Wheedling Money for Religious Causes

AN OLD adage says, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” While there are ever so many persons that would qualify as fools on this basis it does seem that most persons are less inclined to act the part of the fool when it comes to giving to religious causes. Then, what has been termed their “pocketbook protection instinct” manifests itself. As a result clergymen are often hard-pressed to find ways of getting their flocks to part with some of their money.

For example, in February, 1954, the “15-stone” (210 pound) Vicar of Wymering, Hampshire, England, A. H. Gilroy, stated that he would stand on his head for thirty seconds if the village fete realized more than £50 ($140). The fete did realize more than £50 and so the vicar did stand on his head for the stipulated thirty seconds before an audience of women. At least that was one way of using his head to get financial co-operation from his parishioners.

To gain funds for his church a certain Catholic priest in Ireland organized a pigeon shoot. When some complained about the ruthless wounding and killing of hundreds of pigeons, the priest replied that he had checked and found it to be legal and that the pigeons “were well cared for and had every chance.” Well says the scripture: “A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.”—Prov. 12:10, RS.

One of the favorite methods of raising funds for religious purposes in the United States is bingo, a childish form of gambling. When the New York city police finally banned it, it being illegal, many outcries were heard, particularly from Roman Catholic prelates. However, one priest consoled himself with the thought, “There still are dances, bazaars, card parties, fashion shows and other traditional church benefit activities to fall back on.”

It calls to mind what is reported regarding the Hindu temples of India. These provide services that usually are not available elsewhere, such as “facilities for bathing and washing clothes, gambling and sleeping quarters, supplying prostitutes, serving meals and providing entertainment by dancing girls.”

To make giving to a religious cause less painful the custom is to refer to contributions as investments. Thus each Christmas the most publicized evangelist in the United States sends out letters begging financial support for his many-sided activities: “This ministry can only be carried on by your financial investments. During this month especially we need your help.” The circular tells that contributions are always lowest in December. Strange that most people should forget about Christ during the very month when they claim to celebrate his birthday!

Many churches employ the services of professional pledge promoters, whose organization guarantees results for a price, from $2,000 to $15,000. One such organization has an elaborate program whereby one of its agents directs an efficient money-raising campaign, in which they stress the church members “need for giving.” Not only have the churches themselves profited handsomely by employing such an organization, often realizing from 50 to 100 per cent more than they bargained for, but the pledge promoters profit still more, one such organization doubling its income for the first few years and trebling it last year.

Not only do religious organizations learn from commercial ones in this matter of collecting money, but according to one national businessman’s magazine, businessmen can learn from the churches. Commenting on the uncertain selling outlook for 1954 it gave a number of examples of how churches were raising money and observed that “businessmen might refurbish their ideas in this field by finding out what their local churches are doing.”

Of course, in other lands, other customs: such as in the town of Pocri, Panama, where in 1953 the archbishop of Panama put the town under interdict, denying the Catholics all religious services, funerals, marriages, etc., because of a dispute of what proportion of money the church should get from the proceeds of a certain festival. Because of a like dispute in the town of Goaso, Ashanti, Gold Coast, Africa, the Catholic priest refused to say mass.

With reference back to the United States, currently its people are contributing some $2,000,000,000 to their churches annually. A rather high price at that when we consider the religious illiteracy of the country. Perhaps the two check forgers who confessed to putting a worthless $7 check in a collection plate thought it a fair and equal exchange.