Church Support

Borzoi

Got a letter in from the local RC parish welcoming me in to the area - well I'm there almost 3 years, but that's not the issue. The parish reckon that they've gone from 150 families in '86 to about 1500 now!

Anyway they're looking for financial support for their development plan that includes a parish centre, national school, and extra finance for a lay minister.

All good except that I'd be a (very) lapsed catholic. Not quite atheist because I can't disprove the existance of god, so lets say I'm a devout agnostic Havn't crossed the threshold except for marriages and funerals for years.

Now in general I approve of organised religion, but I don't approve of religious involement in education.

Having said all that I have a niggly bit going on in my head that I should support them - after all, once in the club, you're in for life. And there may be secondary benefits like getting (potential) kids into the proposed school, church weddings etc. And that the financial assistance will give me these benefits without me having to actuall attend mass or anything. This could of course just be natural Catholic guilt.

Thoughts anyone?

swiss

Borzoi wrote:

Anyway they're looking for financial support for their development plan that includes a parish centre, national school, and extra finance for a lay minister.

I'm a little confused as to what functions a 'parish centre' entails exactly. If they mean some kind of community hall/service area then it is my opinion that this sort of endeavour should be funded by the community but without reference to the church or a religious institution. If it is designed to have distinctly religious undertones then your support for this centre should be based on whether or not you would favour having the church involved in what is effectively a community centre.

Personally, I believe it is the governments responsibility, not that of the churches to provide structures and services such as community centres and schools. I would also be against church plans to build these centres. I would feel that this would effectively open the door for church influence in community and educational concerns. Don't get me wrong, I am not against church input in either domains, but having such a direct involvement casts the church as an authoritarian institution in essentially secular affairs, when such authority should be derived only from elected government.

With regards to the church itself, by all means feel free to donate if you feel so inclined, or if you feel that you should contribute in order to avail of church services such as baptismal and marraige ceremonies. However, I just don't think it's 'anti-church' to ideologically oppose these plans. I don't think that the church has a role in education or community services in the secular sense, or at the very least not so direct a role.

Sleepy

Don't give 'em a penny. Think about it: The Catholic Church possess enough wealth to rid the world of hunger, famine and poverty. The central premise of the man they deified's preaching was to love one another. They don't do it and millions of people starve to death as a result. Quite frankly, they have a cheek asking for money.

seamus

I'd pretty much echo what swiss says. If I lived there and had kids, I wouldn't see my kids using any of the things they're building, and if the community at large needs them, the Government should be approached instead of the church.