Why a Frugal Man Gives

For those of you who know me really well, you know that I am a bit stingy with my money. Some people call me a cheapskate. I, however, prefer the term "frugal" or "careful." Anyways, the one area in my life where I don't feel obliged to be careful is with my giving.

Note: I am in NO way trying to flaunt myself and my giving. This blog has a different point which you should get as you read.

Unless religious news (or news in general) is of no interest of you, you may know that the Roman Catholic Church is undergoing various scandals at this point in its history (pedophile priests, the lack of charisma within the faithful, former priests who seem desperate to regain former popularity). Because of these scandals and other reasons, a handful of people have asked me why I continue to give to a church of that is filled with hypocrites and sinners.

Why not? There is no question that I should give. How can I call myself a faithful Christian if I do not give? It is said that your heart is where your treasure is stored. If I spend my money on the latest gadgets, that means I have subjected myself to a Technological God. If I save each and every penny I earn, I make money itself my God. However, if I give my money as an act of worship to God, then I am serving the Lord as my God.

So, that's all fine and dandy, but the question still remains - why give to the Roman Catholic Church? The fact of the matter is, if I wait for a pure, sinless, completely righteous organization or group of people to give to give to, I will be waiting until I end up in the grave. The fact that the Church is full of sin proves that it is the church of Christ. Christ came to call sinners, not the self-righteous. Any church that points fingers to a sister church within Christianity without finding faults within itself has simply proven that it is not a Church of Christians.

As this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity commences, I pray that all the denominations of Christianity can stop pointing fingers and stop pretending to be the sole "temple of truth" if you may. Let us stop the bitter name-calling and the division that we force by resorting to senseless attacks based on external doctrinal details. Instead, let us unite with what we share - faith that Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.