The Wealth of the Church

[_truth dancer]

I was reading an article in a Florida newspaper about the church's 290,000 acres (forty miles, four times bigger than Orlando), it wants to develop with 10,000 homes or condos and I got thinking of the wealth of the church (13,000,000,000.00 If I recall correctly).

The church is building a 2 billion dollar mall, beachfront condos in Hawaii; it purchased some expensive artwork a couple of years ago, and has all sorts businesses and land all over the world, it is quite a conglomeration. Are there other churches that are more a business than a religion? Do other churches have these vast land holding all over the world? How can the church maintain its tax exempt status?

I can see a church owning its buildings, and historical masterpieces or ancient documents that may be important to it, maybe a museum or a few memorials, but I just don't get why a church must own this extraordinary amount of real estate and numerous businesses.

Are other churches (say Muslim, Sikh, Hindu), similar or is this a unique phenomenon among churches.

~dancer~

[_solomarineris]

I was reading an article in a Florida newspaper about the church's 290,000 acres (forty miles, four times bigger than Orlando), it wants to develop with 10,000 homes or condos and I got thinking of the wealth of the church (13,000,000,000.00 If I recall correctly).

The church is building a 2 billion dollar mall, beachfront condos in Hawaii; it purchased some expensive artwork a couple of years ago, and has all sorts businesses and land all over the world, it is quite a conglomeration. Are there other churches that are more a business than a religion? Do other churches have these vast land holding all over the world? How can the church maintain its tax exempt status?

I can see a church owning its buildings, and historical masterpieces or ancient documents that may be important to it, maybe a museum or a few memorials, but I just don't get why a church must own this extraordinary amount of real estate and numerous businesses.

Are other churches (say Muslim, Sikh, Hindu), similar or is this a unique phenomenon among churches.

~dancer~

I think 13 Trillion seems a little high.
Perhaps 4 or five.....

[_Jason Bourne]

I was reading an article in a Florida newspaper about the church's 290,000 acres (forty miles, four times bigger than Orlando), it wants to develop with 10,000 homes or condos and I got thinking of the wealth of the church (13,000,000,000.00 If I recall correctly).

The church is building a 2 billion dollar mall, beachfront condos in Hawaii; it purchased some expensive artwork a couple of years ago, and has all sorts businesses and land all over the world, it is quite a conglomeration. Are there other churches that are more a business than a religion? Do other churches have these vast land holding all over the world? How can the church maintain its tax exempt status?

I can see a church owning its buildings, and historical masterpieces or ancient documents that may be important to it, maybe a museum or a few memorials, but I just don't get why a church must own this extraordinary amount of real estate and numerous businesses.

Are other churches (say Muslim, Sikh, Hindu), similar or is this a unique phenomenon among churches.

~dancer~

Estimates of the LDS Church's net worth run closer to about 30 Billion. Most of that is in Temples and Church's. There is additonal amounts in real estate as you describe but I am not sure where you get the idea the church owns beach front condos in Hawaii, expensive art work and all sorts of businesses. Other than their farm businesses and productions business for making church film I do not think they own lots of businesses.

And what is wrong with tax exempts owning property? Tax exempt hospitals own lots of property, as do other charitbale organizations. Assets keep the organization viable and able to meet thoer goals and purpose. Other Church's have lost of real estate and assets. The SBC generates about $15 billion a year I have heard. How much property do you think the Catholics own as well as art and other assets.

[_guy sajer]

I was reading an article in a Florida newspaper about the church's 290,000 acres (forty miles, four times bigger than Orlando), it wants to develop with 10,000 homes or condos and I got thinking of the wealth of the church (13,000,000,000.00 If I recall correctly).

The church is building a 2 billion dollar mall, beachfront condos in Hawaii; it purchased some expensive artwork a couple of years ago, and has all sorts businesses and land all over the world, it is quite a conglomeration. Are there other churches that are more a business than a religion? Do other churches have these vast land holding all over the world? How can the church maintain its tax exempt status?

I can see a church owning its buildings, and historical masterpieces or ancient documents that may be important to it, maybe a museum or a few memorials, but I just don't get why a church must own this extraordinary amount of real estate and numerous businesses.

Are other churches (say Muslim, Sikh, Hindu), similar or is this a unique phenomenon among churches.

~dancer~

Estimates of the LDS Church's net worth run closer to about 30 Billion. Most of that is in Temples and Church's. There is additonal amounts in real estate as you describe but I am not sure where you get the idea the church owns beach front condos in Hawaii, expensive art work and all sorts of businesses. Other than their farm businesses and productions business for making church film I do not think they own lots of businesses.

And what is wrong with tax exempts owning property? Tax exempt hospitals own lots of property, as do other charitbale organizations. Assets keep the organization viable and able to meet thoer goals and purpose. Other Church's have lost of real estate and assets. The SBC generates about $15 billion a year I have heard. How much property do you think the Catholics own as well as art and other assets.

With all due respect, that's not a valid comparison. The Mormon Church claims that it and it alone is God's representative on earth, and that the Catholic church is an apostate pretender. So why is the Catholic Church the standard to which we compare the Mormon Church?

[_The Nehor]

With all due respect, that's not a valid comparison. The Mormon Church claims that it and it alone is God's representative on earth, and that the Catholic church is an apostate pretender. So why is the Catholic Church the standard to which we compare the Mormon Church?

So should the real Church be richer or poorer?

[_John Larsen]

With all due respect, that's not a valid comparison. The Mormon Church claims that it and it alone is God's representative on earth, and that the Catholic church is an apostate pretender. So why is the Catholic Church the standard to which we compare the Mormon Church?

So should the real Church be richer or poorer?

The acquisition of vast sums of wealth requires certain actions that are the antithesis of the teachings of the New Testament IMHO.

[_TygerFang]

With all due respect, that's not a valid comparison. The Mormon Church claims that it and it alone is God's representative on earth, and that the Catholic church is an apostate pretender. So why is the Catholic Church the standard to which we compare the Mormon Church?

So should the real Church be richer or poorer?

I don't think that's the point. The point is how can a religious organization have money making businesses (like the film making) and also, arguably, assets which are more of a luxury rather than faith promoting still say "hey we shouldn't be taxed dispite this and the major income we receive from our members".

[_guy sajer]

With all due respect, that's not a valid comparison. The Mormon Church claims that it and it alone is God's representative on earth, and that the Catholic church is an apostate pretender. So why is the Catholic Church the standard to which we compare the Mormon Church?

So should the real Church be richer or poorer?

I have no problem with the Church being wealthy, I do have a problem with how it chooses to spend its wealth. I also have a problem with how it has embraced the corporate mindset and values.

I don't believe in a divine Jesus, but if he were real, I have a very, very hard time imagining that he would create a large, bureaucratic structure, driven corporate values, that spend a teeny, tiny portion of its vast wealth on the needy, while investing billions in real estate, and while spending more money on helping the dead than the living.

[_The Nehor]

The acquisition of vast sums of wealth requires certain actions that are the antithesis of the teachings of the New Testament IMHO.

Collecting tithing?

[_John Larsen]

The acquisition of vast sums of wealth requires certain actions that are the antithesis of the teachings of the New Testament IMHO.

Collecting tithing?

That is not how the Church got rich. You should know that.