I find it interesting how… transactional modern christianity is. You can’t just help anyone for free, it’s gotta be a in to the unfaithful for your particular sect, or a way to earn cash for your church, or a way to earn brownie points for god. The end result is less being a Good Samaritan… or even the shepherding the flock. What emerges is more like a multi level marketing scheme where the faithful are desperately trying to recruit others to get some of their salvation passed up the chain to them.
I find it interesting how… transactional modern christianity is. You can’t just help anyone for free, it’s gotta be a in to the unfaithful for your particular sect, or a way to earn cash for your church, or a way to earn brownie points for god. The end result is less being a Good Samaritan… or even the shepherding the flock. What emerges is more like a multi level marketing scheme where the faithful are desperately trying to recruit others to get some of their salvation passed up the chain to them.
To be fair, I think it always has been. Think about the unimaginable wealth the Catholic Church has amassed over the past couple of centuries.
I saw something recently that the Trinity Church in New York by itself has like $7 billion in assets.
If you read Luther’s 95 thesis you’ll find they were always transactional.
I wouldn’t be shocked to find that when Jesus was ragging on the rich, he was doing so with a hand out and a cheesy grin on his face.
It’s always been that way. It’s called “the great commission”.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Commission