Is the church guilty of undue influence in the way it uses its position of power and social pressure (weddings, baptisms, blessing children) to get members to pay tithing so they can be worthy? It could be argued that the tithe payer is paying for social acceptance that is not unlike paying a fee for access to an exclusive social event or business. Can tithing really be considered a free will offering if certain priveledges are withheld from people who do not pay the full access price? I know Richard Packham will say the courts will consider it a donation and I am sure he is right, but maybe someday the courts will see it for what it is, emotional extortion.

There are always dues in a lodge. Pay dues, a faithful lodge member, don't pay... you get the evil eye and may be turned away from the lodge temple.

its the MOReMONey church

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWF_yCOKMcI

in any other context this would be criminal extortion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xaYMdHNILw

All cults demand money to "earn" the privilege of the next level. The morg demands $ for priesthood ordinations and temple recommends.

They couch it in terms like " no tithing means you are not worthy of the next level".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2011 10:00AM by Truthseeker.

Duress..................legal term of how morg gets their people's money.

Duress.........how conference speakers say 'dress'

I first read this as Under the influence...

It is not a freewill offering. It is a membership due.
Fast Offerings are the freewill offering.

You do know from the time you are old enough to get toothfairy money that you should pay tithing. It is an expectation as a member. If you are a convert, one of the first commitments that you are expected to understand will be tithing.

All churches need and expect and solicit donations, but some are more forceful or perhaps the better word is expectant. The difference is that most of the churches we've visited usually say that they need donations in order to function and to provide the services that they have running. They call upon people to be better financial stewards, but they pass around a plate and nobody knows how much a person gave unless it is a check or an official slip.

But the Mormon church tells it people that if they do not pay, they shall be burned at the last coming. If they do not pay, their souls will be in jeopardy. They even provide a sheet with every donation you've made and expect you to account for it, like as if God is gonna look at it after the Bishop submits it to the angel in the other room and judge your heart accordingly.

And the reason given for needing funds is to show your faith in God. No money neans no love for God, no faith in the Priesthood, no concern for your eternal family. I don't think I have ever heard the church tell us that they need money to run services or to further the ministry, only that I needed to show my faith and obedience.

In tithing settlement, your donations are broken down on monthly donations, further separated into different categories: tithing, fast offering, etc. Have you ever wondered why it is just not one lump sum? The TSCC does not report one bit of financial information to us. I never will forget the moment 5-6 months ago as I was wrestling with all the thousands of pages of information I had read, when the light bulb went on and when the I saw it for what is really is. To think parents pay money for their own children to go on missions to gather more individuals to convert to the so-called true church. I was ignorant for two decades, sacrificed my nevermo family relationships to find out the TSCC is really just an unethical business model. Absolutely incredible! Although it is not a total wash: I did meet my wonderful husband (TBM) and creAted my wonderful children. Pretty much a black sheep for joining the church (nevermo parents are both deceased) and definitely a black sheep for leaving (in-laws and hundreds of TBM friends).

Amazingly I am at peace...