‘He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust.’ (Isaiah 26:5)
How much to pay our ministers is always an emotive topic. If there is one positive and tangible outcome from the GE2011, surely this is the one: it brought about a review of the political holders’ pay packages.
I have no qualm over paying well for our political leaders but I would expect it to commensurate with their contributions to the economy and welfare of the people. It came as a surprise that since the system of pegging our political leaders’ salaries to the top performers in the private sector began in 1994, there is no committee or watchdog overseeing it. Can we depend on the good conscience and moral judgment of the position holders to sound out if they perceived their salaries are 'out-of-line'? This seems too much to expect from anyone of us for we are all sinful in nature.
This brings to my mind the way most of the mega churches’ pastors are paid. They have let this secular culture seeps into their churches. Increasingly, they see their parishioners as ‘club members’ instead of ‘flock of sheep’ in need of guidance. The pastors are seen as ‘key persons’ bringing in new members who can contribute to the church’s funds. Is running a church or a country the same as running any profit-making enterprise? I hope we take a leaf from history: pride, greed always eventually leads to downfall.
How much to pay our ministers is always an emotive topic. If there is one positive and tangible outcome from the GE2011, surely this is the one: it brought about a review of the political holders’ pay packages.
I have no qualm over paying well for our political leaders but I would expect it to commensurate with their contributions to the economy and welfare of the people. It came as a surprise that since the system of pegging our political leaders’ salaries to the top performers in the private sector began in 1994, there is no committee or watchdog overseeing it. Can we depend on the good conscience and moral judgment of the position holders to sound out if they perceived their salaries are 'out-of-line'? This seems too much to expect from anyone of us for we are all sinful in nature.
This brings to my mind the way most of the mega churches’ pastors are paid. They have let this secular culture seeps into their churches. Increasingly, they see their parishioners as ‘club members’ instead of ‘flock of sheep’ in need of guidance. The pastors are seen as ‘key persons’ bringing in new members who can contribute to the church’s funds. Is running a church or a country the same as running any profit-making enterprise? I hope we take a leaf from history: pride, greed always eventually leads to downfall.
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