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 ...
At least for a few weeks we may be rid of the puppy leashed Delphi User repeaters. It might even be a genuine n00b, but it is already displaying the behavior taught to the faithful ... lying for the faith. Mlt Rominy comes by his sleazy lying ways from the way he’s been trained to deal with non-mormons. He’s just gotten really adept at it, making his lies sound authoritative, beyond exploring.
Sort of like a ‘thus sayeth the Willard’, like he’s prepping his mind to godhood.
Oh, corrector, let me help before you do any further damage...
* 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.
... Mormonism is unaccountable to it’s members. You do NOT KNOW what happens to the money or what percent of the money because you DO NOT receive a full report. That’s sad.
* 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 church DEMANDS tithing only if you want to get into the presence of god after death. Only if you want to have mormon respect. Only if you want to be with your family for eternity. Only if you want to be sealed to your wife. Yea, it coerces it.
* The original reference to tithing predates the Law of Israel. Check out Abraham paying tithes to Melchizedek.
... Are you referring to the same Bible that mormons say is filled with errors? How can you be sure this is true?
* 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.
... If you can’t see this, I probably can’t open your eys.
It’s more mouthy than PD - much closer to SD
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
But there is no ‘testimony’ attached. What about Delphi or Sevenbak?
That’s between you and your conscience :-)
In Mormonism, Jesus, Lucifer and the rest of us all are equal.
Both Jesus and Lucifer wanted to be “Savior” but God chose Jesus because he would give us ‘free agency’. Lucifer got mad and thus didn’t get a body so he can’t earn his Godhood like Jesus did. To Mormons, Jesus is proof we can be Morally perfect in this life and earn Godhood like He did. Not biblical at all.
I can source all of this if you would like.
Not wordy enough.
And not angry enough to be Spammy.
BTW, Greg, if you are reading this you got my handle wrong on the ‘anti-Mormon’ list. You have reaganaut1. He is never on these threads. Please correct it.
Your amazing.
Nothing to apologize for, really. We don’t always post enough info to make it clear where we stand, and sometimes miscommunication takes place and we need to clarify. This is really just a conversation, and a good one. :-)
oh?
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon[a] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 “‘After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’[b]—
18 things known from long ago.[c]
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. [34] [d] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
Last time I checked, tithing isn't part of the "10 Commandments." Do you eat shellfish? Cheeseburgers? Or did Christ die to free you of legalism?
Why?
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
1 John 3:21-24
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
I always did. It's "increase" if it's mine to spend.
Mormonism is legalism, pure and simple. Keeping commandments, oaths and covenants in order to earn your way to eternal glory. What is Christ to Mormons except someone who was raised so that humans would not suffer eternal death - yet Jesus didn't pay the ultimate price and He didn't free you - no, he only made it possible for you to continue your self-aggrandizement of working toward eternal glory and godhood - - it makes me physically ill.
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