When are they given, and how much is a typical offering?
How do they justify this on top of the 10% the members are already giving? Do they just say that tithing is for running the church and fast offering is for the poor?
Fast Offerings - described to TBM's as the equivalent of the cost of two meals. Generally paid on Fast Sunday when the TBM's fast for 24 hrs.
Tithing funds are for the bldg up of the kingdom, fast offerings are used to help the needy.
Other suggested donations include, Ward Missionary, General Missionary, BOM, Temple, Perpetual Educ Fund, Disaster relief (US or International, two separate categories now).
But I do know, that every 1st Sunday of the month, mormons fast from dinner Saturday to dinner Sunday.
And, they take the money that they would normally have used on food and give it to fast offerings.
And yes, tithing is just for church operations and fast offerings are for those in need.
You might as well flush your money down the toilet, at least you'd know where it went. There is no ZERO, ZIP documentation that shows where tithing and fast offerings go.
In my family the fast started after dinner Saturday night and ended at breakfast Monday morning. My mother actually dissed a "Sister" who said she was looking forward to dinner after church, told her it was cheating. And she didn't use a joking tone either. Stupid mother.
On the first Sunday of each month, the church designates a "fast day". Everyone is supposed to go without food for 24 hours and give the equivalent of the cost of said meals to the church for "fast offerings". As a side note, that's where the word "breakfast" comes from. Except that's when you break the fast of not eating because you were sleeping, and you don't have to pay for it.. sorry.. back to the story.
So, every 1st Sunday of the month, everyone goes to church with bitchy kids and grumbling stomachs. They pony up with the cost of two meals (per head, not just one person, the whole fam damily) and pay it to the bishop. The bishop, in turn, puts the cash into a local account for the local ward indigents and they supposedly help out (hypothetically) Sister Hardluck who is single, has 5 kids, and doesn't have a job...by paying her rent, electric, gas, food .. whatever.
The only way to see how fast offerings are used is to be in the bishopric or be a clerk. As a financial clerk I cut the checks to the families or individuals that need assistance.
As an aside - when Oaks gave his "you can't rely on the church" speech our ward had provided a surplus in fast offerings for approx 4 yrs. Since then, as need has increased we burned through the surplus and currently operate in the red. Our Bishop has repeatedly been cautioned about providing so much assistance b/c the overages are pulled from the stake (which is now almost in the red). Another reason for the overages is that offerings started dropping off very quickly after Oak's statement. I suppose many members saw it as a great excuse not to give. Hey if the GA's say the church can't help, why should we?
They have a spot on the tithing slip for it, but I recall not too long ago when I was active (a few years), they sent out young men to EVERY house with these big blue envelopes on Fast Sunday to collect the offering as well. I always said "I put it in with my tithing." It felt like a shakedown.
It does seem extremely strange that they take the fast offerings on top of tithing. You would think tithing would be plenty to help the needy, but I guess they are too busy building temples.
In the ward I grew up in, where my parents still live, they sent the boys around every fast Sunday to collect the fast offerings in person. My dad, who has been inactive my entire life, always gave a fast offering. I'm assuming he still does. It was usually a $10 check, and I was responsible for filling out the little offering slip that went with it. I always wondered why he did it, but it's good to hear this is more of a charitable donation than the tithing.
My son commented to me that if you starved your kids for any other reason the DCF might have some questions for you. But in the name of religion it's okay.
I went over to my parents house last Sunday and made some nachos to eat while watching the football game. I offered them some and they said no thanks were fasting. I love the irony because their fasting watching football on sunday. haha great stuff. I felt sorry for them and quickly ate my nachos.
This has to be one of the things I miss the least. I am soooo grumpy when I go without food.
On fast sundays I usually cheated when I was TBM. Having dinner really late on saturday nights and having dinner extra early on Sunday.
Yeah the actual fasting was easy for me because in our family we started fasting when we were brushing our teeth for bed, and it ended after church. So we'd just eat up until 9 or so, and our church was from 9-12, so we'd really just fast for breakfast-noon.
And about the fast offerings, in our ward they have the deacons go to people's house and collect them. I always felt so uncomfortable doing it. Here is a 12 year old who is forced to go to random people's houses and ask for money. These people weren't the ones I knew at church either, a lot of them were inactive, so it was even more frightening. They probably send deacons because it's easier to say "no" to a middle aged man than a 12 year old kid.
Fast offerings are typically given in leiu of eating, during fast sundays, Every first Sunday of each month, and when ever the Saint wants to become penitent occasionally on behalf of something. Usually in the form of "money" would have spent on a meal.
Fast offerings go into a big welfare pot, that goes to helping less fortunate Saints of a ward.... (although Tithes go to a mall, and Temples, lear jets and limos and undisclosed luxuries, and of course the Church's many many commercial enterprises.
That petty pittance fast donations are generously used to help the poor, to support services like LDS family services (therapy, job training).