₦airaland Forum

Stockholm syndrome, or capture-bonding, is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending and identifying with them. These feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their captors for an act of kindness. The FBI's Hostage Barricade Database System shows that roughly 8% of victims show evidence of Stockholm syndrome.

Stockholm syndrome can be seen as a form of traumatic bonding, which does not necessarily require a hostage scenario, but which describes "strong emotional ties that develop between two persons where one person intermittently harasses, beats, threatens, abuses, or intimidates the other." One commonly used hypothesis to explain the effect of Stockholm syndrome is based on Freudian theory. It suggests that the bonding is the individual's response to trauma in becoming a victim. Identifying with the aggressor is one way that the ego defends itself. When a victim believes the same values as the aggressor, they cease to be a threat

Criticism

Mainstream evangelicalism has consistently opposed prosperity theology as heresy and prosperity ministries have frequently come into conflict with other Christian groups, including those within the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. Critics, such as Evangelical pastor Michael Catt, have argued that prosperity theology has little in common with traditional Christian theology. Prominent evangelical leaders, such as Rick Warren, Ben Witherington III, and Jerry Falwell, have harshly criticized the movement, sometimes denouncing it as heretical. Warren proposes that prosperity theology promotes the idolatry of money, and others argue that Jesus' teachings indicate a disdain for material wealth. In Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, R. Kent Hughes notes that some 1st-century rabbis portrayed material blessings as a sign of God's favor. He cites Jesus' statement in Mark 10:25 that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (KJV) as evidence to oppose such thinking.

Other critics of the movement assail promises made by its leaders, arguing that the broad freedom from problems they promise is irresponsible. Church leaders are often criticized for abusing the faith of their parishioners by enriching themselves through large donations.[59] Prosperity theology has been opposed for not adequately explaining the poverty of the Apostles. For instance, some theologians believe that the life and writings of Paul the Apostle, who is believed to have experienced significant suffering during his ministry, are particularly in conflict with prosperity theology. ]

In their book Health, Wealth and Happiness, theologians David Jones and Russell Woodbridge characterize the doctrine as poor theology. They suggest that righteousness cannot be earned and that the Bible does not promise an easy life. They argue that it is inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus and propose that the central message of the gospel should be Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Jones and Woodbridge see Jesus' importance as vital, criticizing the prosperity gospel for marginalizing him in favor of a focus on human need. In another article, Jones criticizes the prosperity theology interpretation of the Abrahamic covenant, God's promise to bless Abraham's descendants, arguing that this blessing is spiritual and should already apply to all Christians. He also argues that the proponents of the doctrine misconstrue the atonement, criticizing their teaching that Jesus' death took away poverty as well as sin. He believes that this teaching is drawn from a misunderstanding of Jesus' life and criticizes John Avanzini's teaching that Jesus was wealthy as a misrepresentation, noting that Paul often taught Christians to give up their material possessions. Although he accepts giving as "praiseworthy", ] he questions the motives of prosperity theology and criticizes the "Law of Compensation", which teaches that when Christians give generously, God will give back more in return. Rather, Jones cites Jesus' teaching to "give, hoping for nothing in return." ] Jones and Woodbridge also note that Jesus instructed followers to focus on spiritual rewards, citing his command in Matthew 6:19–20 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth ... But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (KJV). Jones criticizes the doctrine's view of faith: he does not believe that it should be used as a spiritual force for material gain but seen as selfless acceptance of God.

In 1980, the General Council of the Assemblies of God criticized the doctrine of positive confession, noting examples of negative confessions in the Bible (where Biblical figures express fears and doubts) that had positive results and contrasting these examples with the focus on positive confessions taught by prosperity theology. The Council argues that the biblical Greek word often translated as "confess" literally translates as "to speak the same thing", and refers to both positive and negative confessions. The statement also criticizes the doctrine for failing to recognize the will of God: God's will should have precedence over the will of man, including their desires for wealth, and Christians should "recognize the sovereignty of God". The statement further criticizes prosperity theology for overlooking the importance of prayer, arguing that prayer should be used for all requests, not simply positive confession. The Council noted that Christians should expect suffering in this life. They urge readers to apply practical tests to positive confession, arguing that the doctrine appeals to those who are already in affluent societies but that many Christians in other societies are impoverished or imprisoned. Finally, the paper criticizes the distinction made by advocates of prosperity theology in the two Greek words that mean "speaking", arguing that the distinction is false and that they are used interchangeably in the Greek text. The Council accused prosperity theology of taking passages out of context to fulfill its own needs, with the result that doctrine of positive confession is contradictory to the holistic message of the Bible.

Word of Faith
Main article: Word of Faith

Although nearly all of the healing evangelists of the 1940s and '50s taught that faith could bring financial rewards, a new prosperity-oriented teaching developed in the 1970s that differed from the one taught by Pentecostal evangelists of the 1950s. This "Positive Confession" or "Word of Faith" movement taught that a Christian with faith can speak into existence anything consistent with the will of God.[36]

Kenneth Hagin was credited with a key role in the expansion of prosperity theology. He founded the RHEMA Bible Training Center in 1974, and over the next 20 years, the school trained more than 10,000 students in his theology.[8][37] As is true of other prosperity movements, there is no theological governing body for the Word of Faith movement, and well-known ministries differ on some theological issues.[38] The teachings of Kenneth Hagin have been described by Candy Gunther Brown of Indiana University as the most "orthodox" form of Word of Faith prosperity teaching.[5]
Recent U.S. history

The Neo-Pentecostal movement has been characterized in part by an emphasis on prosperity theology,[39] which gained greater acceptance within charismatic Christianity during the late 1990s.[13] By 2006, three of the four largest congregations in the United States were teaching prosperity theology, and Joel Osteen has been credited with spreading it outside of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement through his books, which have sold over 4 million copies.[6][D] Bruce Wilkinson's The Prayer of Jabez also sold millions of copies and invited readers to seek prosperity.[4]

By the 2000s, adherents of prosperity theology in the United States were most common in the Sun Belt.[11] In the late 2000s, proponents claimed that tens of millions of Christians had accepted prosperity theology.[11] A 2006 poll by Time reported that 17 percent of Christians in America said they identified with the movement.[6] There is no official governing body for the movement, though many ministries are unofficially linked.[8]

In 2007, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley opened a probe into the finances of six televangelism ministries that promoted prosperity theology: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Creflo Dollar Ministries, Benny Hinn Ministries, Bishop Eddie Long Ministries, Joyce Meyer Ministries, and Paula White Ministries. In January 2011, Grassley concluded his investigation stating that he believed self-regulation by religious organizations was preferable to government action.[40][E] Only the ministries led by Meyer and Hinn cooperated fully with Grassley's investigation.[40]
International growth

In the 2000s, churches teaching prosperity theology saw significant growth in the Third World.[41] According to Philip Jenkins of Pennsylvania State University, poor citizens of impoverished countries often find the doctrine appealing because of their economic powerlessness and the doctrine's emphasis on miracles.[42] One region seeing explosive growth is Western Africa, particularly Nigeria.[41] In the Philippines, the El Shaddai movement, part of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, has spread prosperity theology outside Protestant Christianity.[43] One South Korean prosperity church, Yoido Full Gospel Church, gained attention in the 1990s by claiming to be the world's largest congregation.[4]
Reception
Socioeconomic analysis

Most churches in the prosperity movement are non-denominational and independent, though some groups have formed networks.[8] Prosperity churches typically reject Presbyterian polity (or governance) and the idea that a pastor should be accountable to elders; it is common for pastors of prosperity churches to be the highest organizational authority figure.[44] Critics, including Sarah Posner and Joe Conason, maintain that prosperity teachers cultivate authoritarian organizations. They argue that leaders attempt to control the lives of adherents by claiming divinely bestowed authority.[45] Jenkins contends that prosperity theology is used as a tool to justify the high salaries of pastors.[46]

In the United States, the movement has drawn many followers from the middle class[2] and is most popular in commuter towns and urban areas.[11] In Exporting the American Gospel: Global Christian Fundamentalism Steve Brouwer, Paul Gifford, and Susan Rose speculate that the movement was fueled by a prevailing disdain for social liberalism in the United States that began in the 1970s.[13][G] Rosin argues that prosperity theology emerged because of broader trends, particularly American economic optimism in the 1950s and 1990s. Tony Lin of the University of Virginia has also compared the teaching to manifest destiny,[11] the 19th-century belief that the United States was entitled to the West. Marvin Harris argues that the doctrine's focus on the material world is a symptom of the secularization of American religion. He sees it as an attempt to fulfill the American Dream by using supernatural power.[47]
Hillsong Church in Sydney

Prosperity theology has become popular among poor Americans, particularly those who seek personal and social advancement.[2] It has seen significant growth in black and Hispanic churches and is particularly popular among immigrants.[11] Apologists for the movement note its ethnic diversity and argue that it encompasses a variety of views.[6] Joel Robbins of the University of Tokyo notes that most anthropologists attribute the theology's appeal to the poor—especially in the Global South—to the fact that it promises security and helps explain capitalism. Simon Coleman developed a theory based on the doctrine's rhetoric and the feeling of belonging it gave parishioners. In a study of the Swedish Word of Life Church, he noted that members felt part of a complex gift-exchange system, giving to God and then awaiting a gift in return (either from God directly or through another church member).[48] Hillsong Church, the largest congregation in Australia, teaches a form of prosperity theology that emphasizes personal success. Marion Maddox has argued that this message has drawn a significant number of upwardly mobile Australians.[49]

In a 1998 interview in Christianity Today, Bong Rin Ro of the Asia Graduate School of Theology suggested that the growth in popularity of prosperity theology in South Korea reflects a strong "shamanistic influence". Bong pointed to parallels between the tradition of paying shamans for healing and the prosperity theology's contractual doctrine about giving and blessings. Asia's economic problems, he argued, encouraged the growth of the doctrine in South Korea, though he claims it ignores the poor and needy. During the interview, he stated that he saw the problem beginning to be reversed, citing calls for renewed faith and other practices.[50] Cho Yong-gi, pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, has been criticized for shamanising Christianity. This criticism has focused on his healing and exorcism ministries and his promise of material blessings. Malaysian Christian writer Hwa Yung has defended Cho's healing and exorcism ministries, arguing that he successfully contextualized the gospel in a culture where shamanism was still prevalent. However, Hwa criticizes Cho's teaching of earthly blessings for not reflecting a trust in God's daily provision and for their heavy focus on earthly wealth.[51]
Comparisons with other movements

Historian Carter Lindberg of Boston University has drawn parallels between contemporary prosperity theology and the medieval indulgence trade.[52] Coleman notes that several pre-20th century Christian movements in the United States taught that a holy lifestyle was a path to prosperity and that God-ordained hard work would bring blessing.[22]

Coleman has speculated that modern-day prosperity theology borrows heavily from the New Thought movement, though he admits that the connection is sometimes unclear.[53] Jenkins notes that critics draw a parallel between prosperity theology and the cargo cult phenomenon.[4] While citing the popularity of prosperity theology in agrarian African communities, he argues that it can also bear similarities to traditional African religious rituals.[54] J. Matthew Wilson of Southern Methodist University compares the movement to Black liberation theology owing to its focus on uplifting oppressed groups, though he notes that it differs in its concentration on individual success rather than corporate political change.[55]
Criticism

History
Postwar Healing Revivals
Main article: Healing Revival

Leaders of the Pentecostal Movement in the early 20th century did not embrace prosperity theology.[22] A recognizable form of the doctrine began to take shape within the movement during the 1940s and 1950s, through the teachings of Pentecostal deliverance and healing evangelists. Combining prosperity teaching with revivalism and faith healing, these evangelists taught "the laws of faith ('ask and ye shall receive') and the laws of divine reciprocity ('give and it will be given back unto you')".[23]

One prominent early figure in prosperity theology was E. W. Kenyon, educated in the 1890s at Emerson College of Oratory, where he was exposed to the New Thought movement. Kenyon later became connected with well-known Pentecostal leaders and wrote about supernatural revelation and positive declarations. His writing influenced leaders of the nascent prosperity movement during the post-war American healing revival. Kenyon and later leaders in the prosperity movement have denied that he was influenced by the New Thought movement. Anthropologist Simon Coleman argues that there are "obvious parallels" between Kenyon's teachings and the New Thought movement.[24]

Oral Roberts began teaching prosperity theology in 1947.[12] He explained the laws of faith as a "blessing pact" in which God would return donations "seven fold",[25] promising that donors would receive back from unexpected sources the money they donated to him. Roberts offered to return any donation that did not lead to an equivalent unexpected payment.[12] In the 1970s, Roberts characterized his blessing pact teaching as the "seed faith" doctrine: donations were a form of "seed" which would grow in value and be returned to the donor.[25][26] Roberts began recruiting "partners", wealthy donors who received exclusive conference invitations and ministry access in exchange for support.[27]

In 1953, faith healer A. A. Allen published The Secret to Scriptural Financial Success and promoted merchandise such as "miracle tent shavings" and prayer cloths anointed with "miracle oil".[28] In the late 1950s, Allen increasingly focused on prosperity. He taught that faith could miraculously solve financial problems and claimed to have had a miraculous experience in which God supernaturally changed one-dollar bills into twenty-dollar bills to allow him to pay his debts.[29] Allen taught the "word of faith" or the power to speak something into being.[28]

In the 1960s, prosperity became a primary focus in healing revivals.[30] T. L. Osborn began emphasizing prosperity in the 1960s and became known for his often ostentatious displays of personal wealth.[31] During that decade, Roberts and William Branham criticized other prosperity ministries, arguing that their fund-raising tactics unfairly pressured attendees. These tactics were prompted in part by the expense of developing nationwide radio networks and campaign schedules.[30] At the same time, leaders of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God organization often criticized the focus on prosperity taken by independent healing evangelists.[32]
Televangelism
TBN World Headquarters in Costa Mesa, California

During the 1960s, prosperity gospel teachers embraced televangelism and came to dominate religious programming in the United States. Oral Roberts led the way, developing a syndicated weekly program that became the most watched religious show in the United States. By 1968, television had supplanted the tent meeting in his ministry.[33]

Reverend Ike, a pastor from New York City, began preaching about prosperity in the late 1960s. He soon had widely aired radio and television programs and became distinguished for his flashy style. His openness about love for material possessions and teachings about the "Science of the Mind" led many evangelists to distance themselves from him.[34]

In the 1980s, public attention in the United States was drawn to prosperity theology through the influence of prominent televangelists such as Jim Bakker. Bakker's influence waned, however, after he was implicated in a high-profile scandal.[6][C] In the aftermath, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) emerged as the dominant force in prosperity televangelism, having brought Robert Tilton and Benny Hinn to prominence.[35]
Word of Faith

[quote]Theology
The parable of the talents (as depicted in a 1712 woodcut) is often cited in support of prosperity theology.

Prosperity theology teaches that Christians are entitled to well-being and, because physical and spiritual realities are seen as one inseparable reality, this is interpreted as physical health and economic prosperity. Teachers of the doctrine focus on personal empowerment, promoting a positive view of the spirit and body. They maintain that Christians have been given power over creation because they are made in the image of God and teach that positive confession allows Christians to exercise dominion over their souls and material objects around them. Leaders of the movement view the atonement as providing for the alleviation of sickness, poverty, and spiritual corruption; poverty and illness are cast as curses which can be broken by faith and righteous actions. There are, however, some prosperity churches which seek a more moderate or reformed paradigm of prosperity. Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor of a Methodist mega-church, supports a theology of abundant life, teaching prosperity for the whole human being, which he sees as a path to combating poverty.

Wealth is interpreted in prosperity theology as a blessing from God, obtained through a spiritual law of positive confession, visualization, and donations. This process is often taught in almost mechanical terms; Kenneth Copeland, an American author and televangelist, argues that prosperity is governed by laws, while other teachers portray the process formulaically. Journalists David van Biema and Jeff Chu of Time have described Word of Faith pastor Creflo Dollar's teachings about prosperity as an inviolable contract between God and humanity.

The prosperity theology teaching of positive confession stems from its proponents' view of scripture. The Bible is seen as a faith contract between God and believers; God is understood to be faithful and just, so believers must fulfill their end of the contract to receive God's promises. This leads to a belief in positive confession, the doctrine that believers may claim whatever they desire from God, simply by speaking it. Prosperity theology teaches that the Bible has promised prosperity for believers, so positive confession means that believers are speaking in faith what God has already spoken about them. Positive confession is practiced to bring about what is already believed in; faith itself is a confession, and speaking it brings it into reality.

The teaching is often based on non-traditional interpretations of Bible verses, the Book of Malachi often being given special attention. While Malachi has generally been celebrated by Christians for its passages about the messiah, teachers of prosperity theology usually draw attention to its descriptions of physical wealth. Frequently quoted verses include:

Malachi 3:10: "Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord All-Powerful. “I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need. (Malachi 3:10 NCV)" (New Century VersionNCV).
Matthew 25:14–30: the Parable of the talents
John 10:10: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (KJV).
Philippians 4:19: "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (KJV).
3 John 2: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (KJV).

Prosperity theology casts itself as the reclamation of true doctrine and thus part of a path to Christian dominion over secular society. It contends that God's promises of prosperity and victory to Israel in the Old Testament apply to New-Covenant Christians today, and that faith and holy actions release this prosperity. C. Peter Wagner, a leader of the New Apostolic Reformation, has argued that if Christians take dominion over aspects of society, the Earth will experience "peace and prosperity". Some Latin Americans who have embraced prosperity theology argue that Christianity has historically placed an unnecessary focus on suffering. They often view this as a Roman Catholic doctrine that should be discarded and replaced with an emphasis on prosperity. Prosperity theology advocates also argue that biblical promises of blessings awaiting the poor have been unnecessarily spiritualized, and should be understood literally.
Practices

Prosperity churches place a strong emphasis on the importance of giving. Services commonly include two sermons, one of which focuses on giving and prosperity, including Biblical references to tithing; a second sermon on another topic follows the offering. Prosperity church leaders often bestow a specific blessing on the money being donated, some have even been reported to instruct worshipers to hold their donations above their heads during the prayer.

Congregants in prosperity churches are encouraged to speak positive statements about aspects of their lives that they wish to see improved. These statements, known as positive confessions, are said to miraculously change aspects of people's lives if spoken with faith. Prosperity churches also encourage people to "live without limits" and cultivate optimism about their lives. T. D. Jakes, pastor of The Potter's House non-denominational mega-church, has argued in favor of prosperity, rejecting what he sees as the demonization of success. He views poverty as a barrier to living a Christian life, suggesting that it is easier to make a positive impact on society when one is affluent.

While prosperity churches have a reputation for manipulating and alienating the poor, many are involved in social programs. Underlying these programs is a theology of empowerment and human flourishing with the goal of releasing people from a "welfare" or "victim" mentality. Many prosperity churches hold seminars on financial responsibility. Kate Bowler, an academic who studies prosperity theology, has criticized such seminars, arguing that though they contain some sound advice the seminars often emphasize the purchase of expensive possessions. Hanna Rosin of The Atlantic argues that prosperity theology contributed to the housing bubble that caused the late-2000s financial crisis. She maintains that home ownership was heavily emphasized in prosperity churches, causing a reliance on divine financial intervention that led to unwise choices. /quote]

Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, or the gospel of success)[

] is a Christian religious doctrine that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will always increase one's material wealth. Based on non-traditional interpretations of the Bible, often with emphasis on the Book of Malachi, the doctrine views the Bible as a contract between God and humans: if humans have faith in God, he will deliver his promises of security and prosperity. Confessing these promises to be true is perceived as an act of faith, which God will honor.

The doctrine emphasizes the importance of personal empowerment, proposing that it is God's will for his people to be happy. The atonement (reconciliation with God) is interpreted to include the alleviation of sickness and poverty, which are viewed as curses to be broken by faith. This is believed to be achieved through visualization and positive confession, and is often taught in mechanical and contractual terms.

It was during the Healing Revivals of the 1950s that prosperity theology first came to prominence in the United States, although commentators have linked the origins of its theology to the New Thought movement which began in the 1800s. The prosperity teaching later figured prominently in the Word of Faith movement and 1980s televangelism. In the 1990s and 2000s, it was adopted by influential leaders in the Charismatic Movement and promoted by Christian missionaries throughout the world, sometimes leading to the establishment of mega-churches. Prominent leaders in the development of prosperity theology include E. W. Kenyon, Oral Roberts, A. A. Allen, Robert Tilton, T. L. Osborn, Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, and Kenneth Hagin.

Churches in which the prosperity gospel is taught are often non-denominational and usually directed by a sole pastor or leader, although some have developed multi-church networks that bear similarities to denominations. Such churches typically set aside extended time to teach about giving and request donations from the congregation, encouraging positive speech and faith. Prosperity churches often teach about financial responsibility, though some journalists and academics have criticized their advice in this area as misleading.

Prosperity theology has been criticized as heresy by leaders in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, as well as other Christian denominations. These leaders maintain that it is irresponsible, promotes idolatry, and is contrary to scripture. Some critics have proposed that prosperity theology cultivates authoritarian organizations, with the leaders controlling the lives of the adherents. The doctrine has also become popular in South Korea; academics have attributed some of its success to its parallels with the traditional shamanistic culture. Prosperity theology has drawn followers from the American middle class and poor, and has been likened to the cargo cult phenomenon, traditional African religion, and black liberation theology.

barcanista: Haleluyah!!!! Nigerians don't fret....the God we serve has always been protecting us from epidermics!!!! Ebola died with the Liberian

This fellow says Tithe has caused many problems in christianity. That is wrong. Some people pay and teach tithes without any problems or issues all through their lives. There are greater problems and rooted issues in christianity. There are churches where tithing is practiced and has been practiced that are not affluent. There are millions who are tithers and have never heard the antitithe arguments and they are living relatively contented and fulfilled lives. Some orthodox churches and christians preach and believe in tithing for centuries without friction. The recent internet noise about antitithe is what has caused more problems for the few that have being influenced by it.
Anyways, i simply stated a rooted truth about what has caused many problems, not just in christianity but all over the world.

A church tax is a tax imposed on members of some religious congregations in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and several other countries.

Contents

1 Austria
2 Croatia
3 Denmark
4 Finland
5 Germany
6 Iceland
7 Italy
8 Sweden
9 Switzerland
10 See also
11 External links
12 References

Austria

Church tax is compulsory for Catholics in Austria, with a rate of 1.1%. This tax was introduced by Hitler in 1939. After World War II, the tax was retained in order to keep the Church independent of political powers.[1]
Croatia

The Roman Catholic Church in Croatia receives significant state financial support and other benefits established in concordats between the Government and the Vatican. By the special agreement between Holy See and Republic Croatia, Croatia is, through state budget, financing salaries and pensions of clergy (even the military chaplains), church sacral objects maintenance and restoration, building and running of church schools and universities, and aside to that still pay a financial tribute to the Vatican. It is also worth mentioning that as a Nonprofit organization the Catholic Church in Croatia is exempt from most taxes with having benefits to those few taxes it pays[citation needed].

Percentage-wise, about 0.004% of state budget ends up funding activities of Roman Catholic Church in Croatia.
Denmark
Main article: Church of Denmark

The members of national Church of Denmark pay a church tax, which varies between municipalities, but can be as large as 1.51%. The tax is generally in the vicinity of 1% of the taxable income. The tax doesn't cover the entire budget of the church. An additional 13% is paid by the government. This means even people who are not members of the church finance the church through taxes.[citation needed]
Finland

All members of either the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church (the two state churches of Finland) pay an income-based church tax of between 1% and 2%, depending on the municipality. On average the tax is about 1.4%.

Formerly, to stop paying church tax, one had to formally leave the church by personally going to local register office and waiting during an allowance of time for reflection. This requirement was removed in 2003 and currently a written (but not signed) statement to the church suffices. The majority of resignations since 2005 are now handled through a web site, Eroakirkosta.fi. If one is a member of the church when the year begins, he/she will pay taxes for the whole year; however, these are later returned as a tax refund.

In addition to personal taxation, the state divides some of the money collected by taxing private companies to the two state churches. It does not matter if company is owned by church members or non-members. It has been argued that the churches use this money to upkeep cemeteries, to which they are obligated by law.
Germany
Receipt dated September 17, 1923

About 70% of church revenues come from church tax. This is about €9.2 billion (in 2010).

Article 137 of the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and article 140 of the German Basic Law of 1949 are the legal basis for this practice.

In Germany, on the basis of tax regulations passed by the communities and within the limits set by state laws, communities may either

require the taxation authorities of the state to collect the fees from the members on the basis of income tax assessment (then, the authorities withhold a collection fee), or
choose to collect the church tax themselves.

In the first case, membership in the community is entered onto a tax document (Lohnsteuerkarte) which employees must surrender to their employers for the purpose of withholding tax on paid income. If membership in a tax-collecting religious community is entered on the document, the employer must withhold church tax prepayments from the income of the employee in addition to other tax prepayments. In connection with the final annual income tax assessment, the state revenue authorities also finally assess the church tax owed. In the case of self-employed persons or of unemployed taxpayers, state revenue authorities collect prepayments on the church tax together with prepayments on the income tax.

If, however, religious communities choose to collect church tax themselves, they may demand that the tax authorities reveal taxation data of their members to calculate the contributions and prepayments owed. In particular, some smaller communities (e.g. the Jewish Community of Berlin) choose to collect taxes themselves to save collection fees the government would charge otherwise.

Collection of church tax may be used to cover any church-related expenses such as founding institutions and foundations or paying ministers.

The church tax is only paid by members of the respective church. People who are not members of a church tax-collecting denomination do not have to pay it. Members of a religious community under public law may formally declare their wish to leave the community to state (not religious) authorities. With such a declaration, the obligation to pay church taxes ends. Some communities refuse to administer marriages and burials of (former) members who had declared to leave it.

The money flow of state and churches is distinct at all levels of the procedures. The church tax is not meant to be a way for the state to directly support churches, but since expenses for church tax are fully deductible (as are voluntary expenses for the Church, for charity or a bundle of other privileged aims) in fact such support occurs on a somewhat large scale. The effort of collecting itself, done by the State, is entirely paid for by the Churches with a part of the tax income.

The church tax is historically rooted in the pre-Christian Germanic custom where the chief of the tribe was directly responsible for the maintenance of priests and religious cults. During the Christianization of Western Europe, this custom was adopted by the Christian churches (Arian and Catholic) in the concept of "Eigenkirchen" (churches owned by the landlord) which stood in strong contrast to the central church organization of the Roman Catholic Church. Despite the resulting medieval conflict between emperor and pope, the concept of church maintenance by the ruler remained the accepted custom in most Western European countries. In Reformation times, the local princes in Germany became officially heads of the church in Protestant areas and were legally responsible for the maintenance of churches. Not until the 19th century were the finances of churches and state regulated to a point where the churches became financially independent. At this point the church tax was introduced to replace the state benefits the churches had obtained previously.

Taxpayers, whether Roman Catholic, Protestant or members of other tax-collecting communities, pay between 8% (in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg) and 9% (in the rest of the country) of their income tax to the church or other community to which they belong.[2]

For example, a single person earning 50,000 euros may pay an average income-tax of 20%, thus 10,000 euros. The church tax is then 8% (or 9%) of that 10,000 euros: 800 (or 900) euros.
Iceland

Taxpayers in Iceland are obligated to pay a congregation tax[3] (Icelandic sóknargjöld) to the recognized religious organization of their choice. Those who do not belong to any recognized religious organization pay the same amount to the State. The Church of Iceland receives governmental support beyond the congregation taxes paid by its members.
Italy
Main article: Eight per thousand

Taxpayers in Italy are obligated to pay the so-called eight per thousand tax. This tax amounts to 0.8% of the total income tax (IRPEF) and every taxpayer can choose on their tax form the recipient of the contribution.

Currently the choices are:

Italian State
Catholic Church
Waldensian Evangelical Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Assemblies of God in Italy
Union of the Jewish Communities in Italy
Lutheran Evangelical Church in Italy
Baptist Evangelical Christian Union of Italy
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy
Apostolic Church in Italy (Pentecostalism)
Italian Buddhist Union
Italian Hindu Union

If the choice is not expressly declared in the tax form, the tax is distributed according to the percentages of the taxpayers who have declared their choice of beneficiary. While it was intended that the State should use its own share of the 0.8% tax for social or cultural purposes, it has in practice employed it for general purposes, including its military mission in Iraq in 2004[4][5] and the upgrading of prison infrastructure in 2011.[6]
Sweden

The members of Church of Sweden pay church fee, which varies between municipalities, but can be as much as 2%. Church and state are separated as of 2000, however the burial tax (begravningsavgift) is paid by everyone regardless of membership.

In a recent development, the Swedish government has agreed to continue collecting from individual taxpayers the annual payment that has always gone to the church. But now the fee will be an optional checkoff box on the tax return. The government will allocate the money collected to Catholic, Muslim, Jewish and other faiths as well as the Lutherans, with each taxpayer directing where his or her taxes should go.
Switzerland

There is no official state church in Switzerland. However, all the 26 cantons (states) financially support at least one of the three traditional denominations – Roman Catholic, Old Catholic (in Switzerland Christ Catholic), or Evangelical Reformed – with funds collected through taxation. Each canton has its own regulations regarding the relationship between church and state. In some cantons, the church tax (up to 2.3%) is voluntary but in others an individual who chooses not to contribute to church tax may formally have to leave the church. In some cantons private companies are unable to avoid payment of the church tax.

Tired of Islam, Iranians Ask ' Who Is This Jesus?'



UNDISCLOSED LOCATION - Christians are the most persecuted religious minority group in Iran. Iranian believers, especially those who convert from Islam to Christianity, face even more scrutiny.

Now one television channel operating from multiple secret locations is beaming messages of hope directly into the Islamic country and Iranian authorities don't like it one bit.

These are very busy and exciting times at Mohabat TV as it carries out its mission of broadcasting Christianity into Iran.

"We are seeing a huge, huge number of Iranians who are reaching out to our channel and our phone center just to reach out and find out more about Jesus," Mike Ansari, who oversees the popular channel, said.

Thirsty for Truth

Since 2006, Mohabat TV has been beaming Christian programs via satellite to Middle East, Europe, and parts of Asia. But for the channel's cast, crew, production, and office staff, their main focus is the Islamic nation of Iran.

"Many of our viewers that are contacting us from Iran, they claim that Islam has not delivered to their expectations. So when they turn the channel on and see Mohabat TV they hear a new message of Jesus, of forgiveness of love of acceptance," Ansari said.

Nazanin Baghestani manages the phone call center operations for the channel.

"Persians are really thirsty for the truth, they really want to know who is this God that we talk about, who is this Jesus, is He real or is He just a prophet?" Baghestani said.

To answer those and many other questions, the channel has deployed Farsi-speaking Christian counselors in different time zones around the world.

Baghestani said they take an average between 8,000 and 10,000 calls a month from Iranians.

"That's when we open the subject, we preach the gospel and so many give their hearts, so many receive Him," Baghestani said.

Secret, Dangerous Broadcasting

But producing Christian programs for Iran is not without its challenges. The bulk of Ansari's productions for the channel are done outside of Iran from multiple secret locations for safety and security reasons.

"Our channel and our signals are getting jammed on a daily basis inside Iran. It is true that the phone calls are being monitored and people who try to contact us may get persecuted," Ansari said.

In June 2011 a Christian man's house got raided by Iranian authorities as he was on the phone with a Mohabat counselor.

CBN News obtained an audio recording of the conversation between the phone counselor and a member of Iran's secret police. On the recording the police officer describes what happened when he broke into the house of the Christian man.

The audio has never been released to the public until now.

"I arrested him once before then released him," the Iranian agent told the Mohabat counselor.

"I warned him not to go to the city and tell others that he is a Christian and tell them to come and become one, too," he continued. "He has caused problems for others. I just arrested him again. I swear to God I beat him up so much, I beat him so hard, he's almost dead, there is blood all over, I swear to God. I feel bad for him. Listen, lady, you guys have caused a lot of trouble for Iran's youth."

The young Christian man was reportedly killed shortly after the conversation. But Ansari said the threats are not stopping Iranians from watching the channel, which provides 24-hour Christian programming.

"Remember in Iran there is no such thing as a church as you and I know outside of Iran. So many Iranians who are curious or have recently given their hearts to be called Christians find it easier, more private and more safe to be at home watching the channel," he said.

Persecution Fueling Growth

The official religion of Iran is Islam. Christians are officially less than half of one percent of the population. The overwhelming majority are Muslim.

Christians are routinely imprisoned and labeled as threats to national security.

Open Doors, a group that has served the persecuted church for decades, has ranked Iran No. 9 on its list of 50 countries where persecution of Christians is most severe.

"We have programming on the channel that is geared just towards that to give them hope and encourage them and yet tell them that persecution is definitely a part of a Christians life, that when you become a Christian and you reside in a country that is not predominantly Christian," Ansari told CBN News from an undisclosed location.

The United Nations says at least 49 Iranian Christians are being held in jails. Among them is American citizen and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, who is serving an eight-year prison term for refusing to recant his faith.

"We really don't want to see any of them jeopardize or being persecuted so we always tell them to act with wisdom and be wise about their new faith and the way they approach others," Ansari said.

Ansari said the harsh treatment of Christians is reportedly fueling the flames of church growth.

"We are seeing a new season right now, there are so many people who are reaching out on their own account. (It) seems that they are not afraid they just want to reach out and go beyond any kind of authority or limitations that may exist locally for them to just connect with somebody," he said.

Ansari, a native of Iran, is encouraging Christians worldwide to pray for Iran, especially now as they and millions of Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan.

"Our goal is just to be out there and just tell them {Muslims} that there is another choice: that the prophet Jesus whom they know very well through Islam, He is more than a prophet -- that believing in Him can bring a sense of hope and a sense of new beginnings," he said.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/July/Tired-of-Islam-Iranians-Ask--Who-Is-This-Jesus/

healing school

A Question of Miracles

In April 2001, HBO aired a documentary entitled A Question of Miracles that focused on Hinn and a well-documented fellow Word-of-Faith German minister based in Africa, Reinhard Bonnke.[21] Both Hinn and Bonnke offered full access to their events to the documentary crew, and the documentary team followed seven cases of "miracle healings" from Hinn's crusade over the next year. The film's director, Antony Thomas, claimed to CNN's Kyra Phillips that they did not find any cases where people were actually healed by Hinn.[22] Thomas said in a New York Times interview that "If I had seen miracles [from Hinn's ministry], I would have been happy to trumpet it...but in retrospect, I think they do more damage to Christianity than the most committed atheist."[23]
"Do You Believe in Miracles"

In November 2004, the CBC Television show The Fifth Estate did a special titled "Do You Believe in Miracles" on the apparent transgressions committed by Benny Hinn's ministry.[1]

With the aid of hidden cameras and crusade witnesses, the producers of the show demonstrated Benny's apparent misappropriation of funds, his fabrication of the truth, and the way in which his staff chose crusade audience members to come on stage to proclaim their miracle healings.[1] In particular, the investigation highlighted the fact that the most desperate miracle seekers who attend a Hinn crusade—the quadriplegics, the brain-damaged, virtually anyone with a visibly obvious physical condition—are never allowed up on stage; those who attempt to get in the line of possible healings are intercepted and directed to return to their seats. At one Canadian service, hidden cameras showed a mother who was carrying her Muscular Dystrophy-afflicted daughter, Grace, being stopped by two screeners when they attempted to get into the line for a possible blessing from Benny. The screeners asked the mother if Grace had been healed, and when the mother replied in the negative, they were told to return to their seats; the pair got out of line, but Grace, wanting "Pastor Benny to pray for [her]," asked her mother to support her as she tried to walk as a show of "her faith in action," according to the mother. After several unsuccessful attempts at walking, the pair left the arena in tears, both mother and daughter visibly upset at being turned aside and crying as they explained to the undercover reporters that all Grace had wanted was for Benny to pray for her, but the staffers rushed them out of the line when they found out Grace had not been healed.[1] A week later at a service in Toronto, Baptist evangelist Justin Peters, who wrote his Masters in Divinity thesis on Benny Hinn[24] and has attended numerous Hinn crusades since 2000 as part of his research for his thesis and for a seminar he developed about the Word of Faith movement entitled A Call for Discernment,[25] also demonstrated to the hidden cameras that "people who look like me"—Peters has cerebral palsy, walks with arm-crutches, and is obviously and visibly disabled—"are never allowed on stage[...]it's always somebody who has some disability or disease that cannot be readily seen." Like Grace and her mother, Peters was quickly intercepted as he came out of the wheelchair section (there is one at every crusade, situated at the back of the audience, far away from the stage, and never filmed for Hinn's TV show) in an attempt to join the line of those waiting to go onstage, and was told to take a seat.[1]

clemmonce: I will post a video soon. someone was healed of cancer my pastor prayed for her and she went back to the hospital and the doctor told her there is no trace of cancer kn her breast again. I was amazed I had to beg our media department to give me the video. Repping Christ mission solution church.a.k.a Chapel of Victory

Image123: Rather the love of money has caused many problems.

As Ebola outbreak worsens, doctors battle with beliefs and shortages

SOS Children’s Villages programmes continue efforts to raise awareness and battle the spread of the disease in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. So far, there have been no reported cases in SOS facilities.

21 July 2014 - There is no cure for the Ebola virus, but education and careful hygiene can stop it from spreading. Unfortunately, in parts of West Africa where dozens have died from Ebola in the last couple weeks, many people are not convinced there is a real danger, according to Simon Tokpohozin, who works for the National Office of SOS Children’s Villages Liberia.

“Many people still believe the outbreak is not real, so they are not observing the minimum preventive measures that have been advised. People are hiding their sick relatives in their homes or taking them to the traditional doctors (‘fetishes-men’) or to pastors. As a consequence, not only the sick persons are dying, but also the traditional doctors, the pastors and those helpers who assist them in their homes and prayer-centres.”

Convincing people Ebola is a real danger is not the only problem. Liberia also lacks protective gear needed to safely treat those infected without great risk of contagion to medical staff. Mr Tokpohozin said many health centres and hospitals had closed because they lack adequate protective gear, or the workers themselves refuse to report to work without protection.

With over 630 confirmed deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since February 2014, the current outbreak is the worst known since Ebola was first identified in 1976. It spreads among humans through direct contact with blood, saliva and other body fluids, and can cause quick onset of vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rash, organ failures, and internal and external bleeding as well. It is highly contagious and fatal to 50-90% of those who become infected.

SOS Children's Villages staff are taking strict precautionary measures to ensure that visitors and residents understand how the infection is spread, observe hygiene, and recognise its early symptoms; a reporter from All Africa who visited the SOS Children's Village in Monrovia last week found that people coming and going from the village were made to wash their hands in an anti-bacterial solution.

The SOS Medical Centre Monrovia is also regarded locally as the facility best prepared to manage the outbreak.

“On 15 July a special team from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare came to our SOS Medical Centre to congratulate us for the pragmatic, professional and technical ways we are handling the situation, and they commended us for the steps we are taking to prevent the spread of the disease and increase public awareness," Mr Tokpohozin said.


Locals regard the SOS Medical Centre Monrovia as the medical facility best prepared to deal with suspected Ebola cases. Photo: Christian Lesske.
SOS Children’s Villages has been in contact with Doctors Without Borders in Liberia to seek their assistance with fast track procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for medical workers in the communities, and a possible partnership in Ebola case management.


People move faster than knowledge

Sierra Leone has had the most confirmed cases of Ebola so far, with 442 reported cases and 206 confirmed deaths since February. While the national media are working to educate the population about prevention, the virus is spreading faster, because people are traveling freely all around within Sierra Leone, says the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Sierra Leone, Olatungie Emmanuel Ekundayo Woode.

“The biggest concern is the fact that suspected Ebola patients are leaving hospitals and fleeing to other areas, thereby increasing the risk of spreading the disease even more,” Mr Woode said.

On July 10, leaders from the member states of the Economic Community of West African States called for “urgent” international help to stop the spread of Ebola in West Africa. They also cautioned citizens to stay calm but cautious, and to take every hygienic precaution.

The SOS Children’s Villages programmes in West Africa have been conducting awareness and education programmes with the help of Ministry of Health and Sanitation experts. In addition, SOS children, students and staff wash their hands regularly with chlorine, disinfectants and mountable hand sanitisers – the very first precautions advised by health experts

http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/news-and-stories/news/ebola-outbreak-in-west-africa-worsens

The spirits that I called up
I now can not get rid of!

God has spoken to us by His Son, and His Son said tithes ought to be done. i'd ponder on that. i hope you or any of the suspects don't reply, as i'm not interested in running in circles. i know you all's next line of argument.

Sethuncahier: Woow! I really commend your uncompromising stance...I just discoverd its a fake story now, I only rebroadcasted the message without veracity...thanks for the quick debunk,if not other people will be misleaded too. Ebola was discovered 1976 and Graham lived btw 1867 and 1935. But notwithstanding we have to believe on the power of Jesus to keep us protected in Nigeria...

William Franklin Graham III (born July 14, 1952), known as Franklin Graham, is an American Christian evangelist and missionary. He is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization.

Graham lives in Boone, North Carolina with his wife Jane.

Contents

1 Early years
2 Work with Samaritan's Purse
3 Controversy
4 Books
5 References
6 External links

Early years

The fourth of five children of evangelist Billy Graham and wife Ruth Bell Graham, Franklin Graham was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. As a teenager, Graham attended The Stony Brook School, a Christian private school on Long Island, New York, and finished high school in North Carolina.

In 1971, he attended LeTourneau College in Longview, Texas, and was expelled from the school for keeping a female classmate out past curfew. Also while at LeTourneau, Franklin was the mastermind of an elaborate shower flood. He and other students in the Tyler Hall West dorm took bookcase shelves and blocked off the opening to the community shower on the top floor. They then proceeded to plug the drains and fill the shower with water several feet deep. After a few days however, the shelves broke and flooded the entire building. To this day, the top floor of that dorm is known as "Flooders".[2]

He graduated from Montreat-Anderson College, now Montreat College, with an A.S. and in 1978 from Appalachian State University with a B.A.[3][4]

Despite the religious affiliation of his parents, Graham claims to have become a Christian only when he was 22 years old, in 1974 in a hotel room while on a trip to Jerusalem, though it is unclear from which religion he claims to have converted. He married Jane Austin Cunningham of Smithfield, North Carolina, later that year. They have four children: William Franklin Graham IV (Will), born in 1975, Roy Austin Graham (1977), Edward Bell Graham (1979) and Jane Austin Graham Lynch (Cissie) (1986). Lynch is now married to the NFL's Corey Lynch, safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Graham and his wife have five grandchildren.

As a young man, Graham was actively mentored by two senior members of the Billy Graham Team; Roy Gustafson and John Wesley White. These men worked alongside Billy Graham and had a desire to positively affect the life and ministry of the eldest son of their longtime friend and colleague. Franklin began conducting events for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in 1989 and became the CEO in 2000 and its president in 2002.[5] Each year, he conducts at least five Graham Festivals around the world as an evangelist associated with the BGEA. Since 1989, he has preached to more than three million people in 126 evangelistic events.[citation needed]

On January 23, 1990, Graham was a guest on 100 Huntley Street.

He went to Hong Kong from November 29, 2007, to December 2, 2007, to host the Hong Kong Franklin Graham Festival, the first major evangelistic rally in Hong Kong since its 1997 transfer of sovereignty, which drew more than 420,000 attendees.[citation needed]

Graham spoke at the 1999 Columbine High School memorial, and he also gave the opening prayer at the 2001 inauguration of George W. Bush.[6]
Work with Samaritan's Purse
Graham preaching in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Shortly after becoming a Christian, Graham joined Bob Pierce, founder of Samaritan's Purse, on a six-week mission to Asia.[citation needed] It was during this trip that Graham decided to focus on world relief. In 1979, after the death of Pierce, he became the president of Samaritan's Purse. Graham now also serves as the organization’s CEO, and heads efforts on behalf of the organization in more than 100 countries, including programs such as Operation Christmas Child and the "Children’s Heart Project".

Samaritan's Purse reported gross receipts of $414,031,085 during the 2010 federal tax year.[7] According to public records filed with the Internal Revenue Service, Graham was compensated $409,851 as chairman of Samaritan's Purse and received $156,566 from the Billy Graham Evangelical Association as CEO.[7]
Controversy
Warsaw (June 14, 2014)

Graham, a supporter of the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, came under criticism for comments he made about Islam in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks when he referred to Islam as "a very evil and wicked religion."[8] Further criticism came on April 18, 2003, when he preached at a Good Friday service at the Pentagon.[9] Graham has made controversial remarks against Islam saying "True Islam cannot be practiced in this country," Graham told CNN's Campbell Brown in December 2009. "You can't beat your wife. You cannot murder your children if you think they've committed adultery or something like that, which they do practice in these other countries."[10][11][12][13] On April 22, 2010 after objections from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and the Muslim group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Pentagon rescinded his invitation from the Christian conservative National Day of Prayer Task Force to speak at a Pentagon National Day of Prayer event.[10] He still attended the National Day of Prayer meeting at the Pentagon, but outside in the parking lot with about a dozen people.

In the August 30, 2010 issue of the Time magazine, "Does America Hate Islam?" Graham reportedly said that Islam "is a religion of hatred. It's a religion of war." Building the cultural center near Ground Zero, he says, means Muslims "will claim now that the World Trade Center property ... is Islamic land."

On Iraq, Graham says he is, "poised and ready" to send representatives of the charity he runs to Iraq as soon as possible. While the purpose is humanitarian aid, Graham also admits, "I believe as we work, God will always give us opportunities to tell others about his Son. ... We are there to reach out to love them and to save them, and as a Christian, I do this in the name of Jesus Christ."

On August 19, 2010, when asked by CNN correspondent John King if he had doubts that President Barack Obama is a Christian, Graham stated, "I think the president's problem is that he was born a Muslim, his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name." Franklin continues to say, "Now it's obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That's what he says he has done. I cannot say that he hasn't. So I just have to believe that the president is what he has said." In a March 2011 interview with the conservative internet publication Newsmax, Graham claimed that Obama had "allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to become part of the US government and influence administration decisions," asserting that:

The Muslim Brotherhood is very strong and active in our country. It's infiltrated every level of our government. Right now we have many of these people that are advising the US military and State Department on how to respond in the Middle East, and it's like asking a fox, like a farmer asking a fox, "How do I protect my henhouse from foxes?" We've brought in Muslims to tell us how to make policy toward Muslim countries. And many of these people we've brought in, I'm afraid, are under the Muslim Brotherhood.

Graham has also been criticized for refusing to participate in 1994 peace negotiations between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Sudanese and Ugandan governments. When Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court in March 2009, Graham argued in an op-ed in The New York Times that Bashir should not be indicted for alleged genocidal acts because the indictment would lead to the collapse of the 2005 peace agreement. People for the American Way, among others, criticized Graham for downplaying Bashir's war in mostly Muslim Darfur because of peace in the mostly Christian south of Sudan and because Bashir has allowed Graham and his Samaritan's Purse latitude in operating in Sudan. In September 2010, Graham stated on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour that building churches and synagogues is forbidden in most countries in the Islamic world .

In a March 2011 interview with Newsmax, Graham said the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan "may be" the second coming and Armageddon.

In April 2011, Graham told ABC's This Week program that Donald Trump, who had recently declared an interest in the Republican nomination for the 2012 US presidential race, was his preferred candidate.[23] During an interview with "Morning Joe" on MSNBC on Feb 21, 2012,[24] Reverend Graham said that Rick Santorum was most closely aligned to Christian values in his words and deeds and that Senator Santorum was certainly a Christian at heart. On President Obama, Reverend Graham said that he is "a fine man" but could not know whether the President was a Christian in his heart. Asked about Mitt Romney, Reverend Graham said that, most Protestants do not view Mormonism as a Christian faith.

On February 28, 2012 Franklin Graham responded to a one-page letter sent by the NAACP as: "Open Letter from Leaders of Faith Regarding Statements by Franklin Graham." In the introduction to the one-page letter the fourteen signatories stated: "we are greatly troubled by recent attempts by some religious leaders to use faith as a political weapon. We were disturbed and disappointed by statements made by Rev. Franklin Graham during an interview on MSNBC that questioned whether President Obama is a Christian." In closing, the open-letter stated: "We call on Rev. Graham and all Christian leaders to exemplify this essential teaching of Jesus and refrain from using Christianity as a weapon of political division." [25]

In his open-letter response, Graham apologized to President Obama stating: "I regret any comments I have ever made which may have cast any doubt on the personal faith of our president, Mr. Obama. The president has said he is a Christian and I accept that." In the open-letter closing Franklin Graham stated: "In this election season and challenging economic time I am praying for our country and for those who lead it—for we are commanded in Scripture to do so."

Graham supported North Carolina Amendment 1, which was passed by a voter referendum on May 8, 2012, prohibiting same-sex marriage and all domestic partnerships. Graham responded to Obama's May 9, 2012, statement of support for same-sex marriage, saying, "President Obama has, in my view, shaken his fist at the same God who created and defined marriage. It grieves me that our president would now affirm same-sex marriage, though I believe it grieves God even more." Graham defended Russian President Vladimir Putin's stance against homosexuality, praising him for "protecting children from any homosexual agenda or propaganda."

In October 2012, Billy Graham publicly endorsed the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.[30] Shortly after, references to Mormonism as a cult were removed from Graham's website. Observers have questioned whether the support of Republican and religious right politics on issues such as same-sex marriage coming from Graham—who no longer speaks in public or to reporters—in fact reflects the views of his son, Franklin, head of the BGEA. Franklin has denied this, and says that he will continue to act as his father's spokesperson rather than allowing press conferences.

Graham has also commented on Hinduism as well saying, "no elephant with 100 arms can do anything for me. None of their 9,000 gods is going to lead me to salvation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Graham

Sethuncahier: Several years ago, Ebola virus erupted in Africa, killing thousands without restrain or cure. The medical world was perplexed. A great man of God by the name John G Lake came to the rescue. Laying hands on infected people who were not to be touched. The slightest contact with any secretion from an infected person is all it takes for transmission. But with bare hands, cleaning secretion and curing every victim, John G Lake along with his Holy Ghost filled team, brought to an abrupt end the spread of the deadly virus. When asked by the medical world how he did it. He had this to say: I have the life of God in me, every virus that comes in contact with me dies. He asked them to get an innoculum from an infected person, observe same under a microscope to ascertain viral activities in it. They did and confirmed living and multiplying virus. He then asked them to put the innoculum on his palm and observe under the microscope. This time there were no more activities. ALL WERE DEAD upon contact with him. What a life! Every child of God has this life! He that has the Son has this life! That higher life that put out Ebola in the days of John G Lake will do the same through you in your day! At the Name of Jesus, Ebola will bow out! Stop the fear! Let this message of hope and faith go viral and the Ebola viral spread will stop! Don't disdain the ever living words of Jesus: And these signs shall follow them that believe, in my Name, they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing (Ebola virus included) it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hand on the sick (those already infected) and they shall recover - Mark 16:15-18.
John G Lake and team are long gone! But I am here, you are here! We can save our world!
We have the life of God in us!
Spread the faith!
Stop the fear!
Spread the life!
Stop the death!
Yes you can!
The world belongs to you!
Cause you belong to Jesus!
Halleluyah❕

scanp: We shall hear of all d diseases bt it shall nt come near us.... We are covered wit d blood of Jesus #teamWinnersfamily

Samaritan's Purse is an evangelical Christian humanitarian organization that targets people in physical need as a fundamental part of their Christian missionary work. The organization’s president is Franklin Graham, son of Christian evangelist Billy Graham. The name of the organization is based on the New Testament Parable of the Good Samaritan, in which Jesus uses a parable to teach people the second great commandment – how to "love your neighbour as yourself".

Rexnegro: don't mind all those pastors carrying bodyguards up n down jare...maybe they forgot the bible part that said that fear not for am with u...and the other bible part that warned people of "touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm" as for me o my opinion is I tink they don't want to die cos they still wanna enjoy all their riches jare.... a Godly prophet shouldn't be afraid to die...but naija pastors na wetin they go chop dey run for their head alone...thats y I like daddy G.o pastor E.A adeboye u hardly see him flaunt bodyguards..tho I can't say if he has or not cos I haven't seen him with bodyguards.

fem30: I understand that the RCCG has a very massive undeveloped piece of land. If truly Christ embassy encroached, why did Christ embassy do their land investigation very well? Even at that, must the case go to court? These sort of things do not augur well for the image created for Christians. I believe one party should be able to donate this land perhaps as free will / first fruit or even tithe to the other party.

IGP Khalid warns netizens not to spread false news of Selangor prince

by m kumar
Selangor Raja Muda Tengku Amir Shah (left) joins his father Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at the reading of the yasin and tahlil in conjunction with Warriors Day celebrations at the Masjid Tengku Ampuan Jemaah in Bukit Jelutong on Friday. With them are Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and Majlis Tindakan Persekutuan Negeri Selangor chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omar. - Bernamapix

Selangor Raja Muda Tengku Amir Shah (left) joins his father Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at the reading of the yasin and tahlil in conjunction with Warriors Day celebrations at the Masjid Tengku Ampuan Jemaah in Bukit Jelutong on Friday. With them are Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and Majlis Tindakan Persekutuan Negeri Selangor chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omar. - Bernamapix


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KUALA LUMPUR: Police are warning those who comment and spread the false news about the Selangor prince having converted to Christianity that action can be taken against them.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police looked at the matter seriously and will work closely with the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to identify those who disseminate the false news on websites.

"Such rumours spread by irresponsible parties can create unrest among the public and I have received a call from the Selangor palace strongly denying the rumour," he said adding that a police report on the matter had been lodged.

He also said that police would look into the website that posted the article of the prince's conversion, adding that the rumour had spread to the social media.

Khalid's statement was in response to The World News Daily Report - a website that publishes "mostly fictitious" news - which posted an article with the headline Malaysia: Crown Prince converts to Catholicism, shocks Muslim world.

"The crown prince of the state of Selangor in Malaysia, has relinquished all his possessions and a chance to succeed to the prestigious throne of Selangor to follow his heart and marry Spanish top model and superstar Cristina Gomez, a 16 year old who was propelled to stardom this year when she was noticed on national television in the crowd of a highly anticipated football match,” the article said.

The website claimed that it is "an American Jewish Zionist newspaper based in Tel Aviv and dedicated to covering biblical archaeology news and other mysteries around the globe."

It has a disclaimer clause which said "World News Daily Report is a news and political satire web publication, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways."

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/07/25/police-warn-selangor-prince-conversion-commenters/

MarkMiwerds: council of Macon, Lateran Council... These Councils were the Catholic Church.

At Macon, it was decided that the original tithe be resurrected. This was the Levitic tithe of crops and livestock.

In AD 777, under the rule of Charlamagne amended the crops & livestock tithe to include money. Thus, the origin of the monetary tithe... in the Catholic Church.

Church tax

A church tax is a tax imposed on members of some religious congregations in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and several other countries.

Austria

history

Until 1780 the church had mainly earned their expenses from its own assets and income from their land.

In the reign of Emperor Joseph II (1780-1790) many monasteries, pens and churches were closed. From these proceeds of the so-called religious fund was created, which was under state administration. With this, the clergy became salaried and financed the parishes. In addition, government subsidies have been granted.

Hitler's regime introduced in 1939, the payments to the Church, confiscated the religious fund and created the Church contribution law. This was true of the Catholic Church, the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession and the Helvetic and the Old Catholic Church in the Ostmark.

Church tax is compulsory for Catholics in Austria, with a rate of 1.1%. This tax was introduced by Hitler in 1939. After World War II, the tax was retained in order to keep the Church independent of political powers.

In Austria pay members of the Catholic, Protestant and Old Catholic church a church contribution. Members of the ICG paid until 1998 a cult control. The legal basis is the church Post Law of 1939, which provides for the confiscation in own area of ​​responsibility over church contribution points, and the church contribution orders.

The church tax is calculated on the gross annual income; Contributions to recognized churches and religious communities in income tax since 2012 deductible up to a maximum of 400 € as special expenses. By 2008, there was a maximum amount of € 100 by 2011 a maximum amount of € 200.

Croatia

The Roman Catholic Church in Croatia receives significant state financial support and other benefits established in concordats between the Government and the Vatican. By the special agreement between Holy See and Republic Croatia, Croatia is, through state budget, financing salaries and pensions of clergy (even the military chaplains), church sacral objects maintenance and restoration, building and running of church schools and universities, and aside to that still pay a financial tribute to the Vatican. It is also worth mentioning that as a Nonprofit organization the Catholic Church in Croatia is exempt from most taxes with having benefits to those few taxes it pays

Percentage-wise, about 0.004% of state budget ends up funding activities of Roman Catholic Church in Croatia.

Denmark

The members of national Church of Denmark pay a church tax, which varies between municipalities, but can be as large as 1.51%. The tax is generally in the vicinity of 1% of the taxable income. The tax doesn't cover the entire budget of the church. An additional 13% is paid by the government. This means even people who are not members of the church finance the church through taxes.

Finland

All members of either the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church (the two state churches of Finland) pay an income-based church tax of between 1% and 2%, depending on the municipality. On average the tax is about 1.4%.

Formerly, to stop paying church tax, one had to formally leave the church by personally going to local register office and waiting during an allowance of time for reflection. This requirement was removed in 2003 and currently a written (but not signed) statement to the church suffices. The majority of resignations since 2005 are now handled through a web site, Eroakirkosta.fi. If one is a member of the church when the year begins, he/she will pay taxes for the whole year; however, these are later returned as a tax refund.

In addition to personal taxation, the state divides some of the money collected by taxing private companies to the two state churches. It does not matter if company is owned by church members or non-members. It has been argued that the churches use this money to upkeep cemeteries, to which they are obligated by law.

Germany

About 70% of church revenues come from church tax. This is about €9.2 billion (in 2010).

Article 137 of the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and article 140 of the German Basic Law of 1949 are the legal basis for this practice.

In Germany, on the basis of tax regulations passed by the communities and within the limits set by state laws, communities may either

require the taxation authorities of the state to collect the fees from the members on the basis of income tax assessment (then, the authorities withhold a collection fee), or
choose to collect the church tax themselves.

In the first case, membership in the community is entered onto a tax document (Lohnsteuerkarte) which employees must surrender to their employers for the purpose of withholding tax on paid income. If membership in a tax-collecting religious community is entered on the document, the employer must withhold church tax prepayments from the income of the employee in addition to other tax prepayments. In connection with the final annual income tax assessment, the state revenue authorities also finally assess the church tax owed. In the case of self-employed persons or of unemployed taxpayers, state revenue authorities collect prepayments on the church tax together with prepayments on the income tax.

If, however, religious communities choose to collect church tax themselves, they may demand that the tax authorities reveal taxation data of their members to calculate the contributions and prepayments owed. In particular, some smaller communities (e.g. the Jewish Community of Berlin) choose to collect taxes themselves to save collection fees the government would charge otherwise.

Collection of church tax may be used to cover any church-related expenses such as founding institutions and foundations or paying ministers.

The church tax is only paid by members of the respective church. People who are not members of a church tax-collecting denomination do not have to pay it. Members of a religious community under public law may formally declare their wish to leave the community to state (not religious) authorities. With such a declaration, the obligation to pay church taxes ends. Some communities refuse to administer marriages and burials of (former) members who had declared to leave it.

The money flow of state and churches is distinct at all levels of the procedures. The church tax is not meant to be a way for the state to directly support churches, but since expenses for church tax are fully deductible (as are voluntary expenses for the Church, for charity or a bundle of other privileged aims) in fact such support occurs on a somewhat large scale. The effort of collecting itself, done by the State, is entirely paid for by the Churches with a part of the tax income.

The church tax is historically rooted in the pre-Christian Germanic custom where the chief of the tribe was directly responsible for the maintenance of priests and religious cults. During the Christianization of Western Europe, this custom was adopted by the Christian churches (Arian and Catholic) in the concept of "Eigenkirchen" (churches owned by the landlord) which stood in strong contrast to the central church organization of the Roman Catholic Church. Despite the resulting medieval conflict between emperor and pope, the concept of church maintenance by the ruler remained the accepted custom in most Western European countries. In Reformation times, the local princes in Germany became officially heads of the church in Protestant areas and were legally responsible for the maintenance of churches. Not until the 19th century were the finances of churches and state regulated to a point where the churches became financially independent. At this point the church tax was introduced to replace the state benefits the churches had obtained previously.

Taxpayers, whether Roman Catholic, Protestant or members of other tax-collecting communities, pay between 8% (in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg) and 9% (in the rest of the country) of their income tax to the church or other community to which they belong.[2]

For example, a single person earning 50,000 euros may pay an average income-tax of 20%, thus 10,000 euros. The church tax is then 8% (or 9%) of that 10,000 euros: 800 (or 900) euros.

Iceland

Taxpayers in Iceland are obligated to pay a congregation tax (Icelandic sóknargjöld) to the recognized religious organization of their choice. Those who do not belong to any recognized religious organization pay the same amount to the State. The Church of Iceland receives governmental support beyond the congregation taxes paid by its members.

Italy

Main article: Eight per thousand

Taxpayers in Italy are obligated to pay the so-called eight per thousand tax. This tax amounts to 0.8% of the total income tax (IRPEF) and every taxpayer can choose on their tax form the recipient of the contribution.

Currently the choices are:

Italian State
Catholic Church
Waldensian Evangelical Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Assemblies of God in Italy
Union of the Jewish Communities in Italy
Lutheran Evangelical Church in Italy
Baptist Evangelical Christian Union of Italy
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy
Apostolic Church in Italy (Pentecostalism)
Italian Buddhist Union
Italian Hindu Union

If the choice is not expressly declared in the tax form, the tax is distributed according to the percentages of the taxpayers who have declared their choice of beneficiary. While it was intended that the State should use its own share of the 0.8% tax for social or cultural purposes, it has in practice employed it for general purposes, including its military mission in Iraq in 2004 and the upgrading of prison infrastructure in 2011.

Sweden

The members of Church of Sweden pay church fee, which varies between municipalities, but can be as much as 2%. Church and state are separated as of 2000, however the burial tax (begravningsavgift) is paid by everyone regardless of membership.

In a recent development, the Swedish government has agreed to continue collecting from individual taxpayers the annual payment that has always gone to the church. But now the fee will be an optional checkoff box on the tax return. The government will allocate the money collected to Catholic, Muslim, Jewish and other faiths as well as the Lutherans, with each taxpayer directing where his or her taxes should go.

Switzerland

There is no official state church in Switzerland. However, all the 26 cantons (states) financially support at least one of the three traditional denominations – Roman Catholic, Old Catholic (in Switzerland Christ Catholic), or Evangelical Reformed – with funds collected through taxation. Each canton has its own regulations regarding the relationship between church and state. In some cantons, the church tax (up to 2.3%) is voluntary but in others an individual who chooses not to contribute to church tax may formally have to leave the church. In some cantons private companies are unable to avoid payment of the church tax.

MarkMiwerds: Nora, the monetary tithe requirement lie was invented by the Catholic Church in AD 777 under the rule of Charlemagne.

This is not only revealed in the Catholic Encyclopedia, but also in the Encyclopedia Britannica of 1911.

In the Christian Church, as those who serve the altar should live by the altar (1 Corinthians 9:13), provision of some kind had necessarily to be made for the sacred ministers. In the beginning this was supplied by the spontaneous offerings of the faithful. In the course of time, however, as the Church expanded and various institutions arose, it became necessary to make laws which would insure the proper and permanent support of the clergy.
The payment of tithes was adopted from the Old Law, and early writers speak of it as a divine ordinance and an obligation of conscience. The earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the letter of the bishops assembled at Tours in 567 and the canons of the Council of Maçon in 585.

In course of time, we find the payment of tithes made obligatory by ecclesiastical enactments in all the countries of christendom. The Church looked on this payment as "of divine law, since tithes were instituted not by man but by the Lord Himself" (C. 14, X de decim. III, 30). As regards the civil power, the Christian Roman emperors granted the right to churches of retaining a portion of the produce of certain lands, but the earliest instance of the enforcement of the payment of ecclesiastical tithes by civil law is to be found in the capitularies of Charlemagne, at the end of the eighth century.

English law very early recognized the tithe, as in the reigns of Athelstan, Edgar, and Canute before the Norman Conquest. In English statute law proper, however, the first mention of tithes is to be found in the Statute of Westminister of 1285. Tithes are of three kinds: predial, or that derived from the annual crops; mixed, or what arises from things nourished by the land, as cattle, milk, cheese, wool; and personal or the result of industry or occupation.

Predial tithes were generally called great tithes, and mixed and personal tithes, small tithes. Natural substances having no annual increase are not tithable, nor are wild animals. When property is inherited or donated, it is not subject to the law of tithes, but its natural increase is. There are many exempted from the paying of tithes: spiritual corporations, the owners of uncultivated lands, those who have acquired lawful prescription, or have obtained a legal renunciation, or received a privilege from the pope.

At first, the tithe was payable to the bishop, but later the right passed by common law to parish priests. Abuses soon crept in. The right to receive tithes was granted to princes and nobles, even hereditarily, by ecclesiastics in return for protection or eminent services, and this species of impropriation became so intolerable that the Third Council of Lateran (1179) decreed that no alienation of tithes to laymen was permissible without the consent of the pope.

In the time of Gregory VIII, a so-called Saladin tithe was instituted, which was payable by all who did not take part personally in the crusade to recover the Holy Land.

At the present time, in most countries where some species of tithes still exist, as in England (for the Established Church), in Austria, and Germany, the payment has been changed into a rent-charge.

In English-speaking countries generally, as far as Catholics are concerned, the clergy receive no tithes. As a consequence, other means have had to be adopted to support the clergy and maintain the ecclesiastical institutions (see CHURCH MAINTENANCE), and to substitute other equivalent payments in lieu of tithes. Soglia (Institut, Canon, II, 12) says "The law of tithes can never be abrogated by prescription or custom, if the ministers of the Church have no suitable and sufficient provision from other sources; because then the natural and divine law, which can neither be abrogated not antiquate, commands that the tithe be paid." In some parts of Canada, the tithe is still recognized by civil law, and the Fourth Council of Quebec (1868) declared that its payment is binding in conscience of the faithful.

MarkMiwerds: No, Olaadegbu. I encourage giving. I frown on people giving because of lies told from such as you.

God's Word tells us we should give. What it does not tell us to do, is tithe our money. The monetary tithe is a lie invented by the Catholic Church and believed and endorsed by simple people who don't believe God's Word concerning tithes.

thorpido: Genesis 28:22.You can read the whole chapter to have a better understanding.

thorpido: I could choose to prove my 'facts' that the bible itself is controvertible.Nothing you say will convince me otherwise.How do you prove to me that Jesus died and rose the third day?
I still maintain it's your line of belief.Anyone can choose what side to fall on.
Jacob gave tithe to God not because anyone forced him or quoted a law.He did it of faith.