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#1
02-29-2012, 12:15 AM
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Baptism and Tithing - Preconditions for Charity?
After being in contact with the Mormon church, questions came to mind before considering membership for myself. I discovered that some questions have immediate answers and others take time.
It has been my experience recently, that in the light of new information, my questions became concerns and reasons for not joining. CHARITY The idea of tithing has never been a point of concern for me, as I have always believed that it is a way to help others anonymously with no expectation of being paid back (the spirit of giving). I was informed by a prominent Bishop in my area that upon completion of his research that there are ordinances against bestowing their welfare program on non-members of the church that haven't contributed tithes. This caused real concern for me. As a Christian, it doesn't feel right to give only after being convinced of another person's ability to pay me back. A gift, as far as I am concerned is not a loan or something with preconditions (no strings attached). Another concern is that if the Mormon church declares that it is the true church of Jesus Christ and that from my knowledge, that Jesus gave without preconditions, then how is this consistent with Jesus' works and teachings? BAPTISM The Mormon church strongly urged me to become baptized in their church. They wanted to set a short time-frame for me to get baptized and gave me scriptural references and books of Mormon to read. Additionally, they provided missionaries to guide me with getting closer to the Mormon church teachings. I explained to them that for me to make such a commitment it has to feel right and happen in God's time (when He is ready). The Holy Spirit is always with us to guide us in making better decisions. The missionaries asked me to pray and ask God if the Mormon church was the true church and make a decision on baptism. I wonder why Baptism would be a precondition to getting or providing charitable help. I wonder why tithing would be a precondition for getting or providing help. As a Christian, this does not make sense to me. Although the missionaries have been extraordinary examples of Christians helping others with their time and labor, the Mormon hierarchical structure and policy makers have left me feeling disappointed and disillusioned. If this still doesn't make sense, ask yourself this question: If Jesus Christ were to suddenly appear in front of you right now and you asked Him for help or advice on helping others, would he first ask you to verify their ability to pay you back or their current membership status? 
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#2
02-29-2012, 12:28 AM
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This is extremely well-said. Can't wait to see some replies
 
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#3
02-29-2012, 10:34 AM
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That clarified, tithing funds are, as a rule, not used for charitable projects so much as for general Church operations. The Church completes a new chapel somewhere in the world roughly every sixteen hours. These chapels cost money to build and maintain. (Never is a Church-owned building of any kind constructed unless it can be paid in full up front. The Church does not go into debt when they construct a new building.) It costs money to print scriptures and other reading materials in dozens of different foreign languages. It costs money to pay the faculty and staff of Church-owned universities. Without tithing funds, none of these expenses could be met. In addition to the payment of tithes, Church members are encouraged to fast one day a month and contribute the money they would have spent on food to the Fast Offering Fund. The bishop of a ward (congregation) is responsible for how the funds collected are distributed. A man may be out of work and need help for a couple of months in making his house payment. A family of six may have had a financial setback and need help with groceries. Most of the fast offerings are used to help Church members, although I believe bishops may be given some latitude as to how they use the remaining funds. Bishops use their own best judgment in deciding how to allocate fast offering funds. The Church has multiple other programs to which members can and do contribute. One of the best known is the Humanitarian Fund. This fund helps people throughout the world who are not Mormons and will never be Mormons. Often times, they are not even Christians. When clothing, food and medical supplies are distributed after natural disasters, etc., there are absolutely no strings attached whatsoever. Here are some facts about some of the recent Humanitarian work the Church has done in Africa: (I found this in the Washington Post.) •The World Health Organization estimates that 884 million people worldwide don’t have access to clean water. This is a huge problem in Africa, not only because of water-borne diseases but because kids who spend hours each day walking to and from the nearest well to fill old gasoline cans with water cannot attend school. According to LDS Church records, in the past seven years, more than four million Africans in 17 countries have gained access to clean drinking water through the Church's humanitarian efforts to sink or rehabilitate boreholes. •More than 34,000 physically handicapped African kids now have wheelchairs through the same Church-sponsored humanitarian program. To see a legless child whose knuckles have become calloused through walking on his hands lifted into a wheelchair may be the best way to fully understand the liberation this brings. •Millions of children, meanwhile, have now been vaccinated against killer diseases like measles as the Church has sponsored or assisted with projects in 22 African countries. •More than 126,000 Africans have had their sight restored or improved through the Church's partnership with African eye care professionals in providing training, equipment and supplies. •Another 52,000 Africans have been trained to help newborns who otherwise would never take a first breath. Training in neonatal resuscitation has also been a big project for the church in Africa. The LDS Church comprises .2% of the world's population. For its small size, it does an disproportionate amount of good in this world. The Church's Humanitarian Service ships about 12 million pounds of shoes and clothing, 1 million hygiene kits, and 1 million pounds of medical supplies to relieve suffering in more than 100 countries every year. This is all done with no strings attached. Those who benefit from this fund are, almost exclusively, not members of the Church. As a matter of fact, back when the tsunami hit Southeast Asia the day after Christmas, 2004, after the Church sent food, clothing and medical supplies, they asked the government there, "What else can we do?" The response was that the only other thing the people really needed was spiritual sustanance. Almost all of the people whose lives were affected by the tsunami were Muslim. In the devastation of the tsunami, almost all of them had lost their Korans. The Church immediately shipped thousands of copies of the Koran to the area.
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"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." ~Rudyard Kipling ~
Last edited by Katzpur; 02-29-2012 at 05:22 PM..
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#4
02-29-2012, 10:48 AM
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That seems more like a country club than a church
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#5
02-29-2012, 05:14 PM
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__________________
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." ~Rudyard Kipling ~
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#6
07-15-2012, 10:37 PM
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That is a drop in the bucket compared to all the demanded tithing collected. Just the amount that you get from selling your garments is enough to build a church. It's a definite red flag when you have to take tax records to a settlement at the end of the year to prove you paid your 10%. You are punished if you don't. Shame on the Mormons. Scaring people into believing they will not be with their families in heaven if they don't do this or that. Come on!
Last edited by deedee2; 07-15-2012 at 10:45 PM..
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#7
07-16-2012, 01:46 AM
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Integrity helps. You should try it.
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PS: If you can't answer these questions, your statements are nothing more than propaganda. I'll take rough estimates, but you'd better site your source. PPS: I'm not a Mormon. I think Jesus is a fictional character in a badly written story. Make sure you understand that before you respond. I don't want any of this 'you're just defending your religion' garbage. Quote:
Aside from accepting Jesus, I would say family is probably THE most important thing in the Mormon faith. I don't know where you are getting your facts, but you should stop getting them from there. Have you ever even met a Mormon?
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#8
07-21-2012, 08:49 PM
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__________________
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." ~Rudyard Kipling ~
Last edited by Katzpur; 07-21-2012 at 10:24 PM..
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