I HEAR YOU AND I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM. BUT I THINK WHAT WE MUST CONSIDER IS THAT WE ARE NOT WITNESSING ANYTHING NEW. WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT SO MANY OF GOD'S NATURAL CREATIONS AND HEAVENLY LAWS HAVE BEEN TURNED AROUND AND USED IN A DESTRUCTIVE WAY. PLANTS CREATED TO ALLEVIATE SUFFERING AND HEAL ARE BEING OVER-CONSUMED TO THE LEVEL OF ADDICTION. THE 10 COMMANDMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE A MOCKERY OF BY MODERN MAN. SO IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME THAT THE AGE-OLD PROBLEM WHERE GOOD MEN OF GOD SUFFER AND ARE ACCUSED OF DOING THE WRONG THING BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME BAD MEN OF GOD EXIST AND HAS ALWAYS EXISTED. LET US REMEMBER THAT GOD HIMSELF INSTITUTED THE TITHING AND GIVING SYSTEM. IT WAS DONE SO THAT HIS PRIESTS(PREACHERS WHOM WE MUST ASSUME WERE GOOD AND BAD)WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF. A MINISTER IS REALLY NOT SUPPOSE TO DO ANYTHING BUT MINISTER. AND THEY ARE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THE CONGREGATION. I DON'T CONDEMN ANY MINISTER FROM ACCEPTING MONEY FROM HIS CONGREGATION(ON-LINE OR OFF-LINE)BECAUSE AS VESSELS OF GOD, THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THEIR FOLLOWERS. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE THOSE MINISTERS WHO ARE NOT FOLLOWING GOD BUT MERELY DRAINING GIVERS AND MIS-USING FUNDS FOR PERSONAL USE. HOWEVER, THOSE THAT ARE USING THE MONEY TO DO THE RIGHT THING SUCH AS ;DOING MISSIONARY WORK ABROAD, DOING MISSIONARY WORK AT HOME, SUPPORTING THE POOR, REACHING THE LOST ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PAYING OFF CHURCH MORGAGES, RUNNING MEGA CHURCHES, EDUCATING, TEACHING,RAISING UP OTHERLEADERS, ETC- SHOULD... RECEIVE A DECENT 'SALARY'. AND IF THEY ARE ABLE TO INVEST AND LOOK AND LIVE WELL, SHOULD NOT BE CONDEMNED. GOD TAKES CARE OF HIS OWN AND EACH MINISTER IS CALLED TO DO THE WORK OF GOD IN A DIFFERENT WAY. SOME HAVE LARGE CONGREGATIONS, SOME DON'T. SALARIES DIFFER AND SOMETIMES 'JEALOUSIES' ARISE BECAUSE ONE IS NOT SALARIED AS WELL AS ANOTHER. KEEP IN MIND, I ADMIT SOME ARE WOLVES IN SHEEP CLOTHING, BUT NOT ALL. I FEEL THAT WHAT WE, AS CHILDREN OF GOD, CAN DO IS WHAT GOD HAS TOLD US TO DO; TITHE AND GIVE BACK FROM WHAT WE ARE BLESSED WITH. 'GIVING' IS BETWEEN GOD AND AN INDIVIDUAL. NOT A MINISTER AND AN INDIVIDUAL. I HAVE NEVER TITHED TO A MINISTER, I HAVE TITHED TO GOD (AND HAVE BEEN GUILTY OF NOT TITHING TO GOD)BUT IT WAS ALWAYS BETWEEN ME AND GOD. OUR EYES HAVE TO COME OFF OF THE LEADER AND REST ON GOD. IF THE LEADER DOESN'T DO WHAT HE IS SUPPOSE TO DO WITH THE COLLECTION HE RECEIVES HE IS RESPONSIBLE TO ANSWER TO GOD FOR IT...AND HE WILL ANSWER FOR IT. BUT LET US DO WHAT WE SHOULD DO...GIVE UNTO GOD. FOR TWO WRONGS HAS NEVER MADE ONE RIGHT. THANKS FOR SHARING. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...JOYCE * HIS INSPIRATIONS

Somehow, I see a hole-y man and woman shot down by your semi automatic literary assault rifle - MY GOD, THOSE FOLKS ARE TRULY KILLED, DEAD, DONE, ROASTED, DOG MEAT, DEBRIS, YOU NAMED IT! WHEW! I truly appreciate your gift of expression - you do it very well, with so many angles and words that I always have to think hard as hell about anything you write. Anyways, those televangelist wore me completely out during the 80's and 90's. I truly understand your vehemence - I'm thankful that our creator is not absolutely ruthless and punishes us immediately and harshly.

When you are to give your money away or a majority of your time (volunteering) you have to start wondering what the important underlining thing is. Those suits look cheap don't they? ;)

And sometimes they get elected to very high office
using the same mega BS.

I loathe the silk suits con men. Eh . . . Trump is in certain people's thoughts twenty-four-seven.

I have found more God in the silence of nature and temples of Buddhist denomination then I ever have in a Christian churches, still, when I walk into a revered Catholic church and listen to the Ave in my mother talk, I still get goosebumps, I have a very old saying, "if you don't feel God beneath the layers of your skin, then you have missed him." the tele doesn't do it for me, thanks for writing about a passionate subject that raises many an interest in others and I, x

you cut right through the chaff

well done

m

I doubt that God would ask for money, as why would He need it, & He could also just print it Himself, so whats with these people that give, Give, GIVE, must be nice to have the money to donate to these idiots that scream at them about hell and not getting to heaven unless they do give money. Wonder if giving the money to these guys gets them a first class ticket to hell or somewhere better or worse? -e-

I agree with what Ron said. It's also a sad testimony to the gullibility of people who fall for this b.s.

I couldn't describe them any better. I guess the reason they are so successful is the same reason that books about making easy money seem to sell. Everyone is looking for an easy way out for problems they can't seem to overcome. They think that easy money will do that for them. It's just a repeat of the old PT Barnum effect.

Why does your poem make me think of Donald Trump? ;-)

Ron

Con men who wear cloaks of many colors to rob the poor. They will be in the lowest ranges of hell. John