Catholics: Do you think there's enough gold in the vatican?
Catholics, do you think that there's enough gold-adorned things in the Vatican, or do you think the Catholic Church should start collecting more donations (maybe from those weathly Mexican or South American Catholics; the ones who live in those killer huts and everything?) because maybe the pope doesn't have enough gold scepters or fancy hats and what not. For those of you making, say, 40k a year and donate your hard earned money to the Catholic Church, does it give you a warm feeling to know that at least some of it is going to go to make sure there's enough gold things in Vatican City? Hey apologists, I'm not saying the Catholic Church doesn't do alot of charity (but then again after the Inquisition, the Holocaust and the Crusades, they have a bit to make up for, no?), but couldn't they do alot more if they didn't buy more gold stuff? Or how much more good they could do if they sold all that gold and ornamental stuff? Btw, how much gold did Jesus lug around with him? Is the pope and the vatican just trying to be Christ like?
Religion & Spirituality - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Actually some of their generously donated money to help those less fortunate, is going to be spent on compensating the kids the priests fiddled with. I'm sure they would approve.. not. ;) Practicing Shaman... quantum physics rocks
2 :
No, they want more.
3 :
Yo super atheist -- WHY DO YOU CARE -- it's not coming out of YOUR pocket?! most of the stuff at the vatican is older than the US for crying out loud. besides don't know of ANY other organization that does this - and this is only the US help does NOT include the stuff outside the country.... GET A LIFE! According to the Catholic Charities USA Annual Survey-At-A-Glance for 200370, the most recent available, the network provided: Emergency Services to 6,597,998 People Food Services to 6,597,998 People Agencies provided both prepared food and food distribution services. Food banks & pantries Soup kitchens Congregate dining Home delivered meals Other food services2,226,630 803,983 1,463,718 307,901 458,227 Other Basic Needs Assistance to 1,521,597 People This category includes those basic services outside of food, shelter, or housing, such as: Clothing assistance Financial assistance Utilities assistance Medication assistance Other basic needs assistance34% 12% 12% 3% 39% Temporary Shelter Services to 201,653 People Services in this category include short-term (up to six months) emergency shelters and safe houses for the homeless, runaway youth, victims of domestic violence, etc. Disaster Response Services to 31,302 People These services include services that arise from any calamity-natural or man-made-that exceeds a community or neighborhood's ability to respond without outside intervention. Transitional Housing Services to 27,070 People Includes intermediate housing sites (six months to two years) for individuals and families. Community-Building Services to 3,108,839 People Provided Socialization and Neighborhood Services to 345,820 People Agencies provided organized, age appropriate activities at the neighborhood level, such as summer camps for children, the elderly, and the disabled; sports programs; health and employment fairs. Provided Permanent Housing Services to 44,261 Agencies operated non treatment related permanent housing sites for individuals and families. Provided Immigration Services to 313,140 People Services include assistance to individuals and families with immigration issues, such as legal status and citizenship. Provided Housing Services to 186,584 People Agencies provided non facilities based services, including vouchers for housing, home repair, loan assistance, housing search, subsidized home purchase, building material banks, and rental assistance. Provided Refugee Resettlement Services to 76,864 People Services in this category include resettlement and placement, job development, ESL classes, life skills education, job readiness training, and cultural adaptation of refugees.
4 :
I feel great, thanks. In fact, in addition to giving to my own church, I give to Catholic Relief services. CRS is one of the top charities worldwide, and 94% of what they take in goes to help people. the remaining 6% goes to fund raising and administrative costs, which are not great, as the total assets of CRS are only a few hundred thousand dollars, even though CRS has sent 100 million or more in aid to Haiti alone so far this year.
5 :
I think you don't have a clue what you're talking about.
6 :
There might even be a bit too much. The mission of the Catholic Church is to proclaim and establish the Kingdom of God begun by Jesus Christ among all peoples. The Church endeavors to save souls. Keeping the priceless art available at the Vatican in trust for all mankind to come, see, and inspire belief in the Kingdom of God is part of this mission. The Church might be able to raise a couple of billion dollars by selling everything but that would soon be gone and the world would not be much better off. Especially if mankind does not change for the better. Both the Old and New Testament says that it is the mission of all mankind (including you and me) to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. It is our job to stop poverty and create justice and peace. If every human being on the planet gave $10 then $60 billion would be raised. If the one billion people in the richest countries gave one $100 each then $100 billion would be raised. Not only do these riches make the Vatican art collections look paltry, this is only a fraction of what can really be raised if people got their priorities straight. You and I and the rest of humanity can do much much more to "help people" than the Vatican can all by itself. We need to stop making excuses for our selfishness by pushing the blame on to the Catholic Church. By the way, the Catholic Charities worldwide distribute billions of dollars in goods and services each year to the needy and have been doing so for well over a thousand years. Oh, and lets not forget that the Vatican has the ultimate responsibility for the lifelong support of over 400,000 priests, over 54,000 religious brothers, and over 760,000 religious sisters worldwide. http://cara.georgetown.edu/bulletin/index.htm With love in Christ.
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