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| The Cathedral Shop and Donation | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 6 2005, 05:48 AM (126 Views) | |
| ds9074 | Jun 6 2005, 05:48 AM Post #1 |
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Admiral
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I recently when on a visit to Gloucester Cathedral which is a magnifient building that costs £2000 a day to upkeep. While I always love to visit cathedrals I was left a little disturbed by one aspect of the visit. I went with several of my friends since there was also a medieval day on in the city with people in appropriate dress and a "medieval market". However when we walked in the Cathedral my friends were about to walk straight back out. There was a large barrier in our way which was the "donations" box and a man watching carefully whether people put money in. On what they were asking it would have cost £10 to go in. I put in a smaller donation and said that would cover us and we went in. The last thing that should happen is that people should walk out the church door because they think its too expensive to enter in. Then there was the large section of the nave which was turned into a shop with as well as "Christian" items, postcards and the usual included items related to the fact that the Harry Potter films were partly filmed at the Cathedral. Overall while I can logically understand they need the money it does annoy me, after all Matthew 21 says; 12And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Am I right to dislike the comercialisation of the church? After all is the Cathedral not in a way the temple of God and what is that shop doing if not buying and selling? |
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| Minuet | Jun 6 2005, 08:39 AM Post #2 |
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Fleet Admiral Assistant wRench, Chief Supper Officer
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A donation box is fine. But it should have been watched from a slight distance (to prevent thieves) If someone is standing on top of you then you feel obligated and no one should feel obligated to donate. Many people cannot afford a large donation and would do, as you did, a smaller one. Or none at all and that is fine. I do not like the idea of a suggested amount of donation. |
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| psyfi | Jun 6 2005, 08:50 AM Post #3 |
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psyfi
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You could always do what a friend of mine did every time we were in a donation situation. He would put whatever amount of money in that seemed right to him and then in a very loud voice, VERY LOUD, he would begin to quote scriptures such as the following: "Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts... Bring the whole tithe /offering into the temple house, that there may be food in My House, and try Me in this, says the Lord of Hosts: Shall I not open for you the floodgates of heaven, to pour down blessing upon you without measure!" (Malachi 3:7-10) "Give and it shall be given back to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you measure with, it shall be measured back to you." (St. Luke 6:38) He would pray such scriptures thanking God that this money was going to be multiplied and returned to him. It always seemed to work for him. Also, I think if more people did as my friend, it would not be too long before many churches would put their donation boxes in less conspicuous places. |
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| ds9074 | Jun 6 2005, 09:58 AM Post #4 |
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Admiral
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This is the e-mail reply from my Dad: -
With all due respect to my Dad, I still dislike seeing part of a Church turned into a shop. |
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| Fesarius | Jun 6 2005, 10:02 AM Post #5 |
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Admiral
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Agreed. I also do not believe in soliciting. The obligatory nature of such causes is to me off-putting. I choose which charities to donate to--and that well-formulated decision to choose which one(s) is important. |
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| psyfi | Jun 6 2005, 10:04 AM Post #6 |
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psyfi
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Since we are talking Jesus, remember he paid the temple tax. Didn't seem that he had a problem with this. He also told people who were healed to go to the temple and make sacrifices to thank God and he knew these had to be paid for. He didn't add, "And don't pay the money." I think your Dad is onto something here. |
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| ds9074 | Jun 6 2005, 10:15 AM Post #7 |
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Admiral
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Its not that I am unwilling to make a donation just that I dont like the way it could put people off the way they had it set up. I dont think my mind will be changed any time soon about shops in Churchs. I just dont like it, particularly when its not in a seperate room or anything but right in the Nave by the entrance. The first thing you see as you walk in most Cathedrals of England is a large donation box with a suggested donation and someone watching you like a hawk to see what you put in, with all the disaproving looks you like if you dont give the "right" amount (and the worst case I have seen actual barriers and tickets unless you were there for a service or prayer). Then you look up and you see what amounts to a gift shop. It makes it feel like going to a museum or exhibition. Once you get past that its usually fantastic. I just think we have lost our way a bit with this comercialisation. |
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| Fesarius | Jun 6 2005, 12:22 PM Post #8 |
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Admiral
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Psyfi, Good points. And submitting to our governing authorities is also biblical. DS, I might change my mind for one reason--the cathedrals in your part of the world are gorgeous.
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1:52 PM Jul 11