Daily Lessons from Life 07 June 2010 - Churches in Businesses?

Well, I just have to have a word or two on the mega churches in Singapore that have business 'savvy' founders and pastors and elders and whatever you want to call them

Two of them have reserve of more than S$100m easily. Many were from tithe from the faithful while some were from profit generated from the businesses owned by the churches or their 'associates'.

Here lie the blurred boundaries of which were generated from the churches and which from the businesses owned and for whose benefits?

As one of the church is under investigation by the corrupt practice department, it is pre-mature to judge, suffice to say the lessons learned for me are:

1. religion and business are simply not the right bed fellows!;

2. being religious does not preclude one from succumbing to the temptation of vast riches especially when one touted that 'to be rich is glory' and 'to consume expensively is alright' cloud the incongruities of living a simple live serving the religious god(s) preached normally;

3. the tithe money comes from the members or followers, as long as they are comfortable and happy with where the money has gone to, then it is really none of my business to question them. Religion is a very personal and emotional matter. When one applied rationality to the whole issue, one missed the point. When we engage these followers, we can only use the emotional side of our brain to look at the issue. Only then, perhaps, will it make sense why alleged excesses are not viewed as such.

May the truth be uncovered and may those who hide behind the mask of religion for personal gains be unmasked, if the allegation is indeed, true!