| # | Author | Message |
301
| davewasbaloo
Wed 5/7/2008 10:14a | >>no real evidence other than your assumptions<<
Same could be said about religion too. |
302
| X-san
Wed 5/7/2008 10:15a | Not making any assumptions, Josh. The evidence is right out there for all to see, just as DavewasBaloo explained in post 299.
This is NOT a shot at your church, but a comment about the whole religion industry. I'm sure you will agree that the Mormon church is part of it, no?
Trust me on this one...someone is making money somewhere from all this, and it ain't the little guy (as usual).
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303
| X-san
Wed 5/7/2008 10:16a | Good point Dave on post 301.
But I've been saying that all along and it really ticks people off. |
304
| DisneyFreak96
Wed 5/7/2008 10:19a | X. Its now what you say that is ticking people off, but how you have been saying it.
When I posted about forced tithing, for example, I did not single out the Church of LDS because that is not what I was thinking of. I was thinking of the Lifton article, which I mentioned earlier in the day. I did not know members of the Church of LDS still are required to tithe. |
305
| utahjosh
Wed 5/7/2008 10:23a | <rust me on this one...someone is making money somewhere from all this, and it ain't the little guy (as usual).>
Not in the case of my church. Give some evidence or stop claiming that it's so. |
306
| davewasbaloo
Wed 5/7/2008 10:26a | Where is your counter evidence. It only counts if both sides give it. Guarenteed there will be margin somewhere, and if it is not cash, it may be goods and services. That's how all organisations work - governments, charities, religions etc. I don't see LDS folks in hemp sacks gardening and living in cells. |
307
| X-san
Wed 5/7/2008 10:28a | ***Not in the case of my church. Give some evidence or stop claiming that it's so.***
You really don't want me to go there, bro.
I will if you insist, but I've been carefully holding back AND making sure every step of the way that I'm not trying to single your group out.
I think the comment about forcing your membership to devote 10 percent of their income or face consequences was enough of an indication, was it not?
This goes way beyond coke and abstinence, bro...it's right up there with spiritual extortion.
Trust me, you do not want me to delve into this (and I've really tried not to out of respect for your feelings), I think I've already said enough to prove my point (in GENERAL, without singling out any particular group). |
308
| EighthDwarf
Wed 5/7/2008 10:52a | I think that tithing is a problem - it is nothing more than a salvation tax. Kind of like social security in that you pay into the system but you don't really know if you'll get anything when it's "your time."
The funny thing is, I don't recall Jesus ever saying anything about tithing. Didn't he say something like "give all you have to the poor and come follow me."? But I suppose if everyone did that, there would be chaos and no organized religion could remain.
Organized religion in my opinion depends on people living normal lives, making a good living and sharing their wealth with the church. But that whole concept seems to deviate from Christ's original message in my opinion. But maybe that's best for everyone???
And regarding the Mormon religion, they are better at the tithe collecting than all other religions. But they tend to reinvest the money in building their organization rather than spend it lavishly on their leaders (most of whom are as josh said volunteers).
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309
| DisneyFreak96
Wed 5/7/2008 11:27a | Eighth Dwarf. When I tithe/give at my local church (I'm Catholic) the money goes to pay electricity and so on. Several years ago we didn't even make that much and had to raid the majority of the emergency savings (which isn't much). This wasn't due to a smaller congregation, I happen to go across town to a poor church because it is run by Jesuits and I love to learn from them.
Generally, we do have excess, and it goes to our programs to help the poor. Our priests run programs such as the one that gives out McDonalds gift certificates to the homeless who need a meal after Mass (the MickeyDees is right around the corner).
There is a separate collection, once a year, for the Vatican.
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310
| EighthDwarf
Wed 5/7/2008 11:35a | I'm not saying good isn't being done by tithing but (like X pointed out) many profitable businesses give to charity. It's part of the game and it makes buying their products more morally justifiable.
But I believe tithing supports the organization infinitely more than it used for charity. Just like revenues of a business are used much more to support the business than support their charitable causes.
Business have revenues, governments have taxes, religions have tithes. |
