Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!princeton!njin!paul.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: cadence!stevep@uunet.uu.net (Steve Peterson) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: "Money: it's a gas. Grab that cash with both hands . . ." Message-ID: Date: 8 Apr 91 02:13:49 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. Lines: 38 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article kilroy@gboro.glassboro.edu (Dr Nancy's Sweetie) writes: [explains setting in a church where donating is less than secret...] >There are no envelopes on the pew racks, which means that there is no >discreet way to put something in the basket: not only does your left hand >know what your right hand is doing, _everybody's_ left hand knows what your >right hand is doing. (At least, the Official Money Watcher does.) > > >We're curious to know if anybody else has ever encountered this practice, >or if it is a local innovation. Our guess is that the donations started >dropping, and the "front basket" system was instituted to get more cash; >if true, we think those priorities are misplaced -- are we overlooking >something? > >We thought it was a bad idea...... In my early 20s when I was investigating religions and churches, I visited many different churches and saw a variety of collection methods. In the local Catholic Church, they passed the plate and then posted little plaques on the back wall with people's names on them telling just how much they contributed. In one "non-denominal" congregation, they passed a fishnet style bag, which didn't lend itself for putting in change. Within the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses, no plate is ever passed. No Tithing, no asking for money. If any member wants to contribute money, they simply slip it into a small box in the back of the Kingdom Hall labeled "Donations". Extremely discreet...... Best Regards...... Steve Peterson ---- stevep@cadence.com or ...!uunet!cadence!stevep