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 ...
However, in 2006, the LDS Church issued a statement printed by Deseret News Publishing Company, saying that "since 1984, the LDS Church has donated nearly $750 million in cash and goods to people in need in more than 150 countries.”
That's $37.5 million per year or less than $4 per Mormon. That's less than 1% of revenues based on very, very, very conservative estimates of revenue. For a Church with assets in the tens of billions of dollars, there are many corporations that aren't nonprofit entities, or religious entities that give well in excess of $37.5 million per year.
And $750 over 22 years pales when you consider the Church is spending approximately $4 billion on the City Creek Center Mall.
Unlike volunteers from many groups, the LDS always issues press releases whenever it provides any humanitarian aid, and outfits its members in special yellow t-shirts to be noticed.
I won't bring that up, except for your "Corrector" statement about the aid going far beyond the members. It simply doesn't and hasn't.
Other Christian religions also require tithing.I'm unaware of any Christian churches that keep track of tithing and require you to be current (and caught up from previous years) to enter their temple/sanctuary/cathedrals, to view the weddings/baptisms of their children or relatives (or to be married in their temples), to be exalted, to earn the church doctrine's promise of families forever, or to become a god over his own universe (with multiple goddesses who have been sealed to him).
Now - as for the theology? That's theology. I respect your right to believe in eternal progression, and exaltation. But other churches don't tie heavenly rewards to being current on their tithes on earth.
How familiar are you with the history of the two revelations Joseph Smith says he received on tithing? The events that took place before he received them? The text of the revelations?
And why do you think that is?
I can make a payment to my God through my church anonymously, through placing a sealed envelope in the collection plate or by slipping it in a special box in the church office (which is empty during much of Sunday morning).
Nobody knows how much I gave except God and me.
But you pay your tithe to your bishop - because your bishop needs to keep track, and you have to be certain your bishop keeps track. You need credit for that tithe, not with God, but with the LDS Church. It's your ticket to the Temple. It's your ticket to watching your daughter or son get married in the temple, or watching your grandchildren get baptized. If you're widowed, it's your ticket to spending eternity with your deceased husband (provided he calls the name given you in the Temple Marriage and brings you through the curtain, if I understand the theology).
So of course you pay tithing to the bishop.
Again, I respect your right to your theology. But acknowledge the reason you pay your tithe to your bishop. Look at all the cash put in a collection plate in a Baptist or Methodist church. People give to give, and they give anonymously. How much money in anonymous tithes does the LDS Church take in?
LOL! A large portion of the inmans here grew up in Mormon families. I suspect that maybe you are a recently brainwashed convert.
I am a fifth generation Mormon turned Christian and I can testify to you that Mormonism is a wholly different religion from Christianity.
The Mormon Jesus is Satan's brother. The Christian Jesus is the Creator of all things, including Satan.
We have had our eyes opened by God. You are walking in blindness, and yet you think you have the light. The bible says that if the light that is in you is darkness, then how great is that darkness.
Maybe you should study the Christian Gospel instead of being an apologist for a false gospel. Start with the first chapter of Galatians.
/rant
Saundra, is that you?
We know you aren't resty.
I think it is PD as a retread. This is their only post. Let’s see if they show up again.
So am I IAPDS?
I said sworn to SILENCE, meaning they won’t yack your donations to just anybody in the church even if pestered to do so.
At least — not yack it associated with you. My church does totals by envelope number and the numbers are kept anonymous except to confidential treasurer’s records.
The devil’s brother you say. Even before the devil sinned, that could not have been true. Jesus may have come to be a brother to MEN, but the bible (e.g. Hebrews) appears to disavow that anyone (let alone God) can be a brother to ANGELS.
We know, and Acts 15 appears to be an issue of policies of church conduct. There was an issue about how gentile and Jewish believers in Christ should get along. Paul solved the problem by asking the gentile believers to follow the old Noahide standards of gentile conduct — which was something respected by Jews — but by no means the full megilla of Jewish ritual (like abstaining from pork) would be required.
Any parallel practice beyond that to Old Testament customs would be a purely voluntary thing. “It’s in the bible” really doesn’t answer all questions. You have to also know “in what context.”
I just read that they convert and baptize dead people including victims of the holocaust I find it appalling to say the least
Go Newt!!
They’re just like the rest of us, they put their magic underwear on one leg at a time.
A few more comments, for clarification:
* The Mormon Church uses a variety of charities, as well as their own efforts, to provide humanitarian aid, not to mention the work of service missionaries sent specifically to help around the world.
* The church does not “demand” tithing. When I lost my job, I continued to pay tithing while I was receiving temporary support from the church. That’s how it works. It’s a principal of faith, as I explained before. How can I expect the blessings of a principal if I don’t live it? The fact that I had applied faith and was being supported locally by neighbors who cared about me was an important factor in my ability to find work again.
* The original reference to tithing predates the Law of Israel. Check out Abraham paying tithes to Melchizedek.
* I’m not sure how the mall in SLC reduces my argument. Also, they have a vested interest in improving the area surrounding the SL temple.
So, are you a high priest in the order of Melchizadek, like Milt Rominy?
Since it is very unlikely, n))b that you will answer honestly, I’ll also ask what do you make of the directives issued to Gentiles from that Church high council meeting in Acts Chapter fifteen? ... Too bad they didn’t have a peepstone sexual predator of married women like Joseph Smith to teach them the ‘finer points’ of a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, eh?
You’re parsing. “demand”?
Payment of tithing is attached to all of the rewards promised to devout, temple attending mormons.
No tithing = no temple; no temple = no endowments; no endowments = no sealings; no sealings = no exaltation; no exaltation = no CELESTIAL kingdom.
IOW, the “demand” is presented to you in the form of coercion. Coercion to abide by certain man made precepts and pagan rituals in return for a “promise” that you and your posterity will attain exaltation (godhood).
The SLC mall references your comments about how “charitable” the lds are with their member’s money. So “charitable” in fact, that a $4B mall is building up the kingdom of zion. Really?
Does a mega million dollar Hawaii beach resort present a “vested interest” for the lds in improving the area surrounding its location?
Easy!
It's what we've been TAUGHT!!
--MormonDude(Now if we had only been taught the DIFFERENCE between actually PROVING what we claim instead of just ACCUSING folks; now THAT would have been helpful!)
WHAT 'refund'?
Only a person who has PREPAID their taxes TOO much would get a 'refund'.
Tithe on it TWICE?
It’s more mouthy than PD - much closer to SD
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