John the Baptist, according to biblical lore, was an itinerant preacher/evangelist who was chosen to start the ball rolling in recognizing Jesus Christ as the guy some were waiting for to lead the Jews into salvation. John the Baptist, again according to biblical lore, was anything but a rich man and while popular, did not appear to attract the monied folks of the times. This of course contrasts with a MSN story that highlights the world's current richest evangelical "Christian" pastors.
Now, on the one hand I would like to be appalled recognizing that these folks have effectively preyed (not prayed) off their many followers who have made them rich. But on the other hand and not unlike the common complaints about nonprofit execs who make pretty healthy, not proportionate to their employees or other nonprofit execs salaries, these folks don't really call the shots in the end. It's their believers/followers who decide to make their gifts (tithing 10+% of their salaries) in exchange for a number of benefits, mostly intangible but some intangible. It is they, like donors everywhere who basically determine worth and value. Sure, these donors and followers would like to make similar salaries but they are satisfied with sharing their much more reduced wealth to see these evangelists make what they do.
Wrong? Duped? Perhaps but choice is there. And maybe, in the end, as we have seen countless numbers of times, these evangelists may fall to where maybe they should be once those who have given no longer value the benefits they have received. In the meantime, we can tell the stories and believe that maybe folks will change their minds about what they perceive to be their benefits. As, there are many more mouths to be fed, folks to be sheltered, and lives to be supported than these few so-called leaders. But isn't this equally true for the capitalists running the major companies and government that affects our daily lives?
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