A Spanish-Portuguese church has sparked controversy after its pastor made thousands selling plots of land in heaven for $100/roughly £80 per  square meter. And though some may think £80 per square meter in today's property market is a bargain, let’s not forget, the buyer (of which there have already been many), has to die before knowing for certain whether the high risk investment was worth it. 

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In a brazen statement, the pastor claims that in a 2017 meeting with God, he was told to orchestrate the real estate venture. Whilst many accusations have been hurled at the cheeky pastor, a lack of professionalism in this venture was definitely not one of them, after comprehensive brochures detailing the purchase were circulated on the internet. The brochure cover depicts a wholesome family of four ascending a golden staircase towards an average suburban detached home. 

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Although, throughout history, people have starved themselves, taken vows of chastity and denied themselves countless earthly pleasure to earn a coveted spot in heaven. This church claims to make the process of attaining an afterlife with the Creator, easier than getting a full-set at your local nail shop.

The brochure is littered with payment options including Google pay, Apple Pay and maestro, meaning any payment method can theoretically get you into paradise. 

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Many critics have taken to social media to point out what they view as the repeated fraudulent practises of pastors. Some mentioned Pastor Tobi, well known for his questionable spending and financial problems, after he failed to provide records to support claimed donations and £1.87 million. One such critic, posted to X/twitter:

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The pastor about to use their money to cash-in on a Porsh, Lamborghini and private jet.

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Whilst another tweeted:

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‘They need to tax churches because there's a lot of fraud going on.’

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Above all, many sentiments on social media criticised the way in which, the rogue pastor and others like him, exploit their congregation. Despite completely contradicting biblical text, which makes clear that the limited spaces in heaven are not for ‘sale’ as such, the pastor claimed that he was allowed to sale the lots by God's personal instruction (we don’t think that counts as a binding contract for the buyer). One commentator referred to such pastors as ‘false prophets’, whilst another highlighted that ‘Jesus flipped tables for stuff like this’. We hope that all the parishioners have more protection on their future investments, but who are we to say that their money was squandered? What do you think Residents, should pastors be able to charge their congregation for heavenly goods?

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