Hi SC,
The LDS don’t “demand” the tithe, they equivocate by calling it a condition of worthiness. IOW, if you aren’t a full tithe payer, you can’t get a temple recommend.
If you can’t get a temple recommend, you can’t go to the temple and take out your endowments.
If you can’t take out your endowments, you don’t qualify for the celestial kingdom (highest degree of glory) and thus, don’t get to dwell in the presence of Heavenly Father.
Although, one can always use their “free agency” to not pay the tithe...but the “conditions” do not change.
Blessings,
SZ
A “Condition of Worthiness.”
Oh, boy. They’ve managed to give their congregants a real mental and emotional work-over with words like that. Sounds like they’ve gotten in overtime at some of the best manipulating skills courses to be had anywhere.
Suppose that my weekly income is $1000. Now, I give to charities that I believe serve Jesus’ command to love one another. Particularly children’s shelters so that they may have clothes, school supplies, etc. These kids lack for just the basics. Sometimes it’s a matter of buying things like toothpaste and soap, if that expresses the need better. Now, if I don’t give, some child is definitely going to go without.
I will give to a person on the street in a heartbeat - regardless of where they are about to spend it because that’s not my call. But, I know that I did what was in my heart to do: give to those without.
Suppose that I give $200 that week to help the helpless, then give $50 at “church” for my tithe. Am I going to have to listen to some bishop tell me that I owe God fifty bucks? (I know already that I owe everything to Him.) Then, I reply to that bishop that I gave $200 to help the needy and so I feel that I am doing what Jesus tells me to do, and the lights have managed to stay on without the extra $50 that particular week. Is he going to tell me that the $50 is going to put a little extra distance between me and his god?
As always,
Warm Regards,
SC
SZ (who is also an ex-mormon who is now a Christian), they do not outright demand a tithe, but they do practice spiritual blackmail and there are often rumors that go around if you don’t tithe so ‘peer pressure’ is a factor.
SZ is correct, if you don’t tithe you aren’t ‘worthy’ to hold a temple recommend and that hurts your social standing in the church and in Utah the community because eventually it will get out.
SZ gave u the long form bus basically if you don’t pay a full 10% plus additional offerings you don’t get to go to what the Christians call heaven (the Celestial Kingdom -which is also conditional on several other ‘dos and don’ts).
I will talk to a couple of my friends who specialize in court cases against the LDS and freepmail you anything I find.
The use of peer pressure is strong in the LDS church and ‘tithing settlement’ is just one more use of pressure (although from an authority).
If you can’t get a temple recommend, you can’t go to the temple and take out your endowments.
- - - - - -
Not just your own SZ, but also take out the endowments for the dead (save your dead relatives) so they can get to the Celestial kingdom as well since they know the handshakes, words vows and the ‘new name’ of the wives.
Hey something just occured to me, if the endowments for the dead are taken out on a different day/temple than the sealing (Marriage), how would the ‘husband’ know the ‘wifes’ new name since him pulling her through the veil is part of the endowment.
We know there is a record of it since the same name is used for everyone in temples all over the world on a particular date, and a record is kept of what name (and the alternate) is used for every date, but the members wouldn’t know what the name was.
Oh and one last thing, if a person is behind on tithing, even a few years, they can have their ‘temple recommend’ taken away (which is a big deal in the LDS church) and must pay back all back tithing in order to be considered ‘worthy’ again for a recommend.
The LDS church is guilty of spiritual extortion and spiritual rape.
JESUS: Hey Smith! Remember that boast you made about doing more than even I had done to hold the 'church' together?
JOSEPH SMITH: Where am I?
JESUS: Don't you remember? A few seconds ago you were in that jail.
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh; yeah; but where am I NOW?
JESUS: Don't you remember? Does bang - bang ring a bell?
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh; yeah - that crummy gun I had was about USELESS!
JESUS: I hope you left instructions on how to hold your church together.
JOSEPH SMITH: Dang! I knew there was SOMETHING I was forgetting!
JESUS: Looks like there's a power struggle going on down there.
JOSEPH SMITH: Yeah; there was always SOMEone who wanted the power that I held - especially over the LADIES - wink wink.
JESUS: No need to worry about that now; remember what my friend Matthew wrote down?
JOSEPH SMITH: This? “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30)
JESUS: That's it.
JOSEPH SMITH: I thought that was mistranslated.
JESUS: Nah - it was right.
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh well; it was fun while it lasted. My buds will still get it on with the girls.
JESUS: Uh; I'm sorry; in just a few more years; your followers will cavein to the United States government and abandon the 'Eternal Covenant' that you came up with.
JOSEPH SMITH: ME!? YOU are the one that told me to do that!
JESUS: Sorry; but you must have mistranslated what I told you. What part of Do NOT commit ADULTERY did you not understand?
JOSEPH SMITH: mumble....
JESUS: What did you say?
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh, nothing.
JESUS: Well; it was interesting talking to you; but now I must get back to perparing a place for those who believe in Me.
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh, yeah; the Celestial Kingdom.
JESUS: No...
JOSEPH SMITH: The Telestial one?
JESUS: Nope.
JOSEPH SMITH: SUREly not the TERRESTRIAL one!!
JESUS: Nope. Didn't you read that the mind of man had NOT conceived of it? Paul wrote it down in 1 Corinthians 2:9.
JOSEPH SMITH: I thought that was mistranslated.
JESUS: No; it wasn't.
JOSEPH SMITH: You SURE?
JESUS: Yes. Now I must be going: what did you say your name was again?
JOSEPH SMITH: Joseph Smith.
JESUS: Hmmmm. According to my Heavenly FAITHbook, you didn't sign in as one of my friends - sorry, I never knew you.
JOSEPH SMITH: But....