Cayman islands have no taxes but youd rather live under corrupt officials that waste your tax money in the USA under the excuse that you are forced. You are not forced, you choose to live in a corrupt country as do I, but not cause im forced rather the pros out weight the cons for me. You pay Biden but your tithes you withhold from God.Thinker wrote: ↑September 21st, 2022, 5:59 pmTaxes are legally required. Religious donations are not. Not really a good comparison, though you did make a point about both being corrupt.randyps wrote: ↑September 19th, 2022, 4:35 pmYou are pretty convinced in your stance and im sure many have tried to argue with you about the law of Tithing in the LDS church.Thinker wrote: ↑September 19th, 2022, 9:03 amI appreciate your respectful tone in disagreeing & will try to reciprocate.randyps wrote: ↑September 19th, 2022, 12:05 am
1. Some think the church is corrupt, some think they are navigating rough waters. I believe both but mostly the later. If there is any corruption it is on an individual basis where a secretary may be stealing without anyone knowing or a bishop acting inappropriately all on his own. There is more to this topic but Ill just leave it at that.
2. I can see where you are coming from. You have followed the Law of tithing without bearing witness of its divine command, if you did receive witness of its truthfulness you would not worry about where the "donation" went once it left your hands, you would only know for a surety that the Lord is pleased with your offer.
I have a business client who is 65 yrs old and on a standard (unhealthy american diet) ate his way to diabetes and kidney failure over the years. Would have died had his son not donated a kidney to him. About a month after surgery as I visited his home to do some work on the exterior I saw him wake up in the morning to take the dogs out for a walk, he returned home to sit on the couch with a hot dog, chips and coke as he turned on the T.V.
Did his son do the right thing or not? If the son knew before hand that his dad would continue to eat junk and possibly waste his second chance at life would he have not given his kidney?
In all things I gave you an example, how that so labouring ye ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.—Acts 20:35.
By “corruption” I don’t mean at the local level - but at the top - using money gathered in the name of JESUS CHRIST in ways that are not only ungodly but illegal (hoarding charity donations https://www.kuer.org/religion/2019-12-1 ... xempt-fund).
Again… Lds finances are not handled in Christ-like ways.
1) Lds leaders warped scripture to get more money (tithes are supposed to be based on increase not income).
2) They take from the poor by demanding based on income when the poor have no increase left.
3) They disobey the law of tithing (Deut 14:28-29 - which is not taught in curriculum about tithing) - which states that at least 1/3 of tithes are supposed to be given to the poor. See also JST Genesis 14:37-39.
4) Finances are kept secret except Oaks admitted no tithes go to the poor.
5) They use the temple to make money - charging for worthiness. This type of thing is the only time on record when Jesus expressed anger.
You mentioned “ if you did receive witness of its truthfulness you would not worry about where the "donation" went…”
A few considerations:
* Why would truthfulness require giving excess money to people who are NOT honest with their fellow man?
* Is that being wise stewards to knowingly give sacred tithes to people proven to not handle them in godly or even legal ways?
* I have felt the Spirit about giving tithes to those in need. Many have. And common sense, the greatest commandments & morality agree.
* The Spirit is a feeling as are emotions like fear or desire which can be wrapped up in cognitive bias. It is essential to use our God-given brains to DISCERN between emotion & the Spirit. Sometimes it’s easy at least to discern maybe not so easy to do - like when you feel social pressure to obey men (& give money to corrupt leaders in exchange for good social standing)… OR… when you feel the Spirit to obey God & the greatest commandments….
- ” Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” - Matt 22
My last effort to offer some type of perspective is this.
Do you live in America? Do you enjoy the benefits and freedoms of living in America despite the corrupt people in the white house? With that corrupt government is it still worth it to pay taxes in order to live in this Great country? Your answer is YES (or else you would have moved to another country....where you would end up having to pay the taxes of that country)
Gods church is same. We know for a fact in the bible that God established a church and he established tithing. If you are not part of the LDS church paying the LDS tithe then you SHOULD be part of any other church you believe to be Gods paying a tithe there. If not then you are not serving God as he commanded.
ps. Giving a tithe to random charities or homeless on the street is not what God wants, sure you can do those things on your own time and expense but it should be in addition to paying a tithe to his church.
We will probably never agree for 1 main reason:
Your god is the church and my god is Truth/Highest GOoD.
I have a real close and personal relationship with God, im also inactive for 7 years so church is not my God, it so happens that God is sending me signs to go back to church not because he needs my money but because he loves me more then I can understand.