So there's naturally backlash that people are focused on Chick-fil-a. The biggest thing I hear is why don't we focus on hungry children or the unemployment rate or pick your topic of choice. Well I'd like to offer another option...that being a faithful Christian means that I can fight for marriage equality and equal rights for the LBGTQ community and also work to feed the hungry, fight the high unemployment rates, work towards a creating a better environment and other issues that I support. It doesn't have to be a either or situation. What I see as a wrong is a wrong to me. When I see my faith being used to cause hurt, pain and discrimination on any issue I have the right to fight it just like you have your right to support it. I am no less of a faithful person for my stances then you are for holding your stance. Just because I choose to add my 2 cents worth to a highly discussed topic doesn't mean I'm giving up on everything else I support. I can multitask. Trust me I'll be more then happy to help a person find a job at another company so they can have gainful employment and still boycott a company that I don't agree with. I can still support education reform while saying marriage is more then a narrow view. I can help save the environment while saying that love is something bigger then any one person.
As a minister I have the honor of performing rites and ceremonies for people at a variety of stages of life: baptisms, blessings, marriages, funerals, etc. I usually enjoy planning and leading these events. But lately I've had a rash of folks shocked that as a minister, I would have a fee to do some of these services. So lets talk about why I have fees. To start with, if you are a member of my congregation you do get my services as a part of my contract with the congregation as long as they are spelled out in the contract. Generally if you're a member of the congregation I serve, it is expected that I will preform baptisms, blessings, funerals, weddings, etc for you because I want to remind you of God's continuous blessing in your life and especially at important moments in your life. However some folks are shocked that there would be an honorarium suggested for the minister. The reality is that these blessings, weddings, funerals, etc. are extra work in our wee...
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