Watch out for costly religious practices

Teacher Cecilia has been a model Christian faithful in her New Age church for years. She never questioned her church leader’s incessant penchant for personal projects requiring money. When he needed a house, Cecilia, like many other faithful, saw this as a “God ordained project” and dutifully paid up her allocated dues...as well as his car, college fees and occasional foreign trips would all be funded in the same way.

But the biggest and boldest money stunt came last year when the preacher dreamt of a church Sacco for the general improvement of the congregation and to the glory of “the word of God.” Ideally, each member of the church was required to buy shares in the venture that would be managed by the apostle and his inner circle of church elders.