Church collections decline as unemployment and under-employment rises.

[Bullshot]

Do you think these churches who lobbied hard for Bush's re-election will make the connection?

I'm speaking from experience. My wife is a business manager for a local church. Many jobs have left the county in the last four years, and the collections have declined. It's getting to the point where they're going to have to make some very difficult cuts because their reserves are exhausted.

I can't believe it's any different with other area churches experiencing the same thing with their local job picture. Will the pastors of these churches re-think their campaigning during this election? Or, will they think their parishioners are going to have to just dig deeper in spite of their current economic situations?

[fujiyama]

1. HAHAHAHAHAH

I'm not really feeling any sympathy for anyone at the moment, especially out of work fundies.

[democratreformed]

14. Me neither.

WHO CARES?!?!?

[China_cat]

2. No matter how you cut it

10% of nothing is still nothing.

[Wright Patman]

3. This is good

to their way of thinking because the whole rest of the world is "persecuting" them for continuing to stand by the "man of God."

That is the reason they will give for the economy tanking. That and Clinton's penis. And abortion. And gay marriage. And ... and ... etc., etc.

I am serious. I belong to a Southern Baptist Church. People are encouraged to have a persecution complex. I myself don't have one.

But I see it in others. It is a cult-induced mental illness. A lot of them feel left out if they don't feel they are being persecuted because there is persecution of the saints all through the Bible.

When you live in the Bible Belt, it is a stretch even for these cultists to be able rationally (not that anything in their thinking is all that rational) to claim persecution. So this is an opportunity for them.

[mutius]

5. Church thats a joke

Man of God Bush is an angel of light. Jesus said in the end times many will come in my name deceiving many. Jesus was talking to the church. The church helps no one but their own pockets. Man of God? Fact Bush is a liar, all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. Fact Bush is prideful remember pride cometh before a fall, I can't wait. the only thing innocent people suffer.:evilgrin:

[DELUSIONAL]

4. Well who will be left to feed the poor?

It is not my problem.

[Mend]

11. Not My Problem Either

We have to stop giving money.....this country is going to look like downtown Bombay.

[democratreformed]

15. STOP GIVING MONEY. That's my attitude today. WHO CARES?

I sure don't care enough to give any money to ANY group who helped this come about.

On that not, I noticed that Target is preventing the Salvation Army from doing the bell-ringing solicitations this year. My thought was "Well, good". Let them look to the church for their help and donations. HA HA.

[theHandpuppet]

6. Food banks also empty

My local food bank said donations have dropped dramatically since 911 (go figure!) and they're having a hard time keeping enough food on the shelves for the hungry. I understand food banks all across the country are suffering a similar problem.

[regnaD kciN]

7. Check your assumptions...

Which churches are feeling the pinch? Generally not the suburban fundie megachurches where Bush draws his base. More likely it's the parishes, particularly in urban areas, of mainstream "liberal" denominations (Episcopal, Lutheran, United Church of Christ, United Methodist, etc.) that the fundies consider "not a real church" at best and "Satanic" at worst. You know, the churches that spend their collections on outreach and social support like shelters and soup kitchens rather than on slick anti-abortion billboard ads -- and are marrying gays, not trying to outlaw gay marriage.

[wicket]

9. good points

My church (a UCC in suburban Boston) is hurting bad. It's a very liberal parish with gays welcome with open arms, and the church does a lot of good work, it's just that everyone is so tapped out. :(

[democratreformed]

16. Nah, I don't agree.

One Church of God preacher here in our rural town was whining to my hubby a few months back about the drop in funds and people just not giving. My hubby had no sympathy either. When the preacher mentioned something about church members having to give 10%, my hubby said "No, I'm not in to giving away my money." Because he has never been involved in a church, I had to explain that 10% thing to him later. He thought it was the craziest thing he's ever heard.

[Rockholm]

8. Republican registrations rise in those same areas. Odd.

[bleedingheart]

10. It's also because a lot of Left Wing Christians stopped giving

like me...

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. What church do you go to?

Is it a pro-conservative church? If so, why not find a church that shares your values?

(Just an idle question)

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. True enough, we struggle to make tithe these days.

-----------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT! Take this country back one town and state at a time!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[blm]

17. RevMoon will soon step in and bail them out. That's how he grows his

Unification Church.