Protestant ministers driving Mercedes-Benz

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austinbond

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Hey guys,
I just wanted to make a comment and relay a great article on spirit daily today. I wonder about the extravagance of some protestant ministers in their “Mega-Churches” driving Mercedes and Lexus’. Protestants always criticize Catholics of spending millions of dollars on Churches and statues, but what they fail to see is the purpose for these things, for the Greater Glory of God and a visual sign to all of us of that glory. Michelangelo, Raphael, Mozart and all the great artists of their time devoted their whole life to the glory of God through their Art, Music, and ect. And also on another note I would like to compare the vows of poverty and so on to the lives of so many protestant preachers. It’s almost like night and day, and with that assertion I think it is a sign that by taking up the cross and following Jesus, the Church is still the teacher of Christians even by example.

The Article is at spiritdaily.com/robertson.htm
 
As a Fundamentalist, I want to say that that’s a great article.

Here’s a very insightful article about Pat Robertson, especially toward the end.
 
I used to watch Pat Robertson. But now the Robertsons are like the Roberts and the Olsteens, etc. Just a family business that people fall for while the family gets richer and richer.

Boy, God has been a good family business for the lucky few rich ministers. I wish my dad could have given me the family ministry so I could be a millionare too!

PS. We have a few splinters in our eyes too so don’t go throwing those stones too far.
 
I have heard this type movement is called “the Gospel of Health and Wealth”. There is a really big one in my town. And they hate Catholics. ( on the website the pastor descibes himself as being an ex-catholic). I often think about how sad it is that these pastors work so hard to bring people closer to Christ, but they paint me and my church as an enemy. The pastor at the Big Church here in my town preaches that if you truly have faith, that you will not be sick and you will have financial benifits as well. The pastor’s wife sells herbal remedies and vitamins to everyone in the church (part of the not getting sick thing). I am sure these people do many nice things and of course, they have a very charismatic way of introducing people to Jesus which seems to be effective, but still I can’t agree with they’re schtick.

the reason I know about this church is because one of my best friends Mom goes there. My friend is pentacostal and her mom is apart of the Big Church( I think non denominational?). I was over at her house one day chatting and sipping tea and the answering machine picked up a recorded message from the pastor screaming into the phone about having an old fashioned revival. That started the conversation…apparently the mom worships everything the guy says and even added her name to the list of attendees. Now she gets messages from them constantly, to spend money in one way or another.
 
My pastor drives a old Chevy (circa 1998)…and we’re one of the biggest Catholic parishes in the diocese! 👍
 
Don’t paint with too broad a brush. I posted this on another forum but I am the son of a pastor and I can tell you that the pastors who drive Mercedes are in the minority. My family has never bought a new car, we lived in a modest home and my brother and I never had the “latest and greatest” (you should have seen my first car). My mother is a school teacher and she makes more than my Dad. My Dad has 2 bachelors and a masters too.

In all honesty we protestants hate this health and wealth **** just as much or more than you because it reflects bad on us. My blood boils when I see these jerks on TV spreading lies about how supposedly good Christians should be rich. If anything the opposite is true. The vast majority of pastors are like my father, so please bear that in mind. The health and wealth congregations usually burn themselves out anyways so I wouldn’t worry about that. Eventually someone is going to get sick and come to the realization that God is still there when you are poor and sick, in fact that is when God works best.
 
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Shlemele:
Don’t paint with too broad a brush. I posted this on another forum but I am the son of a pastor and I can tell you that the pastors who drive Mercedes are in the minority. My family has never bought a new car, we lived in a modest home and my brother and I never had the “latest and greatest” (you should have seen my first car). My mother is a school teacher and she makes more than my Dad. My Dad has 2 bachelors and a masters too.
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Hi Shlemele,

I believe he was just referring to the protestants who have the “mega churches”. We have one about 3 miles away from us. They are incorporated as a business, and not a non-profit. They incorporated outside of city limits to avoid taxes. Of course not all protestants are like that. A friend of the family is a Baptist pastor and he drives a 1987 Chevy pickup.

God bless,
 
Eh… I was on a motorcycle ride a while back and met up with a priest who was riding on a fully-dressed out 2005 Harley-Davidson that was his. I was riding my 1993 Yamaha. He loaded his Harley onto a trailer that he pulled with his 2004 Suburban. I load mine onto a trailer that I pull with a 1993 Ford Ranger.

As someone said above, be careful about splinters and logs.

I’ll admit that I’m paid an embarassing amount of money as a pastor. I’ll also admit that I am frugal (my wife says I’m cheap).

O+
 
apparently the mom worships everything the guy says
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I have observed with many protestants (not all!), that whatever the “pastor” says is the gospel. Some anti-Catholic spews the “traditions of men” arguement at us and then turns around and says, my pastor says thus and such so it must be true. These same people claim Jesus is their light but it always comes down to, “pastor says…” :rolleyes:
 
O.S. Luke:
Eh… I was on a motorcycle ride a while back and met up with a priest who was riding on a fully-dressed out 2005 Harley-Davidson that was his. I was riding my 1993 Yamaha. He loaded his Harley onto a trailer that he pulled with his 2004 Suburban. I load mine onto a trailer that I pull with a 1993 Ford Ranger.

As someone said above, be careful about splinters and logs.

I’ll admit that I’m paid an embarassing amount of money as a pastor. I’ll also admit that I am frugal (my wife says I’m cheap).

O+
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Luke,

Making money or not depends on the order the priest belongs to (some require vows of poverty, and some priests don’t belong to an order at all). If the priest was driving a 2005 Harley, more than likely he has a full time job and does not belong to an order. Priests are not forbidden from keeping a full time job. That’s a huge difference than running a church solely for a profit (which I’m not saying ALL protestants do, but there’s definitely a few)…

God bless,
 
O.S. Luke:
Eh… I was on a motorcycle ride a while back and met up with a priest who was riding on a fully-dressed out 2005 Harley-Davidson that was his. I was riding my 1993 Yamaha. He loaded his Harley onto a trailer that he pulled with his 2004 Suburban. I load mine onto a trailer that I pull with a 1993 Ford Ranger.

As someone said above, be careful about splinters and logs.

I’ll admit that I’m paid an embarassing amount of money as a pastor. I’ll also admit that I am frugal (my wife says I’m cheap).

O+
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Really? Must be an independantly wealthy priest no? I think the church barely pays them
 
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austinbond:
Hey guys,
I just wanted to make a comment and relay a great article on spirit daily today. I wonder about the extravagance of some protestant ministers in their “Mega-Churches” driving Mercedes and Lexus’. Protestants always criticize Catholics of spending millions of dollars on Churches and statues, but what they fail to see is the purpose for these things, for the Greater Glory of God and a visual sign to all of us of that glory. Michelangelo, Raphael, Mozart and all the great artists of their time devoted their whole life to the glory of God through their Art, Music, and ect. And also on another note I would like to compare the vows of poverty and so on to the lives of so many protestant preachers. It’s almost like night and day, and with that assertion I think it is a sign that by taking up the cross and following Jesus, the Church is still the teacher of Christians even by example.

Hi Cats
I think that we waste too much money on fancy buildings when there a so many in need. Jesus said that when you help one of the least , you are helping him. We glorify God by the love we have for others and not how fancy of a church we build. There are two churches that just put up new buildings, one Catholic and one Church of Christ in our city. Both of these building cost in excess of two million dollars. I don’t think God is impressed with either church. I don’t care what you say but weve got our prioritys all wrong.
Thanks.
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NonDenom:
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austinbond:
Hey guys,
I just wanted to make a comment and relay a great article on spirit daily today. I wonder about the extravagance of some protestant ministers in their “Mega-Churches” driving Mercedes and Lexus’. Protestants always criticize Catholics of spending millions of dollars on Churches and statues, but what they fail to see is the purpose for these things, for the Greater Glory of God and a visual sign to all of us of that glory. Michelangelo, Raphael, Mozart and all the great artists of their time devoted their whole life to the glory of God through their Art, Music, and ect. And also on another note I would like to compare the vows of poverty and so on to the lives of so many protestant preachers. It’s almost like night and day, and with that assertion I think it is a sign that by taking up the cross and following Jesus, the Church is still the teacher of Christians even by example.

Hi Cats
I think that we waste too much money on fancy buildings when there a so many in need. Jesus said that when you help one of the least , you are helping him. We glorify God by the love we have for others and not how fancy of a church we build. There are two churches that just put up new buildings, one Catholic and one Church of Christ in our city. Both of these building cost in excess of two million dollars. I don’t think God is impressed with either church. I don’t care what you say but weve got our prioritys all wrong.
Thanks.
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Hey NonDenom,

One thing you do have to remember is that most of these buildings are intended to last for quite a while.

God bless,
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NonDenom:
Hi Cats
I think that we waste too much money on fancy buildings when there a so many in need. Jesus said that when you help one of the least , you are helping him. We glorify God by the love we have for others and not how fancy of a church we build. There are two churches that just put up new buildings, one Catholic and one Church of Christ in our city. Both of these building cost in excess of two million dollars. I don’t think God is impressed with either church. I don’t care what you say but weve got our prioritys all wrong.
Thanks.
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I’d be careful about judging this, as well. Remember when Mary Magdalene anointed Jesus with costly oil? And remember what Judas said, “That oil could have sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared about the poor, mind you (but I’m sure you really do! 🙂 ). Jesus replied: “The poor you have always with you, but me you will not always have.”

Building edifices worthy of the King of the Universe is no sin. Besides, if you were to ask at either church I’m sure they would tell you all about their outreach programs for the poor. God comes first no matter what because feeding the soul by creating a proper atmosphere for worship is more important than feeding the body which will pass away, while the soul will live forever in heaven or in hell.
 
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austinbond:
Protestants always criticize Catholics for spending millions of dollars on Churches and statues, but what they fail to see is the purpose for these things, for the Greater Glory of God and a visual sign to all of us of that glory. Michelangelo, Raphael, Mozart and all the great artists of their time devoted their whole life to the glory of God through their Art, Music, etc. And also on another note I would like to compare the vows of poverty and so on to the lives of so many protestant preachers.
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Ever notice how, when Jesus was walking around down here, the only people for whom he had a harsh word were the religious leaders? They ought to have known better.

God has demonstrated a tendency to judge people not for their acts in isolation, but rather in the context of what they have.

As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)

Therefore, I would suggest that God may be less concerned with how much we spend upon any one thing, and more concerned with what we do with what we have been given (q.v. Luke 19:11-27). God certainly has no need of buildings (Isaiah 58, esp vv 6-7, and Psalm 50, v 9-23); can you show me a building that can house God? Thus, I suspect that, if a church spends a lot of money on a building but gives vast sums to the poor, God would not be displeased. I also suspect that, if I care more about myself than others, and spend more upon myself than others, I will have some answering to do, come the day.

God help us all.
 
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NonDenom:
Hi Cats
I think that we waste too much money on fancy buildings when there a so many in need. Jesus said that when you help one of the least , you are helping him. We glorify God by the love we have for others and not how fancy of a church we build. There are two churches that just put up new buildings, one Catholic and one Church of Christ in our city. Both of these building cost in excess of two million dollars. I don’t think God is impressed with either church. I don’t care what you say but weve got our prioritys all wrong.
Thanks.
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I understand the premise that extravagance is offensive but the great Cathedrals of Europe, for instance, are awesome works of art full of Christian symbolism. (Not to mention inspiring in their beauty.) A starting point to understanding Christian art and symbolism in the great cathedrals is: *Heaven In Stone And Glass: Experiencing the Spirituality of the Great Cathedrals by Robert Barron. *

I like this review:

Heaven in Stone and Glass is an interesting guided tour combined with a meditative reflection upon the structure and features of a great medieval cathedral. Thus, such cathedrals are cruciform, as a reminder of the importance of the Cross in Christian life; they are traditionally dark, with the only light coming through the windows, reminding the believer that it is Christ the light who enlightens their darkness. Similarly, cathedrals face east, symbolic of the Church being oriented towards the second coming and have a steeple roof above the nave, reminding worshippers that the Church is the ark of salvation.

"Heaven in Stone and Glass is a timely reminder that churches and cathedrals, as places of worship, should be authentic “sacred spaces” that speak of God and facilitate the encounter between the believer and the transcendent God. They should not be functional buildings used to house services or, at worst, display halls of the most banal kitsch our society is capable of producing."

ad2000.com.au/articles/2001/jun2001p17_478.html

I do think it is unfair to juxtapose beautiful churches and charity as though the Church emphasis is heavy on the first and light on the second. “Catholic Charities USA” is the largest private network of social service organizations in the United States:

catholiccharitiesusa.org/
 
Semper Fi:
Luke,

Making money or not depends on the order the priest belongs to (some require vows of poverty, and some priests don’t belong to an order at all). If the priest was driving a 2005 Harley, more than likely he has a full time job and does not belong to an order. Priests are not forbidden from keeping a full time job. That’s a huge difference than running a church solely for a profit (which I’m not saying ALL protestants do, but there’s definitely a few)…

God bless,
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I’m well aware of diocesan/secular priests and order priests. I’m also aware of churches who run church solely for profit. And I’m aware of churches, Protestant and Catholic alike, who are prone all of the above, as are their clergy.

That’s all I’m saying.

O+
 
When I was growing up, a priest in our parish drove a black cadillac, and he had the only vanity plate in town. He got a new black caddy every three years from a local dealer.

It is not a sin to enjoy the good things in life that come to us. Some people see it as a way of showing how good their God is to those who trust in him.

cheddar
 
I know priests who live quite well and protestant ministers who live quite well. I also know priests who live on the verge of poverty and protestant ministers who live on the verge of poverty. Lets try not to paint with too broad of a brush, in many instances these priests and ministers are very talented men who could be making a great deal more money in the business world, but chose to follow their calling. Christ told us that it is far easier to give up everything and follow him if we have very little to give up, but that doesn’t mean that driving a nice car is inherently wrong. I think we should try to avoid attempting to judge the lifestyles of men we don’t know, as to avoid getting our own glass houses shattered. While chosing to live a life without material wealth is certainly beneficial, trying to pick and chose which men we judge by the manner in which they do this is not. Lets focus on the doctrinal errors of protestantism and not resort to mudslinging.
 
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