Expensive cars at Church

Unofficial Reverand Alex

Pray in silence...God speaks softly
Supporter
Dec 22, 2017
2,355
2,915
The Mystical Lands of Rural Indiana
Visit site
✟526,763.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Constitution
It bothers me so much; we go to Church, hear about our call to take care of the poor & deny ourselves for Christ, we walk out to the parking lot, and there's several luxury cars driven by people from their lake house they use for the weekends.

I'm not the only one bothered, and people being bothered by it isn't our biggest concern: I have a professor who was raised Catholic, but has since gone agnostic. His sister is still Catholic, and sometimes tries to talk him into coming back to the Church, but he can't take her seriously, because he's barely making ends meet, and she owns 4 houses. He's so annoyed by it, because without a religion he'd take care of his family if they were struggling, but his sister's (as he puts it) supposedly Catholic, and won't help him out at all! This kind of luxury doesn't just damage us; it makes our faith look worthless, and damages the poor we're supposed to be taking care of. A much cheaper can do the same job.

But again, we must remember our call not to judge; perhaps that Lincoln in the parking lot could've been a BMW, but the owners heard about the call to take care of the poor, and bought a cheaper car!

And whenever you see an expensive car: Pray for the owner. Pray for the rich that God is always willing to accept with His infinite mercy.

May God bless us all!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Loyce KG

Loyce KG

Everyone MUST hear the gospel of Christ!
Nov 19, 2018
342
402
37
Kampala
✟44,026.00
Country
Uganda
Faith
Pentecostal
Marital Status
Single
It bothers me so much; we go to Church, hear about our call to take care of the poor & deny ourselves for Christ, we walk out to the parking lot, and there's several luxury cars driven by people from their lake house they use for the weekends.

I'm not the only one bothered, and people being bothered by it isn't our biggest concern: I have a professor who was raised Catholic, but has since gone agnostic. His sister is still Catholic, and sometimes tries to talk him into coming back to the Church, but he can't take her seriously, because he's barely making ends meet, and she owns 4 houses. He's so annoyed by it, because without a religion he'd take care of his family if they were struggling, but his sister's (as he puts it) supposedly Catholic, and won't help him out at all! This kind of luxury doesn't just damage us; it makes our faith look worthless, and damages the poor we're supposed to be taking care of. A much cheaper can do the same job.

But again, we must remember our call not to judge; perhaps that Lincoln in the parking lot could've been a BMW, but the owners heard about the call to take care of the poor, and bought a cheaper car!

And whenever you see an expensive car: Pray for the owner. Pray for the rich that God is always willing to accept with His infinite mercy.

May God bless us all!
All Believers Are Not Alike

We must not expect all believers in Christ to be exactly like one another. We must not set down others as having no grace, because their experience does not entirely tally with our own. The sheep in the Lord’s flock have each their own peculiarities. The trees in the Lord’s garden are not all precisely alike. All true servants of God agree in the principal things of religion. All are led by one Spirit. All feel their sins, and all trust in Christ. All repent, all believe, and all are holy. But in minor matters they often differ widely. Let not one despise another on this account. There will be Martha’s and there will be Mary’s in the Church until the Lord comes again.
~ J.C. Ryle

Let us also remember that while we hold that expensive new phone, there is a homeless man on the street sleeping in the gutters. Each of us has faulted at our own level. It's easier to point out others (I don't mean to say the OP is doing that) but let's self-examine before we poke at others who 'seem' to be better off.
 
Upvote 0

royal priest

debtor to grace
Nov 1, 2015
2,666
2,655
Northeast, USA
✟181,424.00
Country
United States
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Married
It bothers me so much; we go to Church, hear about our call to take care of the poor & deny ourselves for Christ, we walk out to the parking lot, and there's several luxury cars driven by people from their lake house they use for the weekends.

I'm not the only one bothered, and people being bothered by it isn't our biggest concern: I have a professor who was raised Catholic, but has since gone agnostic. His sister is still Catholic, and sometimes tries to talk him into coming back to the Church, but he can't take her seriously, because he's barely making ends meet, and she owns 4 houses. He's so annoyed by it, because without a religion he'd take care of his family if they were struggling, but his sister's (as he puts it) supposedly Catholic, and won't help him out at all! This kind of luxury doesn't just damage us; it makes our faith look worthless, and damages the poor we're supposed to be taking care of. A much cheaper can do the same job.

But again, we must remember our call not to judge; perhaps that Lincoln in the parking lot could've been a BMW, but the owners heard about the call to take care of the poor, and bought a cheaper car!

And whenever you see an expensive car: Pray for the owner. Pray for the rich that God is always willing to accept with His infinite mercy.

May God bless us all!
What if the person who owns the $70,000 vehicle donated $700,000 to charity last year?
 
Upvote 0

Halbhh

Everything You say is Life to me
Supporter
Mar 17, 2015
17,173
9,191
catholic -- embracing all Christians
✟1,152,895.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
This was encouraging several years back:

180227737.jpg

AFP / Getty Images
This handout picture released by the Vatican Press Office on September 10, 2013 shows Father Don Renzo Zocca (2ndR) offering his white Renault 4L to Pope Francis during a meeting on September 7, 2013 at the Vatican.

Pope Francis continues to shatter perceptions of a detached leader presiding over 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide. Adding to a growing list of moves casting him as a Pope of the people, the Pontiff’s choice to drive a used car underscores his humility at the helm.

Rev. Renzo Zocca, a 69-year old priest from northern Italy donated a vintage 1984 Renault 4 to Pope Francis this week, according to Vatican spokesman Rev. Ciro Benedettini. Pope Francis intends to use the four-door, manual-shift car to whip around Vatican grounds.
Pope Francis Gets a Used Car | TIME.com


It bothers me so much; we go to Church, hear about our call to take care of the poor & deny ourselves for Christ, we walk out to the parking lot, and there's several luxury cars driven by people from their lake house they use for the weekends.

I'm not the only one bothered, and people being bothered by it isn't our biggest concern: I have a professor who was raised Catholic, but has since gone agnostic. His sister is still Catholic, and sometimes tries to talk him into coming back to the Church, but he can't take her seriously, because he's barely making ends meet, and she owns 4 houses. He's so annoyed by it, because without a religion he'd take care of his family if they were struggling, but his sister's (as he puts it) supposedly Catholic, and won't help him out at all! This kind of luxury doesn't just damage us; it makes our faith look worthless, and damages the poor we're supposed to be taking care of. A much cheaper can do the same job.

But again, we must remember our call not to judge; perhaps that Lincoln in the parking lot could've been a BMW, but the owners heard about the call to take care of the poor, and bought a cheaper car!

And whenever you see an expensive car: Pray for the owner. Pray for the rich that God is always willing to accept with His infinite mercy.

May God bless us all!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hank77
Upvote 0

chevyontheriver

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Sep 29, 2015
19,169
16,009
Flyoverland
✟1,224,061.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-American-Solidarity
It bothers me so much;
So it could bother me too that some Catholics have bigger houses than I do. And a lake home. That some Catholics go on nice vacations and I can go visit relatives and stay in their basement for a few days. That some have nicer clothes than my patched up rags.

There are surely some Catholics that look at me the same way, looking down at me because we have a house, two running cars, electricity and running water, a furnace and air conditioner.

Before letting it bother you so much, consider all of the third world Catholics who haven't got ten percent of what you have. And probably aren't as bothered. They have much more right to be bothered.
 
Upvote 0

timothyu

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2018
22,444
8,397
up there
✟303,917.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Finding luxury/expensive cars in church parking lot is not unusual nowadays..
Same applies to finding parking lots with churches. Street parking days belonged to a different brand of church that didn't need parishioners with expensive cars..
 
Upvote 0

Presbyterian Continuist

Senior Veteran
Supporter
Mar 28, 2005
21,810
10,792
76
Christchurch New Zealand
Visit site
✟827,333.00
Country
New Zealand
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
Envy is a sneaky heart sin. It can motivate thoughts about people better well off than we are, without us knowing it.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Presbyterian Continuist

Senior Veteran
Supporter
Mar 28, 2005
21,810
10,792
76
Christchurch New Zealand
Visit site
✟827,333.00
Country
New Zealand
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
The reason why many pastors have cars that they spend more time under them instead of driving them is because churches are so stingy that they pay their pastors the lowest wages they can, even though they could afford to pay him a much better livable salary. Yet, these bean counters expect the pastor to be on call 24 hours a day and do all the work involved in running the church while they roll up to church on Sunday, sit in the pew and do nothing to contribute, other than turn up to a monthly church council meeting where all they do is discuss how the church should be run. I think that many churches cheat and defraud their pastors out of a reasonable salary - something which would not be tolerated in a normal secular business.

My Presbyterian church was good in that respect, because there was a formal pay scale for ministers, set by the National church, which enabled a minister to receive a salary plus housing allowance that was commensurate with an equivalent social work or educator position in the normal workforce.

I don't know many really wealthy people. One I do know, who is the father of my daughter's best friend. He was, for many years, the CEO of a major New Zealand company and earned quite a high salary. But then, he worked hard for it, make a lot a sacrifices, especially concerning his family because of the many overseas business trips he had to make on behalf of his company. He earned every dollar he made through very hard work, so, in my opinion, has every right to enjoy his wealth.

Regardless of what we believe about the Prosperity Doctrine, I believe that most who are the most loudly critical of it, are just plain green with envy, that other Christians who apply the principles are gaining a lot more wealth than they are. In fact, it may not be that they are subscribing to the Doctrine, but that their belief causes them to get off the couch and work harder, be more productive and as a result gain promotion within their company, and therefore a higher salary, which results in a better home and vehicle.

It is all very well for lazy Christians who dream away on their easy chairs and do as little as they can at work, and expect God to provide without them doing any more effort than necessary, and think that the relative poverty is God's way, when in fact, it is their lack of creativity, hard work and commitment to their jobs.

It is no point a person criticizing wealthy people who worked hard at high school and got into University, got a good degree; or went into a trade apprenticeship, gained a good qualification as a mechanic, builder, plumber, etc., and then got a good paying job, worked hard, got promoted and became very well off as a result; when that person was lazy at school, disrespected their teachers and other authority, dropped out of school, got a low paying job and lived in poverty - all through their own fault.
 
Upvote 0