Dear Mr. Berko: Our 30-year-old daughter and son-in-law have decent jobs, have six children, live in Colorado Springs and have become new members of a church that’s just starting up. We don’t agree with all the things they are doing, and we object to their using all of the $63,000 they have in savings to help the pastor build a new church building. Other members are investing, too, and the church is giving each participant a “church mortgage” on the property, with 6 percent interest that will be paid off in 2022. When we asked whether we could invest, we were told that the pastor will only take money from true believers. Ha! The church will have a mortgage held by the parishioners, but in 2022, it will apply for a bank mortgage. Then the pastor will use the mortgage proceeds to pay off those who lent money to the church. How can I stop our daughter from making a big mistake? That money is everything they have. They rent and don’t even own a home.
— L.D., Bloomsburg, Pa.
Dear L.D.: How do such a young married couple with six kids manage to have $63,000 in a savings account? Unless they are selling pot or are Colorado legislators, that’s quite an accomplishment.
Holy gosh and Zion, too, here we go again! Religion and money are sweet and inseparable bedfellows, just like politics and money. It’s my observation that when any enterprise concerns religion, a man’s intellectual capacity morphs to that of a monkey. Because it’s easier to fool these people than to convince them they have been fooled, there’s little you can do. If you wish to maintain a happy relationship with your daughter and her husband, write them a nice letter. Kindly express your thoughts, and then never bring it up again. And remember that “kindly” is the operative word. Also remember that you can’t reason someone out of something she hasn’t been reasoned into.
The Colorado Springs area is a hot spot for religious fervor, as several huge religious dynasties have their corporate headquarters there. Among the greatest rip-off artists are politicians and men who pretend to be of the cloth, and the Springs has a lot of each. Every year, I get a few letters from readers requesting advice about investing money in some church-sponsored business or event. When the image of God is part of the pitch, all reason and common sense disappear. I know of several churches financed in a similar way. And years later, the trusting souls are holding a mortgage that isn’t worth spit on a floor. But they still believe.
