Didn't Jesus say,"it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven"..or something along that line, I am not a bible reader.
But what will he say when all the prelates, popes,ayotollahs etc roll up to the pearly gates in their bomb proof,bullet proof BIG cars?
Or will he make them use the tradesmen's entrance?

Some of you need to reflect......

You are looking in many cases at the END result of a large swing among people toward Christ and Christian values.

That END result, can often mean large land holdings.. why ? how ?
Well denomnations usually outlive their founders and members.. so it stands to reason that any property acquired during the centuries will for totally innocent reasons be in the hands of Churches. Much of that property is in fact a result of beneficial social work.

A classic example is the Salvation Army farm just near me in Boronia.
They have LARGE LAND .. VALUABLE ESTATES...as the cynic might put it, but newsflash, they are also being used to re-habilitate drug users and alchoholics. Now..if there were changes in legislation or suddenly the need for such ministry dissappeared, as in all the alchy's and addicts suddenly found healing... the properties would still belong to the Sallys.

In the case of the mission I was associated with, we own STUPENDOUSLY valuable property in Singapore, and in the Cameron Highlands,Malaysia. How did we come to own them? Simple.. they were almost thrown at us by the Dutch when they fled from Indonesia (former embassy) and by some 'capitalists' in the Camerons during the communist emergency who felt it safer not to dwell near the communist infested jungles.

We used to own a very nice place in Kew.. you know.."Money Central" almost.. but in due course we sold it, and allocated funds to more appropriate office premises. My former bible college where I did my training was in Kooyong Road Armidale.. next door to Toorak. Now it is the King David Jewish school. The money from the sale funded a new site at Lilydale, -again.. a good spot and in years to come will be seen by the cynics as 'vast and valuable estates'.

So, things are not always what they seem.

New Christian Bookstore
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yes definitely a good subject.

religion is a very big and powerful business.

If you dont believe me ask peter Costello or tony abbott.

relious organisations are subsidised by government; through tax relief and support for religious education.

why don't atheist organisations get the same advantages?

religious schools are creating and perpetuating division in society.

also why so much free religious propaganda on ABC radio/tv - Religion report, spirit of things etc.

Why not same time for specifically non religious belief systems?