Do you give gifts to your religious leaders?
Do you give gifts to your religious leader (rabbi/preacher/pastor/priest/nun/etc) for a special occassion (Christmas/b-day/etc)?
If no, then why? Would your answer change if you had a relationship with your religious leader. (I don’t mean sexual or anything inappropriate. I mean more of a mentor or friend outside of church/synagogue/etc)
If yes, then why? What did you buy? Did you buy an interesting book, a cute little figurine, yummy cookies, a unique cross, a intricate menorah, or…..? What price range did you spend on the gift?
To answer #3, don’t you give gifts out of appreciation for something someone has done for you regardless of whether or not they give you money or some physical present back? a teacher? a dog/house sitter? Why would a religious leader be any different?
Answers show below in Comments section
yes I do I gave mine a fudge nugget
They get a card just like everyone else.
when was the last time your religous leader bought you a gift or gave you money?
Yes I do,as a church member I pitch in w/everybody to get my pastor a gift at christmas and on birthdays.Me and my husband also give him a personal gift just from us.Its our way of letting him know we think of him!God-bless ya!
Yes. People in these positions are usually mentors, and close family friends. There are specialty stores that carry gifts just for these purposes.
I give birthday and holiday gifts to those religious leaders I’m close enough to that I consider them friends. The gifts are chosen to suit their interests and personality, not just their jobs, so they’re rarely religious in nature (unless a book). I don’t really set a price range–if something strikes me as appropriate, and I can afford it, I buy it. I often send notes or cards when a sermon or message had special meaning for me.
I once gave my ex priest a book on Evolution.
He never talked to me again, of course he would avoid the discussion.
Yes, I do for his birthday and Christmas. He doesn’t receive a salary from our congregation, but if I could afford it, I would pay it because he deserves it. I usually give gift cards to places that he and his wife can enjoy.