Preaching for Power

Not a whole lot of people truly live for others.

But the majority of preachers; their only reason for existing is to serve their congregation, right?

Or are preachers like politicians, who, regardless of whether there is an "R", "D", "I", "G" or "L" beside their name, only crave money and power. They want you to give them money in exchange for advice on how you should live.

Here's a bit of advice I'll offer absolutely free of charge: work hard and be decent in your relations with others. Beneath my poignant, yet simple, guide to living a life of fulfillment and happiness, please notice the complete absence of PayPal links, which, if clicked, would take you to a page providing detailed instructions on how to deposit funds directly into my account. And please don't email me asking for my routing number, because I will not divulge such information! And that's not just because I have trouble differentiating it from my account number on the bottom of my checks, a problem from which I doubt a single preacher suffers.

Preachers differ from politicians in that they can't pass laws forcing you to fork over a large portion of your paycheck. However they can control you with threats.

And it doesn't matter what church you enter, the man or woman at the pulpit is usually similar to their peers in more ways than not. Do you really think President Obama's controversial preacher, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, had different goals for the Trinity United Christian Church than the "aww shucks" Methodist preacher has for the unassuming church former President George W. Bush visits while vacationing at his small town ranch? Do you think they have different goals for their own careers?

They both want power. They both want their name on buildings. They both want to increase attendance so the collection plate will be overflowing by the time it reaches their office. That's why they want your butt in that pew.

Like any working relationship, I'm sure preachers care about a few of their parishioners while remaining apathetic toward others. I'm sure preachers enjoy the company of some of their parishioners while finding it difficult to be in the same room as others.

Church is big business, and despite their tax status, if you think your preacher has any goal that trumps improving the bottom line, you're sadly mistaken.

Sure, things have improved in that religious organizations of yore tried to establish dominance by committing mass murder, while most modern day American institutions of religion attempt to financially better neighboring churches by printing more colorful fliers or implementing a stricter age limit on female members of the choir; but the ultimate goal is the same.

Though they seek far less than those who walk the halls of Congress, you're still being led by people who have chosen to follow fame, money and power. How many people who crave fame, money and power are truly wholesome, upstanding individuals?

By the admission of your own religion, human beings are imperfect; yet you choose to elevate scores simply because they've attended seminary.

Because there are exceptions to every rule, I'm sure there are a few preachers who abide by the teachings of the Bible, and, no matter how many hundreds of thousands of dollars they raise, get by on just enough money to pay for food, a decent education for their children, and to put aside a tiny bit for retirement. "To the layman, it may seem as if I deserve a raise, but because an increase in funds is not necessary for my survival, I will not take money away from those who desperately need it for theirs," are words that must have been uttered by a few preachers, don't you think?

Neither do I.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are decent preachers all over this fine country of ours; I just hate to see people follow a fellow human being just because others have elevated him or her to the position of pastor.

Hopefully, due to the Catholic Church scandal, religious leaders are at least somewhat scrutinized. Not necessarily because everyone is afraid they're committing unspeakable acts, just to make sure they're trustworthy. Because, if, when conversing with your preacher, you get the feeling an 800-number should periodically be displayed below his or her chin, you may not be dealing with someone who is making your needs the number one priority.

So please proceed with caution when getting close to church royalty, because they have similar characteristics to cult leaders who deviously convince thousands of people that it's in their best interest to participate in insanely self-destructive activities. And because their subtlety may cause a delay in the arrival of an illuminated light bulb over your head, you may want to be extra careful.