Romney gave $4 Million donations to Mormon Church. Do Mormons help the poor with these donations?

January 24, 2012 | Ralph Mitchell

[mitchell001]

On his income taxes released today, we see that Romney gave $4 Million tithe donations to Mormon Church. Do Mormons help poor Americans with these donations? Do the Mormons have something similar to Catholic Charities, which helps thousands of Americans (both Catholic and non-Catholics) with basic life needs, medical help, childcare help, education help, etc. The main question is do Mormons use the $4 Million from Romney to ONLY advance the Mormon religion without helping the American poor. Does Romney even know or care what the Mormon Church does with his $4 Million donation? I think that is a fair question.

[Elsie]

But I’m curious, Elsie: is this little girl and her stuffed horse the equestian response to Calvin and Hobbs?

Pretty close; I'd say.

I do so miss C&H

[Elsie]

... is this little girl and her stuffed horse the equestian response to Calvin and Hobbs?

Either they are or it's Rat and Pig...

[Cincinna]

The Mormons don’t do charity as most Christians and Jews would understand the concept which comes from Biblical teaching in the Old and New Testaments.
Charity means giving to those in need. The Mormons, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, help only their own. The money and power structure of the Mormons and their financial holdings is totally wrapped in secrecy.
Two important questions:
1. What do the Mormons do with Mitt’s money, and is he aware of it?
Our church must account for every penny and every expense. If money us given to a senior center, or a missionary outreach, it is published in the annual report.
2. Do the tens of millions Mitt gave in cash & stock in publicly owned companies like Bain give the Mormons control.
3. How much control do the Mormons have over Mitt?

Am I the only one who found Mitt’s comment at the debate about Castro “going to another land” after he dies, totally weird & bizarre?

The more I learn about the Mormon Church, the scarier it is.

[Elsie]

To equate momonnism with Islam is beyond the pale of reason or decency.

Hold this thought...

[morphing libertarian]

LOL. If you’re speechless, then the thread has turned for the better.

I guess you don’t believe that people have a right to their faith and religious beliefs as long as they’re not forcing or killing others. What would be the purpose of ridiculing them, as mormons are ridiculed here almost daily?

Do you not think that some people find catholicism and your beliefs unusual or weird. Or does everyone think your belief is prefect?

As for what kind of a catholic am I? Go ahead and judge. You’ve judged everything else.

I don’t expect an answer unless you have your speech back.

[Elsie]

To equate momonnism with Islam is beyond the pale of reason or decency.

UMBRAGE noted: are you still holding???

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“I Will Be a Second Mohammed”

In the heat of the Missouri “Mormon War” of 1838, Joseph Smith made the following claim, “I will be to this generation a second Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was ‘the Alcoran [Koran] or the Sword.’ So shall it eventually be with us—‘Joseph Smith or the Sword!’ ”[1]

It is most interesting that a self-proclaimed Christian prophet would liken himself to Mohammed, the founder of Islam. His own comparison invites us to take a closer look as well. And when we do, we find some striking—and troubling—parallels. Consider the following.

• Mohammed and Joseph Smith both had humble beginnings. Neither had formal religious connections or upbringing, and both were relatively uneducated. Both founded new religions by creating their own scriptures. In fact, followers of both prophets claim these scriptures are miracles since their authors were the most simple and uneducated of men.[2]

• Both prophets claim of having angel visitations, and of receiving divine revelation to restore pure religion to the earth again. Mohammed was told that both Jews and Christians had long since corrupted their scriptures and religion. In like manner, Joseph Smith was told that all of Christianity had become corrupt, and that consequently the Bible itself was no longer reliable. In both cases, this corruption required a complete restoration of both scripture and religion. Nothing which preceded either prophet could be relied upon any longer. Both prophets claim they were used of God to restore eternal truths which once existed on earth, but had been lost due to human corruption.

• Both prophets created new scripture which borrowed heavily from the Bible, but with a substantially new “spin.” In his Koran, Mohammed appropriates a number of Biblical themes and characters—but he changes the complete sense of many passages, claiming to “correct” the Bible. In so doing he changes many doctrines, introducing his own in their place. In like manner, Joseph Smith created the Book of Mormon, much of which is plagiarized directly from the King James Bible. Interestingly, the Book of Mormon claims that this same Bible has been substantially corrupted and is therefore unreliable. In addition, Joseph Smith went so far as to actually create his own version of the Bible itself, the “Inspired Version,” in which he both adds and deletes significant portions of text, claiming he is “correcting” it. In so doing he also changes many doctrines, introducing his own in their place.

• As a part of their new scriptural “spin,” both prophets saw themselves as prophesied in scripture, and both saw themselves as a continuation of a long line of Biblical prophets. Mohammed saw himself as a continuation of the ministry of Moses and Jesus. Joseph Smith saw himself as a successor to Enoch, Melchizedek, Joseph and Moses. Joseph Smith actually wrote himself into his own version of the Bible—by name.

• Both prophets held up their own scripture as superior to the Bible. Mohammed claimed that the Koran was a perfect copy of the original which was in heaven. The Koran is therefore held to be absolutely perfect, far superior to the Bible and superceding it. In like manner, Joseph Smith also made the following claim. “I told the Brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts, than by any other book.”[3]

• Despite their claim that the Bible was corrupt, both prophets admonished their followers to adhere to its teachings. An obvious contradiction, this led to selective acceptance of some portions and wholesale rejection of others. As a result, the Bible is accepted by both groups of followers only to the extent that it agrees with their prophet’s own superior revelation.

• Both Mohammed and Joseph Smith taught that true salvation was to be found only in their respective religions. Those who would not accept their message were considered “infidels,” pagans or Gentiles. In so doing, both prophets became the enemy of genuine Christianity, and have led many people away from the Christ of the Bible.

• Both prophets encountered fierce opposition to their new religions and had to flee from town to town because of threats on their lives. Both retaliated to this opposition by forming their own militias. Both ultimately set up their own towns as model societies.

• Both Mohammed and Joseph Smith left unclear instructions about their successors. The majority of Mohammed’s followers, Sunni Muslims, believe they were to elect their new leader, whereas the minority, Shiite Muslims, believe Mohammed’s son was to be their next leader. Similarly, the majority of Joseph Smith's followers, Mormons, believed their next prophet should have been the existing leader of their quorum of twelve apostles, whereas the minority, RLDS, believed Joseph Smith's own son should have been their next prophet. Differences on this issue, and many others, have created substantial tension between these rival groups of each prophet.

• Mohammed taught that Jesus was just another of a long line of human prophets, of which he was the last. He taught that he was superior to Christ and superceded Him. In comparison, Joseph Smith also made the following claim.

“I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him, but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet.”[4] In light of these parallels, perhaps Joseph Smith's claim to be a second Mohammed unwittingly became his most genuine prophecy of all.

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[1] Joseph Smith made this statement at the conclusion of a speech in the public square at Far West, Missouri on October 14, 1838. This particular quote is documented in Fawn M. Brodie, No Man Knows My History, second edition, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1971), p. 230–231. Fawn Brodie’s footnote regarding this speech contains valuable information, and follows. “Except where noted, all the details of this chapter [16] are taken from the History of the [Mormon] Church. This speech, however, was not recorded there, and the report given here is based upon the accounts of seven men. See the affidavits of T.B. Marsh, Orson Hyde, George M. Hinkle, John Corrill, W.W. Phelps, Samson Avard, and Reed Peck in Correspondence, Orders, etc., pp. 57–9, 97–129. The Marsh and Hyde account, which was made on October 24, is particularly important. Part of it was reproduced in History of the [Mormon] Church, Vol. III, p. 167. See also the Peck manuscript, p. 80. Joseph himself barely mentioned the speech in his history; see Vol. III, p. 162.”

[2] John Ankerberg & John Weldon, The Facts on Islam, (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1998), pp.8–9. Eric Johnson, Joseph Smith & Muhammed, (El Cajon, CA: Mormonism Research Ministry, 1998), pp. 6–7.

[3] Documentary History of the [Mormon] Church, vol.4, pp.461.

[4] Documentary History of the [Mormon] Church, vol.6, pp.408–409.

[Elsie]

I guess you don’t believe that people have a right to their faith and religious beliefs as long as they’re not forcing or killing others.

GUESSING is what has gotten you to this point.

IGNORING what the bible plainly states is something that YOU will have to be responsible for.

Do you feel judged?

GOOD; for I have!!

---

1 Corinthians 5:12

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

[RinaseaofDs]

“By your extended logic — and many other FREEPERs on this thread — then we shouldn’t care which businesses were funding the KKK during the 1924 Democratic National Convention known as the Klanbake. (You can see Wikipedia for details on this: 1924 Democratic National Convention).”

Is Mitt Romney, the individual, a business?

He isn’t, is he? He’s a private citizen, and he gave to a mainstream religious organization.

As such, I’m not sure you have a point left to argue.

Businesses can choose to make donations to charitable organizations, and they do so at their peril, because it material effects their balance sheet under the heading ‘Goodwill’.

Romney gave money to the Mormon church pursuant to fulfilling a promise he made to that church. This is no different than any giving pledge you make to any other church you may attend.

You may not agree with the Mormon church, very much like many disagree with the Catholic Church, the ELCA, the Quakers, or any other religious organization.

It’s not fodder for reasonable disqualification any more than it was for Kennedy at the time.

Either we have religious freedom in the US, or we don’t, which is why everyone is asking what your point is, savvy?

[Elsie]

246 was for you...

[morphing libertarian]

My time for zealotry has expired. Convert someone else.

[stuartcr]

Somedays the impossible just seems to happen...I knew you’d be able to come up with something. Good work

[ichabod1]

Catholic Charities doesn’t ask your denomination before helping you. Nor does any other Christian charity that I know of. So, “relief efforts for its members” isn’t exactly the same as charity, though it’s close.

[svcw]

He’s a private citizen, and he gave to a mainstream religious organization corporation.

Your statement: Either we have religious freedom in the US, or we don’t,

My response: you made a bogus charge. Show one single post where a poster said Romney does not have the right to beleive what he wants.

[NativeNewYorker]

The risk is that Kagan and Ginsburg and Breyer etc etc get a chance to dictate how religious bodies operate. Making this political is a gift to the folks who want to strip all religion from our lives.

[panaxanax]

“But you DEFINITELY are a MORMON one!”

“..as a mormon you should know that without a temple..”
___________________________________

You’re both wrong. I’m NOT Mormon.

Try again.

[ctdonath2]

Most denominations have unkind words for other denominations - hence the imperative of instantiating the given denomination at all. Catholicism, Calvinism, Pentecostalism, etc take a dim view of each others’ doctrines - yet can operate together in polite company.
Your tolerance of this may vary, and may depend on context. Insofar as we’re talking national politics here, suffices that the denomination in practice plays well with other.

[Elsie]

Convert someone else.

Gladly!

(Hint: trade your defensive coach...)

[SZonian]

"...bash mormons..."

Please identify any mormon who has "been bashed" simply because they are mormon.

[svcw]

Your point would be brilliant if mormonISM where in fact Christian.

[MHGinTN]

Like rat and pig ...