When I consider tithing, I think of three major issues.
1) It makes sense to pay tithing if you're participating in the Church. After all, the Church needs money to function. Furthermore, people take pride in having nice church buildings, etc.
2) Mormonism does something that few religions do: Mormonism demands payment of tithing in order to receive its highest blessings (temple). I think it is the demand for payment seems to run contrary to fundamental principles of Christianity / morality.
3) Tithing takes a much greater toll on the poor than on the wealthy. For a family living on 30,000 dollars per year, 3 thousand dollars can be indispensable income. For a family earning 300,000 dollars per year, 30,000 dollars is loss of a luxury.
Of course, it's more simple for the Church issue a flat tax. But simplicity doesn't make it morally right, especially to demand tithing in exchange for temple visits.
I know the Church does things to fight poverty. But if you consider the 15 million members of the Church around the world, many of whom live in very poor countries, you should also consider how much the Church actually enhances the poverty of 3rd-world Mormons. While on my mission, I was financial secretary for the largest branch in the mission, and I was shocked by how the poorest members of the Church were giving away their money to the Church. Would they sometimes receive fast offerings? Sure. But not as much as the tithing they paid.
This business of poor people giving their money away to the Church is viewed as a virtue. The Church builds extravagant buildings and shopping malls while they simultaneously teach people that they shouldn't be materialistic. I'm profoundly disturbed by this.
1) It makes sense to pay tithing if you're participating in the Church. After all, the Church needs money to function. Furthermore, people take pride in having nice church buildings, etc.
2) Mormonism does something that few religions do: Mormonism demands payment of tithing in order to receive its highest blessings (temple). I think it is the demand for payment seems to run contrary to fundamental principles of Christianity / morality.
3) Tithing takes a much greater toll on the poor than on the wealthy. For a family living on 30,000 dollars per year, 3 thousand dollars can be indispensable income. For a family earning 300,000 dollars per year, 30,000 dollars is loss of a luxury.
Of course, it's more simple for the Church issue a flat tax. But simplicity doesn't make it morally right, especially to demand tithing in exchange for temple visits.
I know the Church does things to fight poverty. But if you consider the 15 million members of the Church around the world, many of whom live in very poor countries, you should also consider how much the Church actually enhances the poverty of 3rd-world Mormons. While on my mission, I was financial secretary for the largest branch in the mission, and I was shocked by how the poorest members of the Church were giving away their money to the Church. Would they sometimes receive fast offerings? Sure. But not as much as the tithing they paid.
This business of poor people giving their money away to the Church is viewed as a virtue. The Church builds extravagant buildings and shopping malls while they simultaneously teach people that they shouldn't be materialistic. I'm profoundly disturbed by this.
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