Jana Riess has written an article in the SL Trib about paying tithing to the church.

I can't provide any excerpts because they want me to pay to access the article and I don't wanna. But I read it this morning before they caught up with me and wow. Sometimes I forget she's still a Mormon because she certainly doesn't automatically adhere to every church teaching. And she isn't shy to publicize her opinions.

Obviously in this case the sub line easily caught my eye. She does NOT tithe to the church (if I'm remembering her account correctly - I read it hours ago so how can you expect me to remember basic details at this point) but rather she donates to charitable causes of her own choosing. She still calls it tithing - she just doesn't give it to the church.

She too mentions the church's vast wealth and states that (major paraphrase here) the Bible doesn't tell us to pile up the $$$ and keep billions for some undefined need in the distant future. Ouch.

Just as with so many of the "greats" that have taken spectacular falls, maybe this multi-billion dollar empire thing will be the church's undoing.

And the Mormon Church ain't the only one. As we know.

The Mormons who recently spoke up in The Fifth Estate program about the Mormon Church's billions were also concerned that the tithing money is being stockpiled and not used to address urgent social needs in the communities in which the money is donated, which at least one of the 'whistleblowers' said is his idea of how the money should be spent (people donating their money to help people in their own church and community, not seeing the money sent away and especially not discovering that it's being stockpiled).

Too bad for the church they have to be at least somewhat transparent about the $$$ they have amassed. Those really smart folks who can do numbers have figured things out that church leaders undoubtedly would like to keep under wraps until Armageddon and beyond.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2022 09:04PM by Nightingale.

Something so annoying about stated beliefs v. anticipated truths...

There is nothing written about an orderly, soft & cuddly Second Coming; rather, it's the opposite.

The saints will be gathered in downtown Adam-ondi-Ahman to welcome the Prince of Peace...  Whether this is during or after the vaunted horrors of Armaggedon doesn't matter, what matters is that Armaggedon will wipe out stocks, bonds, currency, VISA cards, etc., etc.

You can't eat gold, and you can't eat silver.  You can use balance sheets, stocks and bonds as kindling...

Computers may work, but there may not be any networks to which they can connect.

Nothing in religious canon suggests that your stockbroker will be available to do your bidding.  Checks will only be worth the paper they're written on, and I think they're too small to make good toilet paper...


But, and it's an interesting 'but', the church owns a lot, a LOT!, of property.  And using their ill-gotten tithing gains to finance these purchases does show some awareness.  But their inability to grow the church means too few members to take possession of, use, and most especially, protect and defend these properties.

Even casual comparison of The Book of Revelations with how wealth is currently gained, stored, manipulated, and spent gives the church no real hope that 150 billion in stock, bonds, businesses, properties, etc., will be of any use to Jesus.

Mormon Jesus doesn't need any of it; he's ghawd!

So why are they doing it?

Didn't Jesus teach that he would leave some money with people and they had better get him some interest?

Paywall free version. Jana’s SLTrib column is always also published at Religion News Service

https://religionnews.com/2022/12/14/on-mormon-tithing-and-a-100-billion-investment-fund/

IMO Jesus had a lot of concern for the poor Jews of the countryside, who were the object of his ministry. Those Jews were being hit with not only the Jewish tithe, but also Roman taxes. Plus, their small animal sacrifices at the temple, for those who could even make it there, were likely looked down upon, and those who were sick (i.e. with leprosy) were considered unclean, and therefore unworthy of blessings. There was no way up for them. It was a "pay to play" system not unlike modern Mormonism.

I really doubt that Jesus would approve of a 10% tithe for all. He did have sympathy for the poor, and would not have wanted them to be squeezed for money. He was not interested in "big religion" breaking the backs of the poor and making life even harder for them. I can't even begin to believe that he would approve of a church, using his name, banking such enormous wealth.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2022 12:08PM by summer.

Jesus's "tithing" wasn't a 10% income tax but rather a steeply progressive wealth tax. What was the rate for the rich young man?

"Sell everything that you have and give it to the poor."

100%.

Mark 10:25 KJV: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

I guess that is why the Prophet and Apostles invented the Second Anointing as a way to by-pass the Eye of the Needle like those who have special clearance at airport security and get whisked through.

In the end, the Mormon leaders are just more of our celebrity culture. Instead of going into film or TV they went into the religion section of the entertainment department.

Church leaders came up with the 2nd Anointing as a way to assure themselves that they are in the good graces of both Jesus and Elohim, and will be treated with favoritism after they die. When in reality, they have no idea if Jesus or Heavenly Father would approve of their actions. It's so nice when that little voice inside of your head tells you that you're right.

Little voice in your head? He prefers to be called the Holy Ghost. Please show some respect.

:)