tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post114254198623533998..comments2024-03-21T03:45:48.679-05:00Comments on Enter the Rainbow: Cleansing the Temple: Down with Doves!Andy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05944614269873479581noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-1143340705219994342006-03-25T20:38:00.000-06:002006-03-25T20:38:00.000-06:00It went one step further in the exploitation too. ...It went one step further in the exploitation too. You talked about "bringing an animal from home" for sacrifice. Only most of those were deemed to be "imperfect" and thus unacceptable for sacrifice. Leaving only the option of buying the "Temple Livestock", which guaranteed the money changing, and the additional mark-up of the temple livestock.<BR/>Peace,<BR/>DavidDavidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00185871802128819652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-1142864232068789252006-03-20T08:17:00.000-06:002006-03-20T08:17:00.000-06:00I think the point is that at the temple, you HAD t...I think the point is that at the temple, you HAD to sacrifice to be faithful. Then you were exploited to be able to do that. In the modern collection of offering, you are merely given an opportunity to 'chip in' to the ministry of the church. If you don't want to, don't. If you don't want to buy cookies from the women, or trash bags from the SCouts, or calendars from the youth, or tickets to a meal or any other fundraiser, you don't have to. Yet you are STILL welcome to worship. That is NOT exploitation. In a lot of ways the 'selling' of items at the door to the sanctuary is the only way some people know about the other ministries of the church. It offers them the opportunity to focus their giving to a specific area of need. (e.g. - buying the calendar to support the youth.) If you take your time and effort to repair a leaky faucet at the church, in order to support God's work, God doesn't care if you give a dime. Of course it takes money to keep the church building going. Every church struggles with that. But they don't charge you admission. (like they did at the temple) They just ask for your help. We all agree to support the church with our prayers, our gifts, our presence, and our service. You don't like the 'gift' part, do the other three.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-1142822402321683342006-03-19T20:40:00.000-06:002006-03-19T20:40:00.000-06:00Way back when, I had a continuing battle with a sm...Way back when, I had a continuing battle with a small church I served as lay leader. Inside the foyer at the entrance were things "for sale" and other groups soliciting money (you had to go thru this circus to enter the sanctuary!). I felt that the location was inappropriate and downright degrading. The argument I got from the pastor and from many in the congregation is that these people were raising funds for a church-related cause.<BR/><BR/>Pretty weak.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06046469207005773680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-1142697575545698712006-03-18T09:59:00.000-06:002006-03-18T09:59:00.000-06:00Had trouble with this passage a few incarnations a...Had trouble with this passage a few incarnations ago as a Youth Director. The church wanted the youth to "raise their own money", but complained about the youth "soliciting donations in the church". (Said Jesus was against it)<BR/><BR/>The saddest thing is that a lot of people I know use this passage as a way of advocating Jesus as a person of violence rather than non-violence.methodist monkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09969578733912538184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-1142606929055737952006-03-17T08:48:00.000-06:002006-03-17T08:48:00.000-06:00Interesting take on exploitation ... is the offeri...Interesting take on exploitation ... is the offering plate the modern day version of the doves? Putting a plate/bag in someone's face each Sunday is somewhat exploitive. I wonder what would happen if churches stopped taking offerings and asked people to give in such a way that was not compulsatory in nature (i.e. mail, box at the door)? Wait a minute ... lets go back to doves ... this is getting a bit too personal :)kc bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17440862813109808755noreply@blogger.com