sandandfoam
Veteran Member
It seems a lot of people charge to pass on their religious knowledge.
This seems wrong to me. What do you think?
This seems wrong to me. What do you think?
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Paying to learn about religion.
- Thread starter sandandfoam
- Start date
Breathe
Hostis humani generis
I most definitely agree.
I hate the idea of having to pay for religion. Whether it be learning, use of the place of worship, etc. Religion should be free. When religions begin charging for services it becomes a business. Whilst I know religious people such as priests and clerics have to make money to eat too, I think it should be more good-will and less compulsory.
If you're having a cleric come bless your home for example, though, then I don't really mind the idea of paying for that, since it requires him coming to you which may cost a lot in fuel and stuff.. but to go to them and then have to pay just seems, well, wrong to me.
Or am I wrong?
I hate the idea of having to pay for religion. Whether it be learning, use of the place of worship, etc. Religion should be free. When religions begin charging for services it becomes a business. Whilst I know religious people such as priests and clerics have to make money to eat too, I think it should be more good-will and less compulsory.
If you're having a cleric come bless your home for example, though, then I don't really mind the idea of paying for that, since it requires him coming to you which may cost a lot in fuel and stuff.. but to go to them and then have to pay just seems, well, wrong to me.
Or am I wrong?
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Oh I see what you mean now. I don't come across this much though sometimes you get these wishy washy new age 'gurus' and such who charge you to go to a lecture or something. Normally this isn't the case though, as far as I have seen.
Oh I see what you mean now. I don't come across this much though sometimes you get these wishy washy new age 'gurus' and such who charge you to go to a lecture or something. Normally this isn't the case though, as far as I have seen.
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The only time anything like this has happened to me personally was when my wife and I took our marriage preparation class. We had to pay a fee for the course, but it seemed to me to be enough to just cover photocopying of course materials, the coffee and donuts we got during the break, and the cost of heating and electricity for the classroom space. I didn't have a problem with it.
However, there are other things that I do have a problem with... Christian Science "practitioners" come to mind.
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
Greetings!
Not only is all teaching about the Baha'i Faith without charge, but we can't even accept donations from non-members!
Contributing to Baha'i Funds is a privilege reserved for enrolled Baha'is ONLY, and even for them giving is both strictly voluntary and strictly confidential! No collection plate is ever passed at Baha'i meetings, and no one else may "check up on" whether (or how much) anyone has contributed.
Best,
Bruce
Not only is all teaching about the Baha'i Faith without charge, but we can't even accept donations from non-members!
Contributing to Baha'i Funds is a privilege reserved for enrolled Baha'is ONLY, and even for them giving is both strictly voluntary and strictly confidential! No collection plate is ever passed at Baha'i meetings, and no one else may "check up on" whether (or how much) anyone has contributed.
Best,
Bruce
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Just wondering about the last point you made: there aren't donation records anywhere? Baha'is don't receive tax receipts for their contributions?
Wandered Off
Sporadic Driveby Member
Doesn't bother me. It's not my business if people want to spend their money that way. It's not all that different from gambling after all.
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
I suppose its all in the context.
for example I would question potential charlatans charging money for spiritual gifts and truths. but in a modern urban setting I can see how Buddhism teachers may charge money for lessons when they do not offer any absolute truths but techniques and general information, or where 'proper' education about various religions may cost money, academic or otherwise. for me in the right context it would be a valuable commodity to spend resources on.
for example I would question potential charlatans charging money for spiritual gifts and truths. but in a modern urban setting I can see how Buddhism teachers may charge money for lessons when they do not offer any absolute truths but techniques and general information, or where 'proper' education about various religions may cost money, academic or otherwise. for me in the right context it would be a valuable commodity to spend resources on.
Cobblestones
Devoid of Ettiquette
That's why they should all come to the RF first!
Terrywoodenpic
Oldest Heretic
The Roman Church was the largest industry, by far, in the middle ages.
You could even pay to have future sins forgiven.
The Church of England does charge for weddings but little else, it does not charge for wedding instruction.
If you go on retreat you will pay board and lodging, but not religious activity, or instruction.
You could even pay to have future sins forgiven.
The Church of England does charge for weddings but little else, it does not charge for wedding instruction.
If you go on retreat you will pay board and lodging, but not religious activity, or instruction.
Do they actually charge for the wedding itself? I don't have experience in this regard with the C of E, but with the Catholic Church, we hired the organist and a donation was "customary", but they don't officially link any fee to performance of any sacraments, including weddings.
tumbleweed41
Resident Liberal Hippie
"He that serves God for money will serve the Devil for better wages."
Aesop
Aesop
Engyo
Prince of Dorkness!
There are a couple of things that this brings to mind:
1) What is the motivation: primarily to bring in funds, or primarily to spread the teachings? One can use the funds generated to keep up the propogation efforts, of course.
2) Sadly, people tend to value something they have paid for above something they were given freely.
3) What happens with a person who is honestly seeking, and honestly unable to pay? Are they turned away, or is some accomodation possible?
Smoke
Done here.
I've always been very reluctant to pay for any kind of religious instruction. I have taken catechism classes in the United Methodist, Episcopal, and Greek Orthodox churches, and never paid anything. I don't have a problem with paying clergy when travel or extra work is involved -- for instance, if you expect to have your wedding outside the usual worship service, choose who is invited to it, and so on, the clergyman isn't really acting as the leader of a religious community. He's being hired for your private event. In the Greek Orthodox Church, it's customary to give the priest an honorarium for weddings, baptisms, and funerals, and many people make it a point of honor to be very generous, but I've never heard of a priest actually setting a fee. At one time (and possibly still) the Greek Archdiocese in the US required you to pay your annual dues, including any back dues since your turned 21, before you could be married or have your child baptized, and that resulted in a lot of people finding priests outside the Archdiocese to celebrate the Mysteries.
As far as meditation classes, I'm willing to pay a nominal fee -- say, $10 for an hour-long class. Meditation centers do have bills to pay, and I don't feel that such a nominal fee is unreasonable. If they charge (as many of them do) really hefty fees, I prefer not to do business with them, and not just because I'm cheap.
As far as meditation classes, I'm willing to pay a nominal fee -- say, $10 for an hour-long class. Meditation centers do have bills to pay, and I don't feel that such a nominal fee is unreasonable. If they charge (as many of them do) really hefty fees, I prefer not to do business with them, and not just because I'm cheap.
Terrywoodenpic
Oldest Heretic
The wedding fee covers the wedding registration ( statutory) C/E priests are Licenced and do not need the presence of a registrar like many other churches..
It alo covers cleaning, lighting, heating.
Organist and choir are seperate fees as not every one reqires them. As is full churh bell ringing if the church has a team of ringers.
nameless
The Creator
Anything we gained without effort or fee wont be valuable to us, even in the case of spirituality. The fee should be given and it can be anything, service, cash, utilities, whatever possible to him. If the fee is not given the student wont take the teachings serious and he would become lazy.
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BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
Greetings!
The Treasurer does write receipts for contributors and keeps a record of funds overall although not any record for each individual believer. The Spiritual Assembly (local governing body) has to know, after all, how much money it has available.
Receipts are written for each contribution so that individuals can claim tax deductions for them, but anyone who doesn't want the proof of contribution for this purpose is welcome to contribute anonymously. In this case, the original receipt (that would have gone to the individual) is destroyed, and only the duplicate is kept in the Assembly's records (with the name "Anonymous" on it).
It should be noted that the Treasurer may not discuss anyone's contributions (or lack thereof) with anyone, the Assembly included! Further, no one but the Treasurer may see the record of receipts (and as I said, s/he is prohibited from revealing them: not even the Assembly can see them. And while there is an annual audit, the names on the receipts are kept covered up while the audit's in progress: only the amounts can be seen. (Having been a Treasurer myself, I can vouch for this!)
Best regards,
Bruce
The Treasurer does write receipts for contributors and keeps a record of funds overall although not any record for each individual believer. The Spiritual Assembly (local governing body) has to know, after all, how much money it has available.
Receipts are written for each contribution so that individuals can claim tax deductions for them, but anyone who doesn't want the proof of contribution for this purpose is welcome to contribute anonymously. In this case, the original receipt (that would have gone to the individual) is destroyed, and only the duplicate is kept in the Assembly's records (with the name "Anonymous" on it).
It should be noted that the Treasurer may not discuss anyone's contributions (or lack thereof) with anyone, the Assembly included! Further, no one but the Treasurer may see the record of receipts (and as I said, s/he is prohibited from revealing them: not even the Assembly can see them. And while there is an annual audit, the names on the receipts are kept covered up while the audit's in progress: only the amounts can be seen. (Having been a Treasurer myself, I can vouch for this!)
Best regards,
Bruce
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
Greetings!
In the case of Baha'is, I think this answer is obvious given that, as I mentioned, only enrolled members may contribute!
Anyone else who wants to is told we won't accept his or her funds: instead, we'll donate them to the non-Baha'i charity of the person's choice. And if he or she declines to name a charity, the money typically goes to UNICEF or the Red Cross.
Peace,
Bruce
In the case of Baha'is, I think this answer is obvious given that, as I mentioned, only enrolled members may contribute!
Anyone else who wants to is told we won't accept his or her funds: instead, we'll donate them to the non-Baha'i charity of the person's choice. And if he or she declines to name a charity, the money typically goes to UNICEF or the Red Cross.
Peace,
Bruce
Interesting. Here, we pay our fees to the city clerk for the wedding registration, and then give the registration forms to the officiant.
But I assume that if a couple were to come to a C of E priest and say "we want to get married but can't afford the wedding fee", they'd probably come to some sort of arrangement, right?
I just think the differences are interesting, since I know there's a link between the C of E and the Catholic Church on a number of issues, and one thing that the Catholics are adamant about is that there should never be a fee requirement for any sacrament. A "customary donation", perhaps, but never a flat-out fee for service.