Posted on 02/04/2012 10:06:44 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
When Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney released his federal tax returns for the past two years, he disclosed that he and his wife, Ann, gave about 10 percent of their income to their church, a well-known religious practice called tithing.
In that way, the Romneys are typical Mormons, members of a church that is exceptionally serious about the Old Testament mandate to give away one-tenth of one's income.
But compared to other religious Americans, the Romneys and other Mormons are fairly atypical when it comes to passing the plate. Across the rest of the religious landscape, tithing is often preached but rarely realized.
Research into church donations shows a wide range of giving, with Mormons among the most generous relative to income, followed by conservative Christians, mainline Protestants and Catholics last.
Over the past 34 years, Americans' generosity to all churches has been in steady decline, in good times and in bad, said Sylvia Ronsvalle, whose Illinois-based Empty Tomb Inc. tracks donations to Protestant churches.
Ronsvalle's research shows that since 1968, contributions have slowly slumped from 3.11 percent of income to 2.38 percent, despite gains in prosperity.
In her view, churches have failed "to call people to invest in a much larger vision." She believes that explains why giving to missions, distant anti-poverty programs or faraway ministries has sunk faster than giving for the needs of local congregations.
A recent poll by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that 79 percent of Mormons said they tithed to their church, a much higher percentage than in the Catholic and Protestant world.
The former Massachusetts governor and his wife slightly underpaid their tithe in 2010 but intend to make it up when their final 2011 income becomes clear, a spokesman for Romney's campaign told The Associated Press.
Under pressure to disclose, Romney recently released his federal returns, showing he is likely to pay an effective federal tax rate of about 15 percent on $45 million in income over two years.
The returns also showed the Romneys have already donated $2.6 million to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the 2011 tax year. That brings their church donations to $4.1 million on two years' estimated income of $42.6 million.
They made other charitable contributions of $3 million as well.
Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich's 2010 return showed charitable donations of $81,000, or about 2.5 percent of his $3.2 million income. About $9,500 went to the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington; the balance of his charitable giving was not disclosed.
President Obama's return showed donations of $245,000, or about 14 percent of his $1.8 million income. The 36 contributions went to a wide range of secular and faith-based health, educational and community development groups.
A broad study called the U.S. Congregational Life Survey found that only about a third of Catholics, half of mainline Protestants and two-thirds of conservative Christians reached even the 5 percent level of giving.
Researcher Cynthia Woolever said mainline Protestants in her study gave slightly more than evangelicals in absolute dollars, but less as a percentage of income.
Her study did not include Jewish or Muslim congregations because of their smaller numbers.
Ronsvalle and others said generosity tends to be higher among evangelicals because of their regard for the authority of Scripture, where the command is repeatedly found, from Genesis 14, describing Abram's gift to God of "a tenth of everything" to Malachi 3, in which God promises blessings on those who tithe.
Rick Warren, perhaps the most famous evangelical pastor in the country, has said he "reverse tithes," giving away 90 percent of his income, including all the profits from his best-selling book, "The Purpose Driven Life."
Woolever said Catholics appear at the far end of the spectrum because the Catholic Church does not stress tithing. In addition, she said, Catholic congregations tend to be larger, diluting the sense of individual responsibility for financial support.
No one passes a collection basket at Mormon services. Instead, offerings are mailed or sent in outside of the weekly meeting rite. Mormon leaders keep an accounting, and once a year Mormon families are invited to sit briefly with their bishop, the head of their congregation, and discuss their donations.
It may sound awkward, but it's not to Brenda Grant, a retired nurse from eastern New Orleans who, with her husband, converted from Catholicism more than 30 years ago.
Grant, like many others who follow the biblical mandate, sees tithing as both a command and a voluntary gesture of gratitude to God. It is also a way to secure continued blessings, she said.
She and her husband, Earl, believe it was partly because of their fidelity through tithing that God sent them blessings after their home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
Tithing to a religion that worships a false god, a false jesus and a false prophet won’t do the mormons much good.
THe reason is that you will not go to the Celestial Kingdom if oyu don’t pay a full tithe. It is a requirement to get into “Heaven”. THAT is why they tithe like they do.
A Christian is sitting in Church, and sees a devil hanging from the rafters. The christian says to the devil.
“Hey! You devil! Get out of here! Go bother the big church down the street.”
The devil responded, “They already belong to me.”
***
The above true story can probably have the word Mormon replace the expression “big church”, and lose no accuracy.
Amazing really as a mormon if you do not tithe the 10% you can never get to the celestial kingdom.
Only 15% have the temple worthy piece of paper that says you are worthy to enter the temple.
If you are worthy to enter the inner temple you are possibly worthy of the highest level of celestial heaven. (There are other requirements as well.)
For crying out loud. Pay to play?
Generosity is a good thing. Don’t blast donations. We need to become a country more focused on voluntarily giving to the needy.
Why the bigotry? The Mormons give money to those less fortunate. It doesn’t seem right to claim the whole Mormon faith is a cult of devil worshipers.
Remember, Republicans support giving to the poor. It doesn’t matter if they’re Christians, Jews, Muslims, or Atheists.
The tenets of Christianity are...Jesus, born of a virgin, rose from the dead...and is now seated at the right hand of God, the Father...And, will return again in the manner in which He left! Compare!
Yes, it is...Yes, it does!
Can you imagine? Thank you Jesus, for your mercy and grace~!
Not sure where you've been but, Christ Church has been doing this for centuries...Perhaps the difference is the paultry donations from those who have heartfelt it aren't counted among those who do it for their own gain. Well, at least not in this world...
Absolutely, it is so obvious!
The Mormons give money to those less fortunate.
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Where on earth did you ever get THAT idea? Mormon tithing doesn’t go to help ‘the poor’, there is a separate, additional donation (called fast offering) for the LDS church welfare system. Furthermore, the LDS church welfare system is ONLY for good LDS members who must TITHE ONE THE HELP THEY RECIEVE and have to go through an interview process and an actual check (like checking their pantry if they request help for food) to even be considered for help.
See my tagline, I know a lot about Mormonism. You need to educate yourself. Their DOCTRINES are what make them a demonic cult. They reject salvation by grace and it shows in everything they do.
Rather than really help the poor, the LDS church is spending BILLIONS on a MALL in downtown SLC.
Learn what Mormonism is really about.
Bishop Romney’s authority in the cult, meant that he was to demand your tax returns if he was suspicious that you were not meeting the requirements of the cult to give it at least 10% of your income.
That is a little more than voluntary tithing to a church.
Oh and welcome to FR. I suggest you spend some time on the Mormon threads on the Religion forum before you defend them.
And, that is the key! Jesus paid the price! There is a faction everywhere who seems to think that our works can do what our Lord accomplished on Calvary.So simple that it has become a stumbling block for those who believe they can earn the free gift that was so freely given... by stupid human works we have been duped into thinking we can earn it withouth the sacrifice of the Lord...Thank you Father Abraham for being the father of faith!
Cannot say that often enough!
I’m not defending any religion.
I just support private donations over government distribution.
Sorry if it came across wrong. I’m a broke recent graduate, and I still give money to the homeless I see on a regular basis.
I’m gonna say a fact here that will be hurtful to those who practice the religion of Mormonism...Each and everyone of you have proclaimed to those who criticize your beliefs are bigots...In fact it is you who are the bigot...You have taken on a false doctrine and proclaimed it is the Word of the Lord...Your book cannot and will not
ever be able to compare to the Hand written Word of the Lord! The Book of Mormon, the Torah and New Testament can never ever collide...One negates the other...wake up!
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