Posted on 01/26/2012 9:34:45 PM PST by WilliamIII
Mitt Romney's tax returns reveal that the Republican presidential candidate does something fewer Americans do these days: He tithes.
Romney's 2009 and 2010 tax returns, released Tuesday, show that he and his wife, Ann, gave 10 percent of their income, about $4.1 million, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The couple reported income of about $43 million for the two years.
LDS church members must tithe to participate in temple rituals. Nearly 80 percent of Mormons tithe, a poll released this month by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows.
While tithing among Mormons is high, it is at an all-time low – less than 3 percent – among many faith groups, according to an October report by Empty Tomb, a Christian research organization. The theology behind tithing is also being questioned, with many saying the mandate to contribute 10 percent is not biblical.
Tithing has its roots in the Old Testament – "Bring all the tithes to the storehouse," from the book of Malachi – and means one-tenth of income.
"The New Testament says a Christian is saved under grace and it does not teach tithing," said Russell Kelly who argues against it on his website, www.shouldthechurchteachtithing. com. "A lot of people would rather stay home than go to church and hear about it. All it does is make them feel as if they're cursed for not giving 10 percent."
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
I wouldn’t pay tithing on Social Security if I paid any tithing at all. They got it the first time. I give at least 50% to a great charity.
Besides, If you saw the fabulous looks on the faces of the special needs workshops participants you would be begging to pay a type of tithe to this charity. In this way I can totally control what happens to the money donated. In fact one of the biggest donors happens to be an LDS apostle.
http://www.thunderbirdfoundation.com/special-needs-program.cfm
Youre wrong kid
You will find many here who know more about the LDS than the practices lines and shiny brochures reveal...
The mormon church failed to even break into Forbes top 200 charities. But organizations like Pat Robertson's CBN did.
Other Christian religions also require tithing.
Other churchs don't link 'tithing' to exhaltation to godhood either. Nor will these other churches demand you pay your tithe when facing the poor farm.
There is no indication in the New Testament that tithing was abolished
Acts 15:24: “Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment.” Tithing was part of the law to ISRAEL- NOT the Church.
* The tithing pays for more than buildings, which are used every day of the week
Like a 4 Billion + dollar Mall in SLC
If I paid tithing just to attend the temple, you could at least surmise that attending the temple also has deep significance to members with regard to their commitment. I imagine that most of you have your minds made up and have never bothered to really speak to many members to understand us. I challenge you to be more honest in your judgements.
On the contrary - most here understand fully the significance of being a TM. Tithing is a component of maintaining that TR and without it, no stairway to godhood.
Godzilla,
I was going to take time to point out the fallacy of corrector’s post,
but you did such a great job I don’t have to! Now, I can just hit the Easy Button
and move on...
Corrector, welcome n00b! Stick around. You will be challenged with FACTS,
EVIDENCE, AND LOGIC that your church never allows you to read. If you deal with
an open mind and not just react, you will be closer to salvation.
Oh, post 69 is frickin’ high-larious! I will never again doubt how COMPLETELY NORMAL and MAINSTREAM Mormonism is - and how important it is that people understand that so Mitt Romney can win!
I had 4 kids and am now raising 2 more, there have been lotsa times I would have given your Pastor a couple of them.
Oh, yer talkin' about goats!
IF?? If you wish to attain salvation, (mormon brand, exaltation) you have NO choice but to pay tithing and attend the temple, where you will take part in arcane manmade "covenants" which mormon see as binding on God.
I imagine that most of you have your minds made up and have never bothered to really speak to many members to understand us. I challenge you to be more honest in your judgements.
Several of the ones posting here are former mormons and well-versed "understanding" you. Most of us have been through the temple.
I challenge you to be more honest in your judgments.
What, someone's got elsie's goat besides his wife?
Could you LIST the reply numbers of this misinformation?
I want to DIRECTLY address it.
Could you LIST the reply numbers of this misinformation?
I want to DIRECTLY address it.
Other Christian religions also require tithing.
This statement sounds like you may think that MORMONism is CHRISTIAN. Do you?
They address YOUR 'incorrect' statement here:
There is no indication in the New Testament that tithing was abolished
Oh I know about ol’ Jack and Casper, too.
They had the rubber bands on when we got them.
Too bad...
This just MUST be translated incorrectly:
1 Timothy 5:18
"Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."
I sure hope that TEMPTATION does not latch onto a bishop and he SKIMS a bit off for himself.
How would HQ know, anyway??
LOL thats what we did with out males we didn’t want breeding..when one of our son’s watched he just freaked out. The goats walk funny for about 24 hours and then don’t mind at all...Neither of us wanted to cut them, that takes some experience & we didn’t have the stomach for it.. If you know someone with goats you could borrow their buck for a few days...:O)
SHE's the one that fell in love with them by looking at pictures in a magazine!
I don't know if she'd even ever PETTED a goat!
And when she experienced their penchant for nibbling your clothes, she decided that they loved ME a lot more than her!
So now; I have 4 more to take care of: 'Til death do us part.
Our preacher just said/explained something that I’m not sure that I have ever caught/understood.
First, we are saved by Grace and grace alone. BUT - we still feel compelled somehow to live by the rules in order to be saved. He was saying how the “rules”, even the Ten Commandments are not the rules on how to be saved. (If you are saved - your SAVED!)
They are directions on how best to do things, and how to live your life to what God wants you to be, so that you can have an abundant life (and not talking about wealth - but blessings), and to have a close relationship with God.
And part of that is tithing.
I asked another preacher once if it was 10% of gross or net, and they said “whatever you think it should be”.
Cuban Leaf responds: A couple of things: The quote you pulled from my post was a quote I pulled from another post. They were not my words. :-)
My original post which caused this confusion is #70. In it, I carefully stated "otherwise orthodox Christians" to make sure that no one would infer that I was including Mormons as Christians. They aren't. That was the context of the quote which Cuban Leaf cited. By inference, my reference to "God's Word" and "Scripture" does not include the figments of Joseph Smith's or later Mormon "prophets" imaginations.
I believe that my anti-Mormonism credentials are solid - just ask Greg West. ;-)
That’s what I get for drive-by posting. I don’t have time to follow the threads, and read who posts what and for which side.
I was, at one time, familiar with all the inmans, heck, I’m a founding member (if there is one). I’ve just been too busy to keep up. Again, I apologize.
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