The more things change ...

[LiberalAndProud]

(you know the rest)

http://infidels.org/library/historical/theodore_dreiser/church_and_wealth_in_america.html

The Church And Wealth In America
Theodore Dreiser
Chapter 14 of Tragic America
1931

I decry the power of the Church and its use of that power, in America in particular! Throughout the world, as all know, the churches are so organized as to have the wealth, size and formation of a great corporation, a government, or an army. And in America, the wealthy individuals who rule in corporate affairs appear to be attracted to the church by reason of its hold not only on the mind but the actions of its adherents. Politically, socially and otherwise, they count on its power and influence as of use to them. And not without reason, since especially among the ignorant and poor, its revealed wisdom counsels resignation and orders faith in a totally inscrutable hereafter. In short, it makes for ignorance and submission in the working class, And what more could a corporation-minded government or financial group, looking toward complete control of everything for a few, desire?

And besides, the wealth of the Church elevates it to an unsurpassed prestige. The contributions of the congregations of twenty-five denominations in the United States for 1928 was $402,682,961.82. Can the Standard Oil of New Jersey show anything like that? Not even the greatest of our financial corporations can boast either the financial or social or political prestige of either the Catholic, Methodist or Episcopal churches here. Thus, the gifts from the living as well as income on permanent funds and legacies controlled by these twenty-five church denominations in America totaled in 1928 $532,368,714.80. The Methodist Episcopals alone, one little subsidiary of this great group, received in 1928, $98,758,030. The Presbyterians had $75,054,538 to spend. The Methodist Episcopals in the South, a separate group, collected $42,837,679; the Protestant Episcopals $46,088,274, and the Baptists, in the South only, $40,038,259. Obviously this is why the Church (speaking of all denominations collectively) is able to organize tremendous lobbies, and, as I will show, does; also to exercise a preponderance of influence affecting education. And not only that, but to enter upon -- and for purposes of social and mental control always -- a score of activities which include asylums, hospitals, orphanages, protectories graveyards, and what not else, all truly functions of government and functions which should never in any way be dominated by either the leaders or adherents of these ignorant and dogmatic religious institutions.

Yet the Church, realizing the power of wealth as well as mentally-controlled numbers, seeks to gather to itself all it can. Each year in America we see its influence grow, the political and "educational" activities of the Catholic Church in particular being everywhere apparent. Thus, the phenomenon of a religious adherent such as Al Smith, seeking from a people whose political as well as mental independence is not acknowledged by his Church, the official (in the sense that an American President has that) control of the same. And not only that, but the spectacle of many of the most grasping commercial magnates in America being elevated to leadership in the Church. The late Haley Fiske, life insurance president, who told his policyholders to denounce Government ownership because their life insurance funds were invested in private utility companies, was prominent in the Catholic movement of the Angelican Church. S.S. Kresge, of 5 and 10 cent store fame, and a Methodist, joined with his denomination in its assiduous fight for prohibition and religious control of public morality. Thomas F. Ryan was not only an adherent but a helpful donor to the Catholic Church. The list is much too long to append here, Yet men of this mental bent not only command the policies of corporate power in America but are evidently, from what I can disclose, an important factor in shaping church pursuits.
...

[bvf]

1. This comes to mind.

"You'll pay to know what you really think!"

- J.R. "Bob" Dobbs

That summed it up for me many years ago.

[LiberalAndProud]

2. Cut me some SLACK, will you?

I can't pay much.

[bvf]

4. I don't mean

to derail the thread, but my discovery of the Church was concomitant with my "conversion," if you will, and as I said, your OP brought it to mind.

Nice post. A must-read for anyone throwing money in a collection basket after a sermon.

[LiberalAndProud]

5. The evident historical marriage of the church with political power

rather discredits the notion of "liberation theology" to my mind. Although I suspect the mindset of such a theologian would be to repurpose the tools.

[bvf]

6. Yes. Keep the downtrodden

in the fold, by all means.

Haven't done a lot of looking around, but that's how I read it from what I've seen.

More politics.

[RussBLib]

3. we surely have many corps run by faith-heads these days...

...but it would appear that a good number of companies in this century are run by humanists agnostics, or atheists and they are not all about hiding in the closet.

Perhaps this trickle will become a tsunami.

[Curmudgeoness]

7. I would repeat that they should be paying their share

of taxes, but since they are akin to corporations, and the wealthy corporations are rarely paying taxes, that seems like it won't work.

But something has to be done to rein in these churches and the excesses. Don't expect the people tithing to demand these changes. They have seen the extravagances of their churches, and they are proud.

[onager]

8. God & General Electric...

On Oct. 2, 1910, the NY TIMES ran an interview with the founder of General Electric and Alleged Inventor Of Nearly Everything, Thomas Edison.

Among other things, Edison said:

I cannot believe in the immortality of the soul....No, all this talk of an existence for us, as individuals, beyond the grave is wrong. It is born of our tenacity of life -- our desire to go on living -- our dread of coming to an end.

Over at GE, the Board of Directors was horrified. They had to do business in a god-soaked America. Edison's blunt remarks might lead to Xian boycotts, riots, maybe the Apocalypse. Or even worse, a drop in GE stock prices.

Just as spin-doctors do today, the GE Board begged Edison to do another interview and "clarify" his remarks on religion. IOW, recant and admit humans had souls that could be sent to H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks.

Edison was a cranky old coot and refused at first. Even when he finally gave in and agreed, he didn't back down much from his original remarks. He just said that in all his scientifc research, he had never seen any evidence for the existence of a soul.

Edison also once said that "no form of religion should ever be introduced into the public schools of the United States."

His irreligion caused him some grief with his second wife Mina, a devout Methodist. She once invited a gaggle of prominent preachers over for dinner, thinking their Sophisticated Theology might convert Edison.

No sale. When the preachers started their sales pitch, Edison got up and left the room, saying: "I'm not listening to any more of this damned nonsense."

After that, Mr. & Mrs. Edison just agreed to disagree on religion.