“I believe in God, but the very notion of people making a living out of talking about God seems distasteful and hypocritical.”
I sympathize with your concern. I really do. All of us have had the experience of hearing pastors talk far too much about money, especially when the church is going through some kind of building program. As for tele-evangelists, they tend to emphasize contributions until the rest of us are sick to our stomachs.
Still (as the old saying goes) we don’t want to let a few rotten apples spoil the whole barrel. The truth is, pastors and other full time ministers get a bad rap and this suspicious reputation generally finds origin in a person’s biases toward religion or negative experience with the church. If one begins with the assumption that God doesn’t exist or that the Bible is not true, or that God is not making Himself known today, obviously they will see no use for a person who seeks to bring us closer to God. But think for a moment: Aren’t these assumptions that can be questioned or do you really know for a fact that your assumptions are based upon truth? If, in fact, God has chosen to reach people through people, then those who do so full time are involved with a very respectable vocation.
“OK, sure…Maybe, I guess. But do they have to bring money into it?”
Actually, we are all familiar with many altruistic jobs, careers that exist for the sole purpose of helping others: Doctors, counselors, psychologists, teachers, lawyers (well, at least honest lawyers). Not only do these professions make money, some of them make a good deal of money. Still, we assume (for the most part) that such individuals chose their work out of a desire to genuinely help others. What then is the difference between the careers listed above and a Christian minister? The former will charge a fee for their services. The minister charges nothing. He may ask for a donation but the donation is voluntary. And yet, he’s accused of being a money maker while the others get a free pass. Just something to think about.
This is Bob Siegel, making the obvious, obvious.
All Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE New International Version NIV Copyright 1973, 1979, 1984 by International Bible Society Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Share this on
