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Originally posted by blueangel
Don't forget that some people are fat through no fault of their own. A friend of mine has Lupis. It's part of the disease.
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No, it's not. My best friend developed lupus 8 years ago and has been on prednisone for quite some time. Her figure is gorgeous because she eats right and works out. I'm not doubting that your friend has side effects of her medicine/disease that contributes to her weight problem, but lupus doesn't make you fat.
Quote:
Originally posted by cashmoney
I just want to point out something here. God provides the needs of his workers. Jesus didnt ask for money, the apostles didnt ask for money, Mother Teresea didnt ask for money like Joel Osteen, the shit was provided because they were truly led by god. Hell, Mahatama Gandhi didnt even ask for money and he wasnt even a Christian. These people didnt make individuals pay money for this or that. Why? Because they were truly there to HELP people. They didnt give a rats ass about making money or having an extravegant lifestyle. They truly wanted to help people and were led by a higher power.
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You know, for a self-proclaimed heathen, you know your stuff pretty well. You are absolutely right, I never thought about it that way. But I think of it this way: Jesus went out and helped people in ways that we never could. My church has ministries and funds that help people and that couldn't survive without offerings and donations. Jesus healed the sick--we can help with your medical bills. Jesus multiplied food--we can buy your groceries. Jesus sat in the streets to tell children about Christ--if I did that, somebody would try to arrest me claiming I'm a sex offender, so we have the children's church. Offering money supports all of that, so I don't think it's unreasonable to ask people to give a love offering to a ministry. You just have to know the difference between a ministry and a scam. I can't speak on Pastor Osteen or whoever he is, b/c I've never even heard of him. It doesn't sound right that he's claiming to have all the answers and if you pay you'll get them. But if my pastor asks for money for such and such ministry, I'd be more willing to give if I knew I wouldn't get anything in return. Because I don't think it's as important to tell people "if you give money you'll get this in return." I'd rather hear "if you give to us, we can't give you anything in return, that blessing will go to someone who needs it." If EVERYTHING they got went to whoever the ministry's geared toward, there shouldn't be anything there for me.
Unfortunately, in today's world that doesn't fly with people. People, even religious people, can be shallow. I've seen GC threads advising girls to buy the best of the best in order to get into sororities, like what label their purse or dress is really matters. Well, some feel that no one will come to a small, run-down church, so they ask for money to renovate it with elaborate decorations and more space. Some feel that no one will give out of the kindness of their heart, so they have to make promises and give gifts to get the offering. Some feel that relying on God is too shaky for people to want to put faith in the ministry, so they have to act "holier" than they really are and claim that "God told me this and you can know it too" in order to build their congregation. I think society has sent out a lot of false messages and church's aren't immune to them. In the end, the human spirit is underestimated and churches/pastors sell themselves short. That's not all of the problem, but part of it at least.
BTW, you're comments were insensitive and tactless, but not all off-base. I could see why you said them, so I don't think it was all that bad. And yes, I do pray for you and I know I'm not the only one. Don't take it bad when people say, "Well, I'm praying for you" it's not a put-down. It's not because we all think you're some bigoted/foul-mouthed/egotistical/whatever else heathen who needs Jesus. Me, I just think you're a good guy who deserves a little prayer every now and again.