Reply #20: First of all, I'm so sorry for your lost. [View All]

[Just-plain-Kathy]

I lost my Dad in 2002. My (then) 73 year old mother who goes to mass alone every week and has been making donations to the same church for at least 45 years was charged $450 for a half hour mass.

My nephew played the organ, there were no alter boys, it was early August yet there was no air-conditioning... there was zero expense to the church other then the lights. ... I was shocked.

I feel that religious organizations should start paying taxes. Their private schools cost close to $800 a month per student with 30 kids in a class...that's $24,000 a month, times that by 10 months, that's $240,000 a year income per classroom. They charge each HS student $100 to have parking space... They charge $10 every Friday if your kid wants to "dress down". Then you have to donate to fund raisers (which usually is for the upkeep of the school). ...They pay their teachers squat.

They close churches in poor neighborhoods and build mega-churches in rich. ...I feel like religion has bee high-jack by a bunch of thieves.

:rant: