Post tithing settlement thoughts...

[Jeff Lebowski]

We did our visit on Sunday. He asked me if we were full tithe payers and I said yes. He looked down at the sheet and said, "Well, you either aren't making much money or you are sending your money directly to Salt Lake." I replied, "Yeah, either that or there is a check in that envelope I handed you when we walked in."

His face got a little red.

[Mrs. Funk]

We did our visit on Sunday. He asked me if we were full tithe payers and I said yes. He looked down at the sheet and said, "Well, you either aren't making much money or you are sending your money directly to Salt Lake." I replied, "Yeah, either that or there is a check in that envelope I handed you when we walked in."

His face got a little red.

Uh. Wow. I've never been interrogated about my tithing contribution. Awesome.

[The_Tick]

I like being the odd duck at Church.

I don't believe Jonah and the Whale happened.

Or the Ark.

Or Job.

Or The Fiery Furnace.

But...that doesn't mean I don't value or understand the message that is being taught through these "stories".

And I am more willing, as of late, to share my unorthodox POV on various Gospel ideas. As I have done so, I have found that there are many many people that think along the same lines but are afraid to verbalize it.

I have actually had a good 3 month run at Church. Some great talks, some great lessons.

[The_Tick]

We did our visit on Sunday. He asked me if we were full tithe payers and I said yes. He looked down at the sheet and said, "Well, you either aren't making much money or you are sending your money directly to Salt Lake." I replied, "Yeah, either that or there is a check in that envelope I handed you when we walked in."

His face got a little red.

Red as in embarrased or red as in angry?

I find it humorous either way.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Red as in embarrased or red as in angry?

I find it humorous either way.

Embarrassed. He is a good guy.

[The_Tick]

Embarrassed. He is a good guy.

That is cool.

Bishop asked me on Sunday if he was going to get any cookies, or if he missed out since he kept me so late at TS.

He wasn't at his house Sunday Night when we delivered so we left them on his doorstep.

He shot me a text later thanking me and wishing the family a Merry Christmas and that he appreciated our service to their family.

My daughters thought it was funny that my bishop and I were texting buddies.

[Tick's wife]

That is cool.

Bishop asked me on Sunday if he was going to get any cookies, or if he missed out since he kept me so late at TS.

He wasn't at his house Sunday Night when we delivered so we left them on his doorstep.

He shot me a text later thanking me and wishing the family a Merry Christmas and that he appreciated our service to their family.

My daughters thought it was funny that my bishop and I were texting buddies.

What will be real funny is if the Bishop text you during sacrament to tell you to stop playing on your blackberry and to stop texting the brother two rows behind you.

[The_Tick]

What will be real funny is if the Bishop text you during sacrament to tell you to stop playing on your blackberry and to stop texting the brother two rows behind you.

Which is why I need a new phone. This current one is way too loud when I click the buttons.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Now that you have something like CUF and being on the other side of the fence do you think there is any room to move back to the middle? Or is it a once you're out, you're out kind of deal? I guess I am just wondering if CUF can provide some sort of reconciliation now seeing how others here handle it. Sorry if I am prying, but I am genuinely interested.

Sorry I took awhile getting back to this. I felt it deserved more than a snippet of an answer.

I would say that CUF has already pulled me back towards the middle. My viewpoint on many things has been altered, challenged, or reprioritized. I feel that I have a better understanding of what I actually do believe in, as opposed to just knowing that I didn't believe that the church is God's church on Earth. CUF has helped alleviate me of some binary thinking that was more dogmatic than I would prefer to admit. I feel I have a better understanding of some of my own failures, and it is because I was accepted into the community without a thought of what my failures were(because many did not view them as failures). I chuckle at some of my original posts in the foyer. They were still tainted with the expectation of a predicted reaction, which did not occur. It was refreshing and opened things up to a dialogue that I had not experienced discussing the dirty underbelly of the church.

That said, I don't think you can have the same impression of the Emerald City after the curtain has been pulled back. So I don't think that my views on the hierachy, doctrine, or leadership of the church will sway too far. However, I am able to compartmentalize those aspects of the church differently(and with much less importance) that I did prior to my involvement in this community. From a cultural, and community standpoint, I have a greater understanding of what it means to be LDS, and are able to accept that and in ways embrace that better in my life.

[Surfah]

Sorry I took awhile getting back to this. I felt it deserved more than a snippet of an answer.

I would say that CUF has already pulled me back towards the middle. My viewpoint on many things has been altered, challenged, or reprioritized. I feel that I have a better understanding of what I actually do believe in, as opposed to just knowing that I didn't believe that the church is God's church on Earth. CUF has helped alleviate me of some binary thinking that was more dogmatic than I would prefer to admit. I feel I have a better understanding of some of my own failures, and it is because I was accepted into the community without a thought of what my failures were(because many did not view them as failures). I chuckle at some of my original posts in the foyer. They were still tainted with the expectation of a predicted reaction, which did not occur. It was refreshing and opened things up to a dialogue that I had not experienced discussing the dirty underbelly of the church.

That said, I don't think you can have the same impression of the Emerald City after the curtain has been pulled back. So I don't think that my views on the hierachy, doctrine, or leadership of the church will sway too far. However, I am able to compartmentalize those aspects of the church differently(and with much less importance) that I did prior to my involvement in this community. From a cultural, and community standpoint, I have a greater understanding of what it means to be LDS, and are able to accept that and in ways embrace that better in my life.

I am a big proponent of making it hard for people to leave the Church and easy for them to come back. I've remarked in the past that if I ever lost my faith that I couldn't keep one foot in and another out. But CUF has changed that perspective. Like you I've come to realize the importance of the culture and community. As hard as it may be to admit, it's shaped who I am and in many ways defines me. But I am okay with that now.

It kind of saddens me that you didn't have CUF or someone like Jacob suggested way back when. Thanks for taking the time to respond to that. Now I know how much work I have to do. After I get the Ticks back to Church weekly you're my next project.

[The_Tick]

I am a big proponent of making it hard for people to leave the Church and easy for them to come back. I've remarked in the past that if I ever lost my faith that I couldn't keep one foot in and another out. But CUF has changed that perspective. Like you I've come to realize the importance of the culture and community. As hard as it may be to admit, it's shaped who I am and in many ways defines me. But I am okay with that now.

It kind of saddens me that you didn't have CUF or someone like Jacob suggested way back when. Thanks for taking the time to respond to that. Now I know how much work I have to do. After I get the Ticks back to Church weekly you're my next project.

Hey...we are just fine. TW goes 50-75% of the time, and I am there 90-95% of the time.

If TW doesn't show up no one says anything...if I don't show up we get 4 different groups visiting the house. Freaking double standard.

[Surfah]

Hey...we are just fine. TW goes 50-75% of the time, and I am there 90-95% of the time.

If TW doesn't show up no one says anything...if I don't show up we get 4 different groups visiting the house. Freaking double standard.

That was easy. Gidget fire up the oven JIC needs some cookies and where's my Ensign?

[Tick's wife]

Hey...we are just fine. TW goes 50-75% of the time, and I am there 90-95% of the time.

If TW doesn't show up no one says anything...if I don't show up we get 4 different groups visiting the house. Freaking double standard.

That's because they don't care if I don't go. They only care if you don't go.

[DrumNFeather]

I certainly like the idea that there would be someone who would listen without judgment. If at the end of all that they would say "don't worry Brother Pelligrino, you don't have to believe any particular thing to enjoy our fellowship" and then could shepherd you back into a congregation where that was really true that would be a major win.

Don't you think that cuts both ways though? I mean, wouldn't there have to be a mutual understanding of listening without judgement on both ends? If it is a one-way street of respect of beliefs, then I'm not sure that it would unfold all that well.

[Green Monstah]

We did our visit on Sunday. He asked me if we were full tithe payers and I said yes. He looked down at the sheet and said, "Well, you either aren't making much money or you are sending your money directly to Salt Lake." I replied, "Yeah, either that or there is a check in that envelope I handed you when we walked in."

His face got a little red.

That's funny.

I actually don't do tithing settlement. Even if the Bishop is the most mild mannered and encouraging, I think the entire process is designed to use pressure and shame in order to encourage people to tithe (a principle, BTW, I have a strong belief in). So, we don't go. I suppose I'm hosed if I get to the other side and realize there's no celestial DVR and they go completely off of Church records at the judgment bar.