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This text was first printed within the State of Religion publication. Signal as much as obtain the publication in your inbox every Monday evening.
The share of People who attend church usually could also be dropping, however that hasn’t stopped unhealthy actors from focusing on worshippers with scams.
Lately, fraudsters have collected 1000's of dollars from individuals who thought they have been supporting their pastors. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue has solely gotten worse, in response to the AARP.
“Complaints about clergy scams used to trickle into the (AARP) Helpline a few times month-to-month; for the reason that world well being disaster, there have been 5 or 6 stories weekly,” the group reported final 12 months.
My very own Fb feed typically contains posts about this difficulty, since I've a whole lot of pastor buddies. The religion leaders warn congregants to be looking out for unusual messages and reminds them to not ship reward playing cards or different sorts of donations over textual content.
This reminder hints on the logistics of clergy scams, which usually contain a fraudster posing as a pastor or different member of a church’s workers. The scammer describes some kind of unfolding disaster and asks message recipients in the event that they’d be prepared to assist.
Generally, the message features a promise of monetary reimbursement, however churchgoers typically don’t want that to be prepared to present. In spite of everything, caring for individuals in want is what individuals of religion are anticipated to do.
“When there’s a necessity, you need to assist,” mentioned Package Clark, who misplaced $800 in a clergy rip-off, to The Baltimore Solar.
As a result of regulation enforcement struggles to catch the fraudsters concerned, officers, like pastors, have centered on placing individuals on guard. However the effectiveness of those warnings is restricted as a result of worshippers’ pure belief for his or her pastors and buddies.
“If it had been any individual else, I'd have questioned it,” Clark instructed The Baltimore Solar. “However my minister saying he was in a gathering, and will I do that? I by no means questioned it.”
Feedback likes these are why stories on and posts about clergy scams — and all sorts of scams, actually — at all times go away me feeling depressed. It’s appears so unfair for somebody to be focused just because they’re extra prepared than different People to assist individuals in want.
Contemporary off the press
Time period of the week: Devotional
Within the Latter-day Saint context, or no less than the Utah Latter-day Saint context, the time period devotional sometimes refers to a speech on non secular practices or religious progress. However it can be used to explain a e book of every day prayers or a faith-related routine. Many Christians use devotionals to arrange for important non secular holidays, like Christmas or Easter.
One among my favourite writers and thinkers, Kate Bowler, alongside together with her colleague Jessica Richie, launched a brand new e book of devotionals final week known as “Good Sufficient.” It goals to assist recovering perfectionists like me rethink their method to spirituality and religion. I’m actually having fun with it to this point.
What I’m studying ...
The COVID-19 pandemic threw single individuals’s courting lives into chaos. Immediately, they have been compelled to determine not provided that a possible match was price a date, but additionally whether or not she or he was well worth the an infection danger. Reilly Cosgrove, a younger Catholic, lately wrote about her pandemic courting expertise for America journal.
I’ve written fairly a bit lately in regards to the rise of the “nones,” which means the surge in People who don’t affiliate with a religion neighborhood. However I haven’t written sufficient in regards to the inventive ways in which church buildings are responding to this development. My good friend Bob Smietana, alternatively, is a grasp of all these tales. I actually loved his take a look at a home of worship in Connecticut that’s creating programming for the spiritual-but-not-religious.
For years, religion leaders have labored to extend racial range inside American homes of worship. However a new examine from LifeWay Analysis confirms they’re not making a lot progress. From 2013 to 2021, the share of Protestant pastors who mentioned their congregations are comprised primarily of members of a single racial or ethnic group fell by solely 10 share factors from 86% to 76%.
Odds and ends
Do you subscribe to Deseret journal but? The upcoming April difficulty is targeted on non secular traits and I contributed a few items.
Gallup launched its newest survey on life satisfaction final week. Researchers discovered that the share of weekly worship service attenders who really feel “very happy” with the best way issues are going of their life (67%) is increased than the share of individuals with a family earnings better than $100,000 who really feel the identical (61%).