Very quiet this morning. Are you all in church?

Rainee said:
Namaste was the greeting our Indian neighbours used to give us when they arrived home or left home to go to work..
I guess it would be an Indian greeting or Hindu is it Phil?
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That's it exactly.

Derived from the Sanskrit it means "Salutations to you" or (in the language of New Age aficionados) "The spirit in me recognizes the spirit in you".

I go with the first one. It's commonly used in Asian countries by Hindus, Buddhists and what-have-you. :D
 
Hmmn ...

What is basically a simple expression of, "Hail to you", morphs into, "The spirit in me recognises the spirit in you".
I'd go with the first one too. the second one is pretentious IMO.
 
Warrigal said:
Hmmn ...

What is basically a simple expression of, "Hail to you", morphs into, "The spirit in me recognises the spirit in you".
I'd go with the first one too. the second one is pretentious IMO.
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You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard it defined that way, usually by some yoga teacher who drives a brand-new BMW and has her nails done every week ...
 
Warrigal said:
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Getting back to churches - it is not their mission to preserve themselves. Their mission is to pass on teachings and values which should, if they are 'living words", outlive the institutions that fostered them.
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Ya forgot the number 1 item in any religious organization,the collection plate,money,money and lots of it(tax free).
 
Davey Jones said:
Ya forgot the number 1 item in any religious organization,the collection plate,money,money and lots of it(tax free).
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prosperity0909.jpg
 
God has no need a starship (The Final Frontier) or of money, either.

The economics of running a church are all about feeding the priests and building the temples.
 
Warrigal said:
God has no need a starship (The Final Frontier) or of money, either.

The economics of running a church are all about feeding the priests and building the temples.
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God is the big, hulking guy lurking in the shadows while his skinny little debt collectors (the priests) get their money.
 
Falcon said:
Think "tithe". They're telling you how much to give ! 10%.
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Tithes? Another American custom not adopted universally. Try telling our congregation how much they have to give and see where it gets you. ... on your bum on the wrong side of the door. Very quickly. It was tried by imported US style marketeers years ago and is still hotly remembered. Our church bank account has a buffer of about $22,000 in case of major problems with either the church building or the manse. It's been like that for years. We run two church market days each year just to make ends meet.
 
Yes, we have them and the JWs too but they are minor players. We also have Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Hari Krishnas and many more besides so if you look around you can find examples to prove any point. Doesn't make your point a universal truth though.

As a former treasurer of our congregation I am in a position to talk about the realities for my (3rd largest in Oz) denomination. Donations to the church are not tax deductible, there is income tax paid on the minister's stipend but as a non profit organisation we can claim back any goods and services tax (GST) paid on purchases directly related to the core business of the church. And we must submit Business Activity Statements (BAS) to the Tax Office quarterly and audited statements of our accounts annually. It's not the gold mine that people imagine it is.
 
Warrigal said:
Yes, we have them and the JWs too but they are minor players. We also have Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Hari Krishnas and many more besides so if you look around you can find examples to prove any point. Doesn't make your point a universal truth though.
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I wasn't trying to make a point - merely correcting yours. :playful:

As a former treasurer of our congregation I am in a position to talk about the realities for my (3rd largest in Oz) denomination. Donations to the church are not tax deductible, there is income tax paid on the minister's stipend but as a non profit organisation we can claim back any goods and services tax (GST) paid on purchases directly related to the core business of the church. And we must submit Business Activity Statements (BAS) to the Tax Office quarterly and audited statements of our accounts annually. It's not the gold mine that people imagine it is.
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Yes, that's standard non-profit work. And yes, given enough volume it can be a gold-mine. Just look at some of the American branches of - hell, just look at the Vatican.

You say that donations are NOT deductible? THAT'S odd.

Question - why are you afraid to name your denomination? The last time I spoke with someone who wouldn't name their affiliation they were Amway sales people. I would think you would be proud to give the name ...
 
Donations in the collection plate are not tax deductible but a donation to a charitable institution might be. It has to be recognised as such. Not for profit is not the same as being a charity.

I didn't name the denomination because then I would have to explain it. It is The Uniting Church in Australia and came about in 1977 when the Methodists, some Presbyterians and some Congregationalists finally got their act together and formed a uniquely Australian church. Previously they were more English and Scottish in character. From the beginning it was progressive with female clergy, no hierarchy in the leadership and speaking out strongly for the disadvantaged and the down trodden. You can see why I like it.

But it has the oldest age profile of any church in Australia.
 
Warrigal said:
Donations in the collection plate are not tax deductible but a donation to a charitable institution might be. It has to be recognised as such. Not for profit is not the same as being a charity.
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That's an interesting distinction, one that I'm not sure applies over here.

I didn't name the denomination because then I would have to explain it. It is The Uniting Church in Australia and came about in 1977 when the Methodists, some Presbyterians and some Congregationalists finally got their act together and formed a uniquely Australian church. Previously they were more English and Scottish in character. From the beginning it was progressive with female clergy, no hierarchy in the leadership and speaking out strongly for the disadvantaged and the down trodden. You can see why I like it.

But it has the oldest age profile of any church in Australia.
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Sounds like a very unique gathering and yes, I can see why you like it. Congrats!
 
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