Gold Encrusted

If your church has wanted to buy a jewel encrusted gold Bible?

for the altar, would you consider this as a waste of money or a great addition to the sanctuary? Just sitting there strange thoughts.

"Man does not live by bread alone ..." - Attributed to Jesus, I am not a church goer right now, but he was raised as a kind of Protestant. I think it was a huge loss Money that should have been spent helping the poor. Otoh I visited beautiful Catholic cathedrals in Europe that have jewels encrusted relics in them. The Bibles were not gold, for the most part, but what I remember in particular were the bones of alleged Saints, with bone-tipped diamonds and kept under glass. It is a form quite bizarre ornamentation, and I can not imagine God being interested in it, if God exists. I believe however that some of the cathedrals which housed these relics - St. Paul's, in Vienna, for example - have been incredibly beautiful, great works of art. Of course, the beauty of cathedrals such depends on great architecture, beautiful stained glass, etc., much more than on gold-covered Bibles and skeletons preserved under glass. Although I am not a Christian, I do not think that Christian churches must be in business promote great art. I think it is important that they spend more money on the promotion of mercy, compassion for the poor and justice. But as the writer Aldous Huxley said, statues, paintings, architecture and stained glass of cathedrals of the Middle Ages in Europe probably provided the poor of the Middle Ages (and all others living at the time) with almost - the only art, and "psychedelic" than experiences available at this time. Was it bad for the medieval church to extract money from the European peasantry to provide a lasting source of beauty and wonder in their lives? Huxley thought it was an open question, but he tend to descend on the side of beauty. Maybe he was right. Some churches also now use their money to promote renewable energy and sustainable environmental practices. I think it's a beautiful thing, and something that expresses good Christian stewardship. By helping everyone living in better harmony with the natural order that God or fate provided to us, investments in renewable energy and sustainable church environment should also help the poor, at least indirectly.