It’s certainly a good thing for this church to help those who are struggling financially, but, after all, it’s a minimum. How much did their sancturay cost, BTW?

The other problem I have with this kind of local initiative is that it fails to consider the big picture: the capitalistic system and its flaws. Unless we do it, we’ll maybe have “compassion” or “charity” but certainly not social justice…”

Tom, first of all let’s talk about their sanctuary. I was a member at Cross Timbers when it was built. It was the cheapest structure we could get that would seat about 1200 people. It’s not a solid metal/wood/concrete structure. It’s a stretched membrane building with aluminum frame. We used to jokingly call it the big top or tent.

It was somewhere between 1.5 and 2.0 million if memory serves me correctly. Instead of building more, they have three services there on weekends – and two of the services are pretty full.

As for the issue of capitalism…that’s not their issue. Their issue is the Kingdom of God and they are doing what God said to do. Yes capitalism has flaws as does socialism, communism and any other human instituted economic system.

Are other churches doing great work and giving? Yes they are. Cross Timbers didn’t go looking for the publicity, but somehow Channel 33 got the story and ran with it. On anonther interview, Toby said they didn’t originate most of these ideas, others have been doing them.

I no longer attend Cross Timbers but I am extremely proud of them.

Amen.

Catholicism has NO dogmatic position on capitalism. There is no dogmatic teaching for or against capitalism. In fact, Rerum Novarum, the encyclical by Pope Leo XIII, states regarding charity:

We don’t need “socialism” but a Christianized capitalism that doesn’t commoditize people/labor. Of course, we can hope against hope, and that’s no excuse to not try to do something to rememdy the problem, but did not the Lord say we would always have the poor with us?

Didache 1:6
Yea, as touching this also it is said; Let thine alms sweat into thine hands, until thou have learnt to whom to give.

Didache 11:12
And whosoever shall say in the Spirit, Give me silver or anything else, ye shall not listen to him; but if he tell you to give on behalf of others that are in want, let no man judge him.

Didache 12:2-4
If the comer is a traveler, assist him, so far as ye are able; but he shall not stay with you more than two or three days, if it be necessary.
But if he wishes to settle with you, being a craftsman, let him work for and eat his bread.
But if he has no craft, according to your wisdom provide how he shall live as a Christian among you, but not in idleness. If he will not do this, he is trafficking upon Christ. Beware of such men.

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/didache.htm

“How much SHOULD it cost? I come from a religious tradition where the physical building of a Church is the “Domus Dei” or House of God, in English. Such a structure SHOULD be a “Grand Edifice” that shows permanence of presence, like a great cathedral.”

if you want to…we have thousands of beautiful and empty cathedrals here in Europe, and it’s not really a problem. Those buildings belonged to the “Christendom” era, and are not adpated to our new ways of being Christians. This being said, the American Church is not wasting money on buildings only…

“I don’t think socialism is a better answer.”

I do not think I have mentioned Socialism, only “social justice”. This being said, I am a Christian AND a Socialist voter, but I do not confuse the two. I just wanted to remind you that capitalism has been denounced by the Social Thought of most decent Christian churches (Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Mainline Protestant).

“Social justice is best practiced by you and me doing what we should to help those misfortunate.”

Yeah right, and I have heard this kind of statement for years in the mouth of my American Conservative Christian friends. Now, please tell me: if your neighbour has diabetes are YOU going to pay for his monthly treatment? Or if has cancer? Are YOU going to pay for his chemiotherapy?
Again, a systemic problem can not have individual solutions.

Tom Huguenot: It’s certainly a good thing for this church to help those who are struggling financially, but, after all, it’s a minimum. How much did their sancturay cost, BTW?

How much SHOULD it cost? I come from a religious tradition where the physical building of a Church is the “Domus Dei” or House of God, in English. Such a structure SHOULD be a “Grand Edifice” that shows permanence of presence, like a great cathedral. Having said that, I make two notes or caveats: First, a church building should SCREAM church, and not secular auditoreum, regardless of size. Second, most historic facilities took decades if not centuries to build, at great cost, but didn’t necessarily break the bank, as the scope of the project and the time that it took to build were often “pay as you go” affairs. Someone on a Catholic blog commented that it would be perhaps difficult to get $2 million for a “space ship” church, but possibly easier to get $10 million for something on a more classical line. People will pay for what they believe in, and may be more willing to take the time to do it right.

The other problem I have with this kind of local initiative is that it fails to consider the big picture: the capitalistic system and its flaws. Unless we do it, we’ll maybe have “compassion” or “charity” but certainly not social justice…

I don’t think socialism is a better answer. Bigger government just seems to compound the problem, and cause others, such as the foundering of entrepreneurship. Social justice is best practiced by you and me doing what we should to help those misfortunate. That doesn’t just mean handouts. WE are called to ACT with justice, not just pass laws giving that task to a secular government. How will “they” see the good that we do and give Glory to God if we just pass the task to Uncle Sam?