Religion

Chesterton is brilliant.

Dave, I completely agree with you. Although the image you posted does play on the emotions of some individuals, it is not dealing with the core issue. The church needs to police its own. The health, wealth and prosperity preachers are a cancer on the modern church, (I don’t know what movement is called now-a-days)! I am not sure how to deal with them. I don’t know if they are even real true Christians! (Matt 7:22). I keep going back to Acts 3:6, where Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” I was involved in this ridiculous mentality back in the early 80s, and it only took me less than a year to realize it is completely unbiblical!
Back to your point, you’re absolutely correct! this not the norm for churches of any denomination in America! Regarding churches protecting, feeding, more people, so true. When was the last time one has seen an agnostic food kitchen, or an atheistic hospital? True logic is the Christians best friend! Thanks for sharing!

Shriners have their roots with the Masons, right? Don't they have to also acknowledge a Supreme Being in order to join? The Knights Templar is one of the foundational groups of the Masons. I grew up next door to a Shriner.

Look up the origins of Feeding America (fka St Mary's Food Bank) , and it's founder, John von Hengel.

The restaurant franchise I belong to has supported Feeding America since we opened.

I agree churches should be policing themselves.  Organizations like Evangelical Council for Economic Accountability (I think that’s what ECFA stands for) does good work in that area, but submitting to their oversight is voluntary... although I’m not so sure we need a law forcing churches to subscribe.

beyond that, there are some pastors who lean further into the entertainment factor than others.  I have always said a worker is worth his wages, so if a given pastor (which term, I use loosely) draws down a six-figure salary, plus book commissions, plus honorariums, well, who’m I to judge?
i figure either they ARE teaching the Gospel or they are not.  If they are, God bless them.  If they are not, then God WILL judge them.  

that said, however, I am not so sanguine about it locally.  I am on the board of our church and one of my goals is to make sure our pastors are paid sufficiently.  It’s something we discuss at least every year at budget time.  We aren’t in the rarified air of offering them six figures, of course and, in fact, the last two years, I have argued with our senior pastor who has refused modest raises.  But your point about churches policing themselves can only happen, I believe, in each congregation.  If Tony Evans church doesn’t care how they are perceived, I’m content to leave it to God.

I would suggest against grouping agnostics with atheists.  Not only are their belief systems very different, their view of Christianity is different.

Atheists believe Christianity is a fools errand, that God doesn't exist and religion is nothing more than opium of the people.  Most agnostics don't agree with that.  Most agnostics don't contend that Christianity is wrong, but rather that they individually don't know whether Christianity is right or wrong.  it is an admission of them not having faith, not a condemnation of Christianity or other religions.

A majority of agnostics are spiritual and look positively upon religion.  They are just being true to themselves and admitting they don't know the truth and lack the faith to be a true believer in any religion.  They place the failing on themselves, not the religion.

Religious believers are to agnostics as conservatives are to libertarians.  They aren't the same, but they share many of the same views and can respect each others views..