, maybe this is all just my faulty interpretations.

"If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven, then come after me."

--Matthew 19:21

Well, I didn't fill out the form, and I didn't send it on to anybody else.  I don't need the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) telling me how to tell people what I believe, or even that I believe.  It doesn't take much to simply tell folks what is in your heart.  I certainly don't need the BGEA filling up our mailboxes with "information" or calling us for God only knows what reason, but I'll bet that reason comes down to money.  This is like a clothing manufacturer emblazoning the front of a tee-shirt with their name and logo so you can do free advertising for them when you wear it.  They get all the money and you're the chump.  I don't wear shirts or hats with company logos on them.  I will wear a cross proclaiming my faith but, if you want to give money to charity, I think all of the money is put to better use if you personally buy food for the poor or do some other random act of random kindness.  It is better for you, and it helps someone else.  The other upside is you're guaranteed that 100% of your donation goes where it should and not into some religious leader's $1000 suit or a "Popemobile."  I never read about Jesus asking for an arrow-proof chariot, but then I find it hard to imagine any religious leader volunteering to be a martyr when they can have some other poor idiots take the bullet for them.

“Introverted seekers need introverted evangelists. It's not that extroverts can't communicate the gospel, either verbally or nonverbally, in ways that introverts find appealing, it's that introverted seekers need to know and see that it's possible to lead the Christian life as themselves. It's imperative for them to understand that becoming a Christian is not tantamount with becoming an extrovert.”

-- Adam S. McHugh, author

I could be wrong on all this.  The advertisement may be just a simple Christian request to help in spreading the word.  Billy Graham has done a marvelous job of spreading the word over the course of his life, and his son is carrying on the family tradition in fine form.  They do a lot of good Christian work with a "percentage" of the donations they receive.  I say percentage because I sure it takes a lot of money to administer an organization as large as the BGEA when you consider the size of the venues, private jets, limousines, hotel suites, etc., etc., etc..  Evangelists are not the only ones taking advantage of the gullible, yet faithful, masses; the Vatican might be guilty of the same, seemingly, faulty thought process.  It may be a simple, Christian request, but I have faith in the greed and gullibility of mankind.

These religious organizations have counseled and entertained Presidents and other world leaders, and that takes money because, as we well know, it's all about the presentation.  Really?  The fact that the pope is the head of the Christian Church should allow him to arrive in a beat-up old clunker with oxidized paint that smells like a goat.   Truth be known, Pope Francis would probably do just that if he was allowed.  The Dalai Lama garners worldwide attention and wears a simple robe, and Mahatma Gandhi would have been equally well received wearing his dhoti, though he rarely wore it while traveling abroad.  It shouldn't be about their presentation, but it should be all about who they are and what they represent.

“Religion is like a pair of shoes.....Find one that fits for you, but don't make me wear your shoes.”

-- George Carlin (1937-2008), comedian, actor, author

Another reason I didn't fill out the form, though, is due to my usual disagreement with most mainstream Christians and their hypocritical belief paradigm.  For Franklin Graham, this would be evidenced, for me, in comments I read in a news article where he is quoted as saying Islam "is a false religion" and that "it is impossible for a false religion to be a religion of peace."  Really?  Okay, the Crusades were all about "peacefully" bringing Christianity back to the Holy Land, right?  And let us not forget God using the Israelites to annihilate an entire race of people, the Canaanites; every man woman, and child.  The children?  Really?  We blame the children for the crimes of the parents, again?  Yes!  This is the loving God which Christian leaders would have us believe in?  History and the Bible, if we are to believe what is written, teaches us that Christianity suffers from its own, less than laudable, past.  One has to wonder if the peaceful and tolerant BGEA extends this same "Christian" condemnation to the other nine, major, peaceful world religions or if Islam still, to this day, really pisses them off enough to justify crucifying every Muslim man, woman, and child in the name of Jesus Christ.

In this same article, Mr. Graham lists the abominations occurring throughout the world "in the name of Allah, under the bloody flag of Islam."  This statement is very true, but I feel it's, also, very misleading.  He seems to purposely leave out the fact that these are terrorists from radical Islamic sects who are, in fact, denounced by the most of the other Islamic communities of the world, and these heretics of Islam make up only a small percentage of the entire Islamic faith.  Also absent, is any mention of the fact that these terrorists are viewed as heretics, if they are really Muslim, at all.  I only hope I have misunderstood the content of Mr. Graham's message, as it seems like a harsh condemnation of an entire people for the actions of a relatively small group. I point any interested readers to ISIS Do Not Represent British Muslims, for a taste of the real face of Islam, or read my previous post on common misconceptions of Islam at, Islam and Misconceptions.

“Christianity, like genius, is one of the hardest concepts to forgive. We hear what we want to hear and accept what we want to accept, for the most part, simply because there is nothing more offensive than feeling like you have to re-evaluate your own train of thought and purpose in life. You have to die to an extent in your hunger for faith, for wisdom, and quite frankly, most people aren't ready to die.”

-- Criss Jami, poet, philosopher, songwriter

Show me the money!  This is what I have come to expect from most mainstream Christian religious leaders.  Are there exceptions?  Yes, I'm certain there are.  But I think that, by and large, the apparent greed along with being divisive, intolerant, and yes, even hateful of any ideas that do not conform to their interpretation of the Bible, would appear to be the norm.  Gee, this seems to be exactly what they accuse others of; so, how different is mainstream Christianity, after all?  Maybe it's time to educate ourselves before we open our judgmental pie holes to spew forth the venom of hate and intolerance, lest we are accused of casting stones by our fellow stone casters.

In saying all of this, though, am I not being hateful and intolerant of "mainstream" Christianity?  No, not really.  I think they do much good work in the name of God.  I simply wish they would do it with a little more tolerance and a little less hypocrisy.  Instead of using psychological warfare to bilk millions of out of the poor, faithful masses, would it not be of greater benefit to everyone if we practice the "secret" of Jesus, the in-your-face secret that is seemingly missed by everyone?  Maybe it's time for a healthy dose of "His unerring balance, His intuition, His sweet reasonableness," and maybe even a little tolerance of other people's peaceful faiths.

What would Jesus do?  Who really knows?  And, if he shows up for a return performance, I'm not sure I could afford the price of admission.  Now, this is all just an opinion, a thought, a way of trying to open up minds to alternatives and, possibly, a way defining one's faith.  If any of this has meaning, well, that is for you to determine.  I suppose I'm just a messenger of sorts; a spoon to stir a pot.  Some might even say, I'm a real tool. 

Well... yes, yes I am.

“When our Lord said to the disciples, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19), His reference was not to the skilled angler, but to those who use the drag-net--something which requires practically no skill; the point being that you do not have to watch your "fish," but you have to do the simple thing and God will do the rest. The pseudo-evangelical line is that you must be on the watch all the time and lose no oportunity of speaking to people, and this attitude is apt to produce the superior person. It may be a noble enough point of view, but it produces the wrong kind of character. It does not produce a disciple of Jesus, but too often it produces the kind of person who smells of gunpowder and people are afraid of meeting him. According to Jesus Christ, what we have to do is to watch the source and He will look after the outflow: "He that believeth on me,...out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38).”

-- Oswald Chambers (1874-1917), Baptist, evangekist

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.