I'm writing a paper. It's about the wealth of the Church and whether it's managed properly. Like why we spend so much on lilies for Easter every year when people are still starving in the world. I don't really agree with this position- I personally think that the Church does a decent job of helping the poor, even if it could be more transparent about its assets- but I'm trying to create a topic worth discussing for a 75 minute class. I figure, people get offended by me implying the Church is greedy, then they talk for the whole class about it. Yeah, good plan.
Also, I've taken a lot of naps this week. By this week I mean today and yesterday. Naps to begin with are unusual for me, but long naps (an hour or more) are even rarer. And I'm still tired while trying to write this paper, which incidentally is due tomorrow morning.
I'm considering skipping my first class and sleeping in, with time for a nice long shower. It's nice to dream.
It's time for Christmas break. Oh wait, we have finals first. Argh.
5 hours ago
Laura,
ReplyDeleteYou wrote, "... Like why we spend so much on lilies for Easter every year when people are still starving in the world. I don't really agree with this position ..."
Why do you not agree? I'm really interested, no polemical question.
I think that, in general, the Church handles its money justly. Some expenses (easter sunday flowers) could be viewed as excessive; they could also be viewed as necessary for worship, because the idea is to engage all of the senses of the worshipper in praise and adoration, and the sight and scent of flowers helps in leading a person to God. That being said, I wish we spent less on flowers and more on programs for the poor, but I understand both sides and hold no real animosity towards the Church on this point. Because the assets of the church are primarily in buildings and art and other physical things, not in bank accounts, it's hard to take the position that a church that's struggling financially to make ends meet should be doing more to give its money away. I'm talking primarily about the American church here; I can't say much about the Vatican or anywhere else because financial figures are so hard to find.
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