Oh, my goodness! This is basic 101. Christians are only better off than non-Christians because Christ is their Lord and his righteous sacrifice makes them saints in the eyes of God. Christians are work-in-progress sinners (worked on by the Holy Spirit to become more like Christ) but also saints because they're covered by Christ's robes of righteousness. This has nothing to do with money or power.
This was all taught by men to people who took it at face value out of convenience. Please enlighten by what this means.
Now after you are taught the status quo, does your church pass the collection plate because the pastor has to eat, and the rental of the building has to be paid? Does it pay for the lights and the gas to heat that building?
Then it sounds no different than the building you left from to me.
Do I really have to pay God's bills and my own?
I can sing and read the bible at home.
Now think of what you wrote. Since this is "christianity 101" does not your preacher teach as well that since christians are the only ones that say Christ is their Lord, that He said that MANY who call them Lord He NEVER KNEW?
Maybe you know this. But certainly you're not one of those because you are a true christian.
Now I'm not saying this to be argumentative, but in honest curiosity. What would make you a better christian than the many He never knew?
You see, I see the world different. I hate it here. In one form or another that we are born to die, so at one time all I could see death. On top of that I was forced into a system of vain labor simply to survive long enough to die!
I could understand why people we would by appearance consider bad, but I like so many others see those who lived good honest lives die the same.
So I questioned death in a hope that I was not a mere coincidence lacking purpose. And with nothing to lose I sought within myself for the answer.