Do churches generate a lot of revenue from the LGBT community?

[Anonymous]

First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

I’m assuming that most of the priests/pastors etc are closeted homosexuals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

Those aren't real churches

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

Those aren't real churches

Folks, here is the poster who thinks that Protestant denominations that have been mainstays of religious life in the US since the nation’s founding aren’t “real churches.”

Draw your own conclusions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

Those aren't real churches

+1

[Anonymous]

You can be cynical and think it’s about money, but it’s actually a message explicitly welcoming a group that other religious sects repudiate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

Those aren't real churches

+1

Presbyterians and Episcopalians aren't real? Wow!

[Anonymous]

It can be both genuine and strategic. The priest at my Episcopalian church is a gay man. There are a lot of young LGBT families looking for a place they belong.

[Anonymous]

I’ve always assumed it’s because most LGBT people reasonably assume churches are homophobic until proven otherwise. A rainbow flag communicates immediately that this group seriously marginalized by many Christians is welcome and will be affirmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

Those aren't real churches

Are MEGA churches real churches? Is Ericka Kirk a con woman? We know she is. Evangelical churches only exist to create money for their leaders. Not like Falwell hasn't said the quiet part out loud. He even did a documentary explaining how the changed in the late 1960's to be money makers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve always assumed it’s because most LGBT people reasonably assume churches are homophobic until proven otherwise. A rainbow flag communicates immediately that this group seriously marginalized by many Christians is welcome and will be affirmed.

+1 it's also a message to people who are not LGBTQ+ that the church is welcoming to all. There are a lot of straight people who don't want to be part of a church that shuns any group of people.

My Methodist church went through a process with the congregation to formally becoming a "reconciling congregation", https://rmnetwork.org/
part of a group of Methodist churches that explicitly welcome LGBTQ. We lost members over it. This was before the break up of the United Methodist church over this issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

Those aren't real churches

+1

Woo hoo the cult of stupidity has weighed in twice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve always assumed it’s because most LGBT people reasonably assume churches are homophobic until proven otherwise. A rainbow flag communicates immediately that this group seriously marginalized by many Christians is welcome and will be affirmed.

+1 it's also a message to people who are not LGBTQ+ that the church is welcoming to all. There are a lot of straight people who don't want to be part of a church that shuns any group of people.

My Methodist church went through a process with the congregation to formally becoming a "reconciling congregation", https://rmnetwork.org/
part of a group of Methodist churches that explicitly welcome LGBTQ. We lost members over it. This was before the break up of the United Methodist church over this issue.

Same with my Lutheran Church.

[Anonymous]

No, lol.

I attend an Episcopal church that has a focus on LGBTQ ministry, and a lot of folks from that community attend/are members. They aren't tithing/pledging any more than anyone else.

We fly a rainbow flag in June because it is Pride Month and we want it to be clear we are welcoming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

Those aren't real churches

+1

Presbyterians and Episcopalians aren't real? Wow!

Tell Henry VIII, lol.