Why do you think that a person who believes what the church teaches but loves their money more than they love God, and who lacks the faith to obey a very simple commandment (which actually promises that those who keep it will be blessed for it) should be entitled to the greatest blessings available through the church?
Paying tithing is a test of faith. Personally I find it a very easy test and I would rather have the blessings that come from paying tithing then the money I give as tithing (and I’m not talking about anything temple related there). I felt that way long, long before I was married or even old enough to get a temple recommend. Tithing is a true principle and those who practice it in faith find that out for themselves by experience.
And it seems pretty hypocritical for people to get all outraged about not getting something they don’t want because they won’t do something they don’t want to do.
The temple and it’s ordinances belong to the church, and the church has every right to set the requirements for obtaining them. Your opinion of the requirements is of no concern to the church. If you call it extortion however, then by that same standard shopkeepers are extortionists for not handing you their stuff for free, schools are extortionists for not handing out a passing marks unless the student turns in homework, tests and exams that meet the standard, and God Himself is an extortionist for only letting those into heaven that meet His standard.
The more you guys talk, the more you look like class-envy socialist bigots.
Nothing new in that. Just substitute "Joseph Smith" for "church".
Yep, class envy accusation by a mormon...how revealing.
Your "class envy" accusations prompted the posting of this thread.
Strains Within the Mormon Subculture. (Attitude of Superiority)
“The temple and it’s ordinances belong to the church, and the church has every right to set the requirements for obtaining them. “
That is exactly the problem with non-Christian cults. You put your finger on it Grig! It’s all about the cult.
In contrast, in Christianity, we have revelation from Christ about Christ. We put our eternal trust in Him. It is about Him.
We don’t make up worldly things, like temples, stakes, tithing statements, dead dunking, naked touching - all things that “belong” to your “church”. We don’t build shopping malls with peoples “tithes” - or buy luxury 5 star resorts in Hawaii. It’s about eternity, not worldly riches.
I appreciate your moment of transparency.
best,
ampu
Well, you know best the inward motivations as to why you tithe; I won't presume to know all that goes on there. Yet just in the little you revealed here, you twice indicate that the most prominent reason you tithe is to "be blessed for it" and "I would rather have the blessings that come".
Now I'm not saying we're not to recognize that we are indeed blessed for giving...but it's all a matter of degreed emphasis...and I twice see that you stressed that your key for giving was for what would accrue & boomerang back to you as "rebound blessings" vs. simply giving to be a blessing to others and to be used of God.
And, as we look in the larger context of Mormon living among temple Mormons, that's actually the very problem of good works at-large. If a temple Mormon is counting on their good works to grant them the privilege of living with Heavenly Father forever & becoming a god, then those very supposed "good works" become suspect even if they help others. If our motivations are to grant us self-glory in the end; those "good works" done for selfish reasons spoil inwardly like rotten apples in a barrel.
Wow! We just didn't know that the church wasn't to operate as dispensers of God's grace. We should have known, coming from a Mormon trying to merit and earn his way into God's presence forever, that there should be a price tag on God's grace beyond the price tag of Christ's body and blood shed on the cross.
But leave it to Mormons to constantly "dis-grace" God, His Gospel, and the Bible by attempting to redefine it as something other than meritless. (It's just those Mormon leaders who have constantly drilled "worthy" this and "worthy" that into their sheep that they can't help but reinforce the notion that the Mormon church has a so-called "right" to put a price tag on grace...you might as just well sell indulgences...maybe if you offer them for 9.5% of somebody's income -- vs. 10% -- they'll consider that a "bargain" & buy them up from you!)
Otherwise, Grig...you need to start celebrating Christmas & b'days @ your house the Mormon theological way: make your kids or future kids & grandkids earn & merit & "worth-ify" all your gifts to them...put requirements & a price tag on them...say maybe, 10% of their allowances?
Back to that MEAT thingy...
D&C 89:12-13
12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; 13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
I've never met anybody that thinks like this.
EVERYone knows that SOCIALism is a CLASSLESS society!