My only "service to my country" was in uniform and was something I spent years coming to grips with. I would have preferred not to have that experience which seared my memory like a hot iron.
I never even bothered to ask my pastor if my congregation is 501c status. Again, I have too much to occupy my time to run around looking for stuff like that.
well, for my part that is the first thing i would be finding out, but then we are all in different places, and other people on the bell curve would frame their replies differently i guess. The point being that in general, Christians believe that "patriotic Christian" is not an oxymoron, and in general, pastors accepting financial arrangements with the world are considered completely acceptable, or not worth even looking into, and the discussion of conflict of interest is avoided, or cannot even be made clear to people, speaking generally.
Tbh you are like the first person who has ever even acknowledged a post in this vein, even if it is to be dismissive of it. Most ppl steadfastly refuse to pick up the thread at all. No one really wants to contemplate leaving the world of course; we just get good at giving that lip-service.
Pastors recommending whom to vote for is ok too, i guess, and etc. Understand that i have no problem with this, i just recognize that those pastors are worldly to that extent, and likely are evincing other signs of blindness, preaching rapture doctrine, or suggesting that one might be saved after some altar works done once in the past, etc. Telling people they are going to heaven when they die, and other heresies not supported by the Book. Preaching fear of hell. Affirming the MSM on the "coming" troubles lol.
Thank God all that is melting away now, and ppl have finally got wise to our "churches."