ATM's at church

[UglyCasanova]

link

This just seems wrong. There is also a video on their front page, but it's flash and I don't know how to link it.

 

[Parasitic]

It's just wrong. With that machine in place they're essentially FORCING you to make donations to "show your faith". No cash or check today? Don't worry, go to the machine and pay there!

Whatever happened to good-doing and freewill?

 

[kranky]

Oh, please. How is that FORCING anyone to do anything?

[timewarp, was commenting on Parasitic's post below]

 

[lokiju]

I don't attend church as it is but in the times I did, there was a direct relation to how much they asked and pushed for money as to how little I'd give.

The more they pushed, the less they got.

 

[Crono]

There's no way to give secretly with a giant ATM. Just goes to show you the direction some of the large churches (and even some smaller ones) are going in: church as business.
Though I guess it's really nothing new

 

[Eli]

LOL. Not really very shocking.

What a crock of shit.

 

[nutxo]

Meh. If a church insisted on cash the haters would call them archaic.

I dont care either way.

 

[coldmeat]

I don't see a problem with it. It's just a debit machine. Nobody is being forced to use it, it's just there for convenience, and to make some money for the church.

At my church, they don't even mention giving money. There is just a certain time during mass that they have a few men pass around a tray. There's not even any encouragement.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Technically I don't see anything wrong with it. People feel obliged to give to the church anyway. The church is just making that as easy for them as possible. It's a convenience.

Check out their website. Looks like they're some of the writhing-on-the-floor-speaking-in-tongues nutjobs. Those are usually pentecostals aren't they? The giving kiosk makes more sense in that case as they hold to the 10% of income tithing rule. Pentecostals usually have big flashy churches like that too. Imagine all the souls they could save with the money they spent on one of those 30,000 square ft. monstrosities.

 

[seemingly random]

atm at a church: too many possible comments come to mind - head aasplodes.

 

[El Guaraguao]

Originally posted by: coldmeat
I don't see a problem with it. It's just a debit machine. Nobody is being forced to use it, it's just there for convenience, and to make some money for the church.

At my church, they don't even mention giving money. There is just a certain time during mass that they have a few men pass around a tray. There's not even any encouragement.

sounds like the pastor isnt doing his job correctly.

 

[Jeff7]

What, you think God can't handle anything other than cash?

Originally posted by: Crono
There's no way to give secretly with a giant ATM. Just goes to show you the direction some of the large churches (and even some smaller ones) are going in: church as business.
Though I guess it's really nothing new

And of course we're a society of convenience. A local church seems to hold services on multiple days of the week.
Honor the Sabbath....you know, whenever you want to.


I tell you what they really need: Drive-through services.

 

[SuperSix]

It's all a business, they are smart to use the tools available to them.

 

[BeauJangles]

An ATM is inefficient. Just have a machine that directly deducts the amount from the inserted card.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Heh, not too shocking to me, there is a church very close by to my neighborhood that has been renovating like crazy, it's quite enormous. Oh, and there's a coffee shop right inside the giant foyer.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I don't see anything wrong, but it is kinda odd.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Crono
There's no way to give secretly with a giant ATM. Just goes to show you the direction some of the large churches (and even some smaller ones) are going in: church as business.
Though I guess it's really nothing new

The largest churches already force you to donate a percentage of income. Look at Mormons and Scientology. Mormon churches or temples are some of the largest temples anyone will ever see.

 

[UberNeuman]

Praise the Lord and Pass the Cash!

\amen.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: Crono
There's no way to give secretly with a giant ATM. Just goes to show you the direction some of the large churches (and even some smaller ones) are going in: church as business.
Though I guess it's really nothing new

The largest churches already force you to donate a percentage of income. Look at Mormons and Scientology. Mormon churches or temples are some of the largest temples anyone will ever see.

It's too easy for any organization to call itself a church and start marketing itself, looking for profit. What you mentioned is a key sign of that.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: UberNeuman
Praise the Lord and Pass the Cash!

\amen.

Creflo Dollar is amused