I attend a small military catholic church close to Yaba. Last Sunday I bowed my head out of church before church closed, I felt ashamed. As a Catholic I was raised to sit my butt down no matter what, until the priest gives the final blessing.
Missing ‘the mass is ended let us go in peace’ is akin to not attending church at all but I left way before that. I left after offertory. We had not even done communion. Catholics understand this.

We started at about 7am, the mass was scheduled to close by 9am, but it was 9am and we were still sitting,clapping hands over ‘chief ABC’s, Ten Thousand Naira’. This was the unveiling of the harvest theme for the year. I understand that the church has to raise funds but why are we staying 3-4 hours in church because of funds? Did they extend time for mass because of praise worship or because of the sermon? No. It’s always because of some other frivolities.

That is still not why I left though; I left because of the announcers and the priest. I couldn’t even believe what my ears heard.
‘N20,000! From N20,000 and above, come out here. If you know the lord has blessed you, come and give back to him, Chief this, Daddy that, come out, the lord knows your income. Are you going to give to God what has cost you nothing?’
‘N10,000 to N19,900, if you are looking for husband, or wife, come out now, the Lord will hear your prayers.’
N5,000 to N9,500… if you are looking for a good job, good husband and wife, come out and donate.’

Since when did we start selling blessings? When did all these start in the Catholic Church? The sermon was based on giving. If you have preached why not allow God direct people to donate? What is all the coercing and mind blackmail for?Once I went to a church program when the priest said everyone should bring everything in their purses, bags, pockets, ‘if you don’t bring everything the Lord is seeing you.’

I was already irritated before the ‘theme unveiling’ began. The person that was supposed to announce, instead of him to do his job and go, he started by informing the church that he has never been to the hospital. ‘ I have never paid hospital bills, me and my family, when we fall sick, small panadol and we are fine, the lord has been good to us.’
Yes sir, because those who fall sick, the lord hates them and is not good to them. He continued, ‘I saw a man during the week, his face was scattered, like acid was poured on it, and I said to myself is this not a human being? And I thanked God for my life.’ The congregation hummed their yes, some people lifted their hands towards the ceiling, giving thanks too.

This is what we are now? People who rejoice over the misfortune of another person? Why is it we only remember to thank God for our lives when bad things happen to other people? I remember when that petrol tanker fell at Iyana Ipaja. Houses and shops were burnt down. Someone whose house was along the line of the fire but the fire stopped few feet before his own went about rejoicing, he called people to thank God with him and the people who went about saying, ‘our God is faithful, our God is faithful, God of *insert church* is too good to us.’

We make God out to be an unfair father. Punish A, save B. when we know we are all sinners because as 2face sang; nobody holy pass.
So, that Sunday it was already 9am. The priest and all those in charge of the harvest were not done and didn’t look like they had plans to hurry up.They continued, ‘if you are looking for a good job, husband, wife, children, whatever you are looking for, N5000 and above come out now.’ I had brought a non-Catholic friend with me to church that day. I was ashamed and that was the breaking point for me. I gathered my bulletin and purse and went home with guilt trailing me.

P.S I learnt a new prayer point from the MFM near my house: Holy Ghost fire, roar at my enemies, Roar! Roar!! Roar!!!

http://www.sabinews.com/catholic-church-nonsense-start-lucia-edafioka/

end time tinz

I am indeed worried about the christian faith, the church of God has been turned into a business house where men of God connive to steal from people their hard earned money.

ValentineMary:
OP when I was catholic, that's how they run their sh*t. Delaying people for their personal interest. If u are a big man, then during harvest u would be honored but if u are an average member nobody cares if u exist. It happens in most xtian churchesand it's really bad.

But selling blessing in the catholic church is not new. Pope Leo X was known to sell indulgence to lay faithful. Religion is a scam, theJudeo-christian God is a fraud, and we humans have been deceived for millenniums. The age of Reason Thomas Paine talked about has finally come.

We have heard, Bye. Take your frustration somewhere else. Those men are not God, but men. because of men you call God fraud. You need deliverance from those demons seeking to destroy your life

LORDOFAFONJAS:
I am indeed worried about the christian faith, the church of God has been turned into a business house where men of God connive to steal from people their hard earned money.

What does the bible say? If these things don't happen, that's when you should be concerned oo.
That will mean, God is actually a fraud as one loser up there said. Everything you see happening is bound to happen. Things will get worse. The bible says, it will be so bad that for Christians, living will be like squishing water out of a stone.
Satan will really show working. You ve not seen anything yet. The fight for the Christian soul will be fierce. False teachers fighting to weaken the church from within with erroneous teachings. Unbelievers outside attacking believers, seeking to make them doubt their God. Muslims beheading and killing Christians. E go hard o
Many shall abandon and reject Christ because of these.
Jesus says, He that endured to the end, it is he who shall be saved.

This thread really needs to be addressed! @italo @syncan @SalC

Patheos:
This thread really needs to be addressed! @italo @syncan @SalC

Thank you for calling my attention to this.

This was also what pushed me away from the anglican church.
May God forgive us all

This was also what pushed me away from the anglican church.
May God forgive us all

sabinews:
I attend a small military catholic church close to Yaba. Last Sunday I bowed my head out of church before church closed, I felt ashamed. As a Catholic I was raised to sit my butt down no matter what, until the priest gives the final blessing.
Missing ‘the mass is ended let us go in peace’ is akin to not attending church at all but I left way before that. I left after offertory. We had not even done communion. Catholics understand this.

We started at about 7am, the mass was scheduled to close by 9am, but it was 9am and we were still sitting,clapping hands over ‘chief ABC’s, Ten Thousand Naira’. This was the unveiling of the harvest theme for the year. I understand that the church has to raise funds but why are we staying 3-4 hours in church because of funds? Did they extend time for mass because of praise worship or because of the sermon? No. It’s always because of some other frivolities.

That is still not why I left though; I left because of the announcers and the priest. I couldn’t even believe what my ears heard.
‘N20,000! From N20,000 and above, come out here. If you know the lord has blessed you, come and give back to him, Chief this, Daddy that, come out, the lord knows your income. Are you going to give to God what has cost you nothing?’
‘N10,000 to N19,900, if you are looking for husband, or wife, come out now, the Lord will hear your prayers.’
N5,000 to N9,500… if you are looking for a good job, good husband and wife, come out and donate.’

Since when did we start selling blessings? When did all these start in the Catholic Church? The sermon was based on giving. If you have preached why not allow God direct people to donate? What is all the coercing and mind blackmail for?Once I went to a church program when the priest said everyone should bring everything in their purses, bags, pockets, ‘if you don’t bring everything the Lord is seeing you.’

I was already irritated before the ‘theme unveiling’ began. The person that was supposed to announce, instead of him to do his job and go, he started by informing the church that he has never been to the hospital. ‘ I have never paid hospital bills, me and my family, when we fall sick, small panadol and we are fine, the lord has been good to us.’
Yes sir, because those who fall sick, the lord hates them and is not good to them. He continued, ‘I saw a man during the week, his face was scattered, like acid was poured on it, and I said to myself is this not a human being? And I thanked God for my life.’ The congregation hummed their yes, some people lifted their hands towards the ceiling, giving thanks too.

This is what we are now? People who rejoice over the misfortune of another person? Why is it we only remember to thank God for our lives when bad things happen to other people? I remember when that petrol tanker fell at Iyana Ipaja. Houses and shops were burnt down. Someone whose house was along the line of the fire but the fire stopped few feet before his own went about rejoicing, he called people to thank God with him and the people who went about saying, ‘our God is faithful, our God is faithful, God of *insert church* is too good to us.’

We make God out to be an unfair father. Punish A, save B. when we know we are all sinners because as 2face sang; nobody holy pass.
So, that Sunday it was already 9am. The priest and all those in charge of the harvest were not done and didn’t look like they had plans to hurry up.They continued, ‘if you are looking for a good job, husband, wife, children, whatever you are looking for, N5000 and above come out now.’ I had brought a non-Catholic friend with me to church that day. I was ashamed and that was the breaking point for me. I gathered my bulletin and purse and went home with guilt trailing me.

P.S I learnt a new prayer point from the MFM near my house: Holy Ghost fire, roar at my enemies, Roar! Roar!! Roar!!!

http://www.sabinews.com/catholic-church-nonsense-start-lucia-edafioka/

Before I go to the issue you raised, you mentioned that's where you attend Mass which holds every Sunday (and daily for some), You didn't say that in most other Sundays in same church, these things don't happen. It was good though that you stated that there was a special function.

Now on the issue. In as much as we all like to criticize such over reaching tendencies in the church, if you are made the harvest committee head of that church, you'll most likely do or allow worse. Sometimes priests are criticized by the laity of impeding church progress, because the priest tries to stop them from reproducing fund raising schemes copied from modern religious groups. Agreed, some priests are already carried away in that bandwagon, but such has been there even from the earliest days of Christianity. Even the apostles were tempted with money for power in scripture. If in the presence of Jesus, money could bring down their treasurer, Judas Ischariot, why then are we so scandalized when it appears to bring down men of God now.

You left the church for home, I guess you only have 2hrs for Mass in a week of 148hrs, while you went home for more important things, and in a place that is scandal free. Despite your upbringing which taught you otherwise, You couldn't stand others been glorified, though wrongly, for more than two hours, yet you had gone to worship the one who hung on the cross for you for 3hrs after being whipped and tortured for hours.


You pointed out quite a good number of odd practices, and I hope you have submitted your petition or observation to your parish priest, or at least have a chat with him on it. If not, then what you are doing is called gossiping, you may need to read about Miriam and Moses in Scripture. Num.12:10

Generally the trend in modern religious groups or denominations are taking its toll on the Catholic church, people want to practice what they see elsewhere not minding it's spiritual implications. It is left for us to continue to check against excesses, but via the right channels. I don't see NL as one of those channels though.

Even catholic church has joined the crew Na wa oo....

This is wot I undastand frm ur words.... If ur current church does the same tin u wuld jump to another ship.... If that ship also do the same tin u wuld jump again?? Or simply u ar nt a catholic u just lookin 4 means to discredit the church

Syncan:

Thank you for calling my attention to this.

Anytime

ValentineMary:
OP when I was catholic, that's how they run their sh*t. Delaying people for their personal interest. If u are a big man, then during harvest u would be honored but if u are an average member nobody cares if u exist. It happens in most xtian churchesand it's really bad.

But selling blessing in the catholic church is not new. Pope Leo X was known to sell indulgence to lay faithful. Religion is a scam, theJudeo-christian God is a fraud, and we humans have been deceived for millenniums. The age of Reason Thomas Paine talked about has finally come.

Correction pope leo didnt sell indulgence, if u claim he did then provide historical proof.

LOL! OP is slowly delving towards atheism.

This is the same reason I dumped the catholic church despite coming from a family of deeply rooted catholic faith, principle and doctrine. I remember how my mum would always plead with me through the phone to keep faith intact with catholic principles but after listening to her for a while (she's my mother afterall) I decided I had had it! Not only do their money-making schemes bring shame to the Vatican, their doctrine openly challenges Biblical laws and commandments. I dared to question it and the answers I found were not encouraging at all!

I cannot even begin to make a list of things that just isn't right with several catholic churches I've attended. Is it how they take collections for a Parish house or Church building? Sometimes they take collections for years with very slow and minimal improvement to said house or church building. Just like the OP said, they practically force people into making donations by breaking down the amount from 50K to as low as 100 naira to "anything you have" . There is category for everyone no matter your pocket size and at that point, if you decide not to stand up from your seat to give money then you become a subject of public spectacle. Just imagine sitting down while the 50K, 20K, 10K and 5K guys are giving their donations... Then the 3K, 2K and 1K guys come out to make their donation and receive their 1K worth of "blessing" and you're still seated. Then the 500 naira guys to 100 naira guys come for their "bread crust blessing". Then the "anything you have" guys come out to scratch the burnt part of the blessing pot and while all this is happening, you're still seated . At that point, they don't even look at you like you don't have money (cos you're obviously looking like a million bucks) , they'll term you "Wicked"! Some may even be of the opinion that you're the one hindering the success of the church and most importantly, forget all those hot Mary League chics cos you aint gon get some

ValentineMary:
OP when I was catholic, that's how they run their sh*t. Delaying people for their personal interest. If u are a big man, then during harvest u would be honored but if u are an average member nobody cares if u exist. It happens in most xtian churchesand it's really bad.

But selling blessing in the catholic church is not new. Pope Leo X was known to sell indulgence to lay faithful. Religion is a scam, theJudeo-christian God is a fraud, and we humans have been deceived for millenniums. The age of Reason Thomas Paine talked about has finally come.

Please how can I contact u for more information