145 - A Shocking Cost Benefit Analysis of Mega Churches Pt1
Local churches provide homeless outreach, school programs, and emergency aid. How much do Televangelists and Mega Churches give back to the public…?
If you’re a tither then across denominations 10% of your annual income seems to be the standard for church donations. The Southern Baptist Convention, the Mormon Church, and the Catholic Link all say 10% off the top is just about right. Even the word ‘Tithe’ in Hebrew means 10% or “one tenth”. Baked into the word itself is the standard which churches think we should give. The tithe is also shockingly close to what Americans pay in taxes, apx 14%. So what do we get in return for our tithe? And why do the Mega Churches ask for so much more than 10%?
In our first half of the Mega Churches episode, we talk about a Washington University study that found the emotional secret sauce that kept Mega Church attendance high. Then we compare the “contagious” feeling the Mega Churchgoers experience to the slow, downhome experience of a local church. We’ll weed out the benefits of each, and put an economic value on the “peace of mind” provided by God’s house.
Does attending a Mega Church have the same psychological benefits of packing the pews at your local church? Would your 10% tithe be better spent on therapy? How much would we pay for the circus-and-concert feeling that a Sunday Mega Church gives us, if God wasn’t involved?
Links: https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/juqsig/i_stopped_paying_tithing_to_the_church_about_six/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/vaqtsm/to_be_on_my_church_leadership_i_am_required_to/
https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/withheld-tithe-mormon-church-backlash-2022-3?op=1
https://religionnews.com/2020/12/23/why-i-stopped-tithing-to-the-lds-church/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/mormon-church-has-misled-members-on-100-billion-tax-exempt-investment-fund-whistleblower-alleges/2019/12/16/e3619bd2-2004-11ea-86f3-3b5019d451db_story.html
https://www.christianpost.com/news/churchome-forced-employees-to-tithe-10-lawsuit.html
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/attending-religious-services-linked-to-longer-lives-study-shows
https://www.npr.org/2019/11/05/776270553/hidden-brain-does-going-to-church-improve-your-mental-health
https://medium.com/the-base-line/anxiety-among-the-church-26905d618933