The Church of England is very flexible with its rules; the beliefs can be changed in different regions or countries to suit the local need and they believe that the teachings of Jesus and his disciples are enough to learn from. Like the Catholics, it sees itself as the unbroken branch of Christianity, and also like the Catholics they have a head of the church; the Monique, being either the King or Queen or the Archbishop of Canterbury. Their goal is to stop dept on poor nations because they believe that it’s not right.
The Methodists are an Evangelical denomination. Their main goal and belief is to stop poverty. Most of their charity work is aimed in that direction. The Methodists run some businesses of their own to gain money. Each church is a charity of its own. They have no tithing (giving 10% of income to the church) but instead have normal donations at an unfixed rate.
Presbyterians believe that all are born with a sin that they have to repent, but unlike Catholicism, representative assemblies called presbyteries run the Presbyterian religion. They also believe that Jesus is the bread and wine that they take at mass, and that they should only spend their time and money on things that are worthwhile.
The Mormons are a Christian based religion, but they also have their own personal Bible called the “Book of Mormon”. They believe in equality and all are equal before God. They believe that God’s city will be built on earth somewhere in America. They believe that Kings, governments and other political powers should be highly respected. The members of this denomination believe that they must contribute 1/10th of all their earnings to the church, and then they shall spend the money as they will.
The Agape is an Evangelical group, aiming to help churches to put theories into practice. Most of their time is focused on community work and educating children and student. They run their own businesses to gain money to achieve their goals.
Maranatha is based around the Bible and the teaching of Jesus. They believe that religion is slowly perishing and that it’s their job to rescue it from disappearing altogether. They also believe that the rich people of Britain control the country and that it’s wrong and needs to stop. They also try to make people realise the problems with modern society and help them act to stop it. They don’t believe in sharing money or donations.
The Unitarian Universalists are the oddest denomination of them all. It is Christian based but it also made up of atheists (people who do not believe in any god) in the group. They believe in the spirit of life, not in all powerful beings and that there is no afterlife once we die, unlike any other of the Christian groups. Also, unlike most Christian groups, they allow same-sex marriages.
The Bethesda Baptist Church has been in existence as a church for over 150 years. As a church Bethesda has a large and diverse congregation that regularly attend services and take part in the life of the church. It currently has over 100 members and overall it is a thriving, busy and local church that is involved in the community. It holds the rule of tithing, which requires people to give 10% of all that they earn to the church, then the money is used to pay the ministers, to keep the church in shape and help those in need. People are also encouraged into giving money to help those in need. This belief is fortified by the teachings of the Good Samaritan and of the Sheep and the Goats. The church does not look down upon those who cannot or don’t give the 10% of their income. Instead these principles can be bent to suit the person. For example some may wish to not give money to the church but give most of their time working for it and helping others personally.
I believe that the bible, and other religions, have an affect on the way we spend or money, whether it’s to donate money to a charity, a church or giving it to a stranger in need. This is because the bible is based on the moral issue of giving to those less well of and those who are struggling with life. I also believe that the way the Bethesda Baptist Church use their wealth is morally right, and that people should use at least a small amount of their personal wealth in order to help others, even if it’s just giving a coin to a homeless person on the streets. I do not believe there to be any great disadvantages to the way the Bethesda Baptist Church spend their money, because it is not a forced rule. The donator does not have to give 10%, but anything he can spare to help others.
