Does your place of worship require money to be a member?

[sugnim]

Does your church, temple, synagogue, fellowship, or otherwise require you to make a monetary pledge in order to be a member as an adult?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Does your church, temple, synagogue, fellowship, or otherwise require you to make a monetary pledge in order to be a member as an adult?

I used to go to a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist temple. You can go there "for free" and chant but if you want the Dhamma sacrament in your home to "get the full effect of chanting" you pay, I think, #35 for the scroll. This doesn't include the Butsudan and offerings that are formally needed in order for one to be initiated as a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist.

Nichiren SGI (a break of Shoshu) is an organization rather than lineage. They charge I think 35 of the Dhamma. They also "would like" you to donate once a year towards Kosen-Rufu (World peace). People donate hundreds to a thousands of dollars to the organization.

In itself, it's not bad. Just when I was at the Catholic Church, you'd never pay for sacraments. Yes, many donate to The Church but no one donated or needed to give money to take Communion.

 

[Tumah]

Mine charges $20 a month if you rent your apartment and $40 a month if you own it. As far as I know the only thing it gets you is half price seats on the High Holy Days. But I pay it anyways, to help with building maintenance.

 

[Quintessence]

With respect to the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, it's something of a mystery tradition that is taught through correspondence courses. All that is required for membership is the Bardic grade correspondence course; there are no recurring fees/tithes and continuing with the other grades is optional. There is little in the way of infrastructure that requires such fees to maintain, which has advantages and disadvantages. It means spaces have to be rented for any events that are hosted, and there may be fees for conferences like that or to fly speakers in from across the world.

As Druidry is very much a lived tradition, there is a sort of expectation that you contribute to the causes you are passionate about or inspired by. That doesn't necessarily mean money - it means finding your muse and pursuing it in a way that is appropriate for you. It might be you organize and host a poetry reading in your local community, or that you lead a volunteer group to harvest prairie seed for future restoration projects. Or maybe you run for local soil and water commissioner, donate to the local food pantry... whatever it is you want to do.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

The same with Quintessence, organizations like The Troth do require a single fee (I believe somewhere around $50-75,) to be a full, official member of the Organization. With that comes a few perks, responsibilities, and higher profile in the international Heathen Community.

However, I chose "not at all", because to be a Heathen requires no fee whatsoever.

 

[Altfish]

It is awful every time I go to the altar in my local place of worship I have to pay for a pint. It is also hard to stop at just one, but then all my mates are there.

 

[metis]

I selected what's expected in my wife's Catholic faith, which is "No, but it is strongly urged".

With the synagogue I attended it was required and based on a percent but could be lowered in case of need.

 

[Vinayaka]

No.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Since Jesus said 'freely you have received then freely give' at Matthew 10:8, and that the only time Jesus ' passed the plate', so to speak, was when he freely fed the crowds with fish and bread, then Jesus set the standard that there would be No collection plates or baskets passed, nor collection envelopes, but what is given would be in secret or anonymously as mentioned in chapter six of Matthew.

 

[newone]

Then "man" came along and made their own rules as usual...

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I am not religious and do not attend services, but I do pay some money to a local community church to maintain their community garden and charity garden (gleaning for food distribution). It doesn't bother me to pay a little for something I can see results in the community for.

 

[SomeRandom]

Well, no not really. People donate money, but it's not really a discussed thing. People just do it and get the tax write off.

 

[VioletVortex]

There's only one type I can think of...

 

[whirlingmerc]

nope

 

[Deeje]

There is a donation box at the Kingdom Hall, but who puts in and how much is a voluntary thing. There is no requirement.

Jesus commendation of the poor widow who put just a couple of coins of little value into the donation box at the temple, proves that its what comes from the heart that matters, not what comes from your wallet. No organization can operate on fresh air...money is required to pay the bills and help those in need. We give what we can afford, knowing that the funds are not wasted.
We have no paid clergy and no wasteful programs to finance, so every penny goes where it is needed to help our brothers all over the world. We can offset their deficiency.

As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 8:12-15....
"For if the readiness is there first, it is especially acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what a person does not have. 13 For I do not want to make it easy for others, but difficult for you; 14 but that by means of an equalizing, your surplus at the present time might offset their need, so that their surplus might also offset your deficiency, that there may be an equalizing. 15 Just as it is written: “The person with much did not have too much, and the person with little did not have too little.”

 

[Eliab ben Benjamin]

Yes i put my housekeeping money in the tea caddy every week

 

[Vijay B Menon]

Does your church, temple, synagogue, fellowship, or otherwise require you to make a monetary pledge in order to be a member as an adult?

I think they give priviledge to one who pays or donates. Others are just treated like beggars.