Salaries of many Protestant leaders kept under wraps

Bakersfield Californian ^ | Monday, May 29 2006 | MARK BARNA

[P-Marlowe]

Here's an example.

Thanks for the ping.

[ArrogantBustard]

You're welcome.

[xzins]

See marlowe's #73. In it, he explains using extreme examples to make a point. His point is that extreme examples can make either Catholic or Protestant look bad.

That said, I don't think the Catholic church gained its wealth from indigenous peoples of the Americas. It gained great wealth by being able to tax; i.e., it was an established church in most of Western Europe even after the Reformation, and that for centuries.

[ArrogantBustard]

What is gained by this finger-pointing? Who benefits?

See marlowe's #73.

I did. That's certainly an example of the filth I'm talking about ... This thread started with a smear of Protestants (by a Protestant, no less. Figure that out ...) and in response, we have folks hurling increasingly vile, and increasingly fabricated, accusations at each others' communities.

It's disgusting.

It also says more about the people hurling the accusations, than it does about the targets of same.

[ArrogantBustard]

We both have our Simonist apostates. Both practices, selling and begging are despicable to God and bring dishonor to His name.

Thank you!!!!

[P-Marlowe]

What is gained by this finger-pointing? Who benefits?

Why do you continue to participate in this thread?

You are just drawing attention to it by pinging it back to the top of the message list.

[Markdb]

I think our whole discussion here is somewhat pointless. Of course there are corrupt ministers, both Protestant and Catholic. There are also corrupt businessman, police officers, and of course politicians, but that doesn't make them all corrupt. We have to make judgements on an individual basis.
As for me I happen to believe God wants his children to prosper. After all it takes money to spread the gospel. If he owns all the cattle on a thousand hills and has streets paved with gold why would he want his kids to struggle and just barely get by. It's not wrong to have money, it's just wrong for your money to have you.

[Rytwyng]

The Jews have a law that it takes a quorum of 10 adult men - a "minyan" -- before you can start a synagogue. Less than 10 men, you can't do it. Why this number? One explanation could be, the tithe: if 10 men each give 1/10th of their income, the sum of that is one average income -- enough to go out and hire a fulltime rabbi. As the synagogue expands beyond 10 men, there will be money available for other purposes: buying a building (instead of meeting in a living room), hiring additional staff, special events, etc. But it starts with 10 tithers hiring a rabbi whose standard of living, funded by their tithes, is the average of their own.

That seems fair to me. It's only fair that the pastor ought to be able to afford to live more or less the same way as his congregants. If they are all poor, he shouldn't be living high -- to do so raises suspicions that he is exploiting their charity. If, on the other hand, most of the congregation can afford BMWs or SUVs, then the pastor's salary ought to be commensurate. A parishioner who drives a Mercedes to church is in no position to get upset if the pastor rolls up in a Porsche!

[Gamecock]

I believe that a pastor's compensation should reflect his value to the congregation.

If a pastor is of little or no use, why is he sstill the pastor?

Our church has people in it that make minimum wage all the way to corporate heads and business owners that make millions of dollars a year. I suspect (I've never bothered to find out) that my pastor is paid roughly somewhere in the middle.

You pastor makes $500,000 a year?

[P-Marlowe]

You pastor makes $500,000 a year?

No, but I suspect that his book sales make the church at least $500,000 per year (all the royalties are used for Church ministry). So whatever salary he derives is probably less than what his contribution to the church equals.

Rick Warren (for instance) takes no salary at all and is simply living off his book royalties (after paying back all the salary he ever took for that church). My pastor does it backwards, in that the royalties are given to the church and he takes a salary (which I assume is less than the value of the royalties of his books.

[Bainbridge]

And how many dioceses are bankrupt because of the pederasty of their clergy?
You open up these volleys with your snide tones and then cry foul about people responding.
You always show a very "uncharitable" spirit toward the "separated brethren". I suspect you do not spend much time working at the fruits of the Spirit and other Biblically based ideas, but I believe that the RC Catechism would admonish you for your smug and hostile attitude.

[Bainbridge]

The KKK, you are kidding right?
They are a bunch of buffoons with bed sheets.
The Cosa Nostra on the other hand plays with the big boys.
Bad choice for a gotcha.

[AlaninSA]

You're comparing the Catholic Church to the Mafia?

How many members of the Bloods and Crips are Baptists? That's the most hollow attempt at a comeback that I've yet seen.

P-Funk, you can do better...

[AlaninSA]

You open up these volleys with your snide tones and then cry foul about people responding.

I'm not crying foul about people responding.

I do respond, however, when I see ignorant attacks on the Mother Church.

[Bainbridge]

Yes that was a mistake.
Tithing is a Biblical concept.
Not something typical of RC parishoners. Barna has done other studies that deal with donations by denomination. The Roman Catholics do not fare well. Look it up.

[Bainbridge]

If someone disagrees with you, is it de facto out of "ignorance" ?

[P-Marlowe]

You're comparing the Catholic Church to the Mafia?

No, I was simply stating that most Mafiosos were catholic. It was in response to your post 29 which suggested that only Protestants would have big gaudy churches (should I post a picture of St. Peter's) or people who beg for money on TV.

P-Funk, you can do better...

Are we done trading barbs?

[Bainbridge]

You entered this discussion in post# 5.IT WAS YOU who injected the snotty comments about "Protestants" getting rich and "catholics and Orthodox not doing so.
YOU BEGAN THE ATTACK.
Try and tell the truth for once.

[Bainbridge]

Why do I never see Roman Catholics rebuke their own.
It was AlaninSA who fired the interdenominational shot.
Go back and look.

[Religion Moderator]

KNOCK OFF THE PERSONAL ATTACKS!