1999 and I am still attending church after finding out while on my mission that it was a load of crap. I still went mainly because my whole network of family and friends are mormon and I was still dependant on them or so I thought at the time.

I am unemployed, living in a slum in the ghetto of Detroit, collecting unemployment. My rent was so low I had money left over at the end of the month for whatever. I had saved up a couple of hundred dollars for my tithing.

Now, I never really ever paid tithing, just a few times when I was really young, a few dollars here or there.

I had taken the money out of my account and I was in Best Buy looking at the cameras. I had always wanted to be a photographer but my parents never would get me a camera.

Brothers and Sisters I testify to you that I bought a camera and lens with my tithing money, and took that same camera to The Miss Nude Galaxy Contest 2 weeks later and shot film as if my very life depended on it.

I testify to you that keeping your own money and doing whatever the F@$& you want with it will make you happier than you can ever imagine.

My testimony of tithing is that every year that I paid tithing I struggled financially. I seemed to end up every year a little bit further in debt and not able to put anything aside for the future.

I wondered why I never seemed to receive the blessings that were promised. The windows of heaven were sealed shut despite my obedience.

Finally, about the time I realized the church was bogus I took a hiatus from paying tithing for a few years. I set aside a little money every year and managed to use this small amount as a down payment on some real estate. This plan expanded as I reinvested my earnings in real estate and built up a portfolio.

My retirement plan will eventually be to live off the rents of my properties.

Had I kept paying tithing, I doubt if I ever would have been able to sock away any money at all for retirement. Now I have hope, due to the fact that I quit giving money to the church.

As a financial clerk I've watched people pay tithing and then turn around and come to the bishop for help because they couldn't pay their bills. My attitude has been, if times are tight, quit giving your money away to a fake charity.

Amen.

What'd you buy? I schlep around with a Canon 5D and more "L" lenses than I need.

Just wonderin'...

Ron

First it was a Rebel, then eos3, then eos1v, now a 50D. Too broke to buy the 7D. 70-200 f2.8L, 24-70 f2.8L, 17-55 f2.8.