Tithing; is it a form of blackmail?

[Nickman]

In the LDS church Tithing is a law found in the Doctrine and Covenants as well as spoken of by the church leaders.

In order for a person to receive a temple recommend, which allows you to participate in temple ordinances for salvation and progression in the celestial kingdom, you must pay a full 10% of your gross annual income. From an inside perspective it may seem to be voluntary to pay tithing, no one truly forces you to. From the outside, though, it seems to be a form of blackmail. Especially, when you have to pay in order to participate in all aspects of what the church has to offer. Its almost as if you are purchasing your salvation and your place in the eternities. When you are taught by the mormon missionaries about the church, this tidbit of information is candy coated. Once you become a member you become obligated to follow the leader and pay tithing. If you don't you will never go to the temple and receive your endowment and saving ordinances pertinent to your salvation.

Is this a form of blackmail?

Are people buying their salvation, while the church gets filthy rich?

Is this a marketing strategy that sells a product hope in exchange for your hard earned money and labor to the church?

[Untraveled Trail]

Is this a form of blackmail?

Yes

Are people buying their salvation

No, "salvation" cannot be purchased. It is not for sale.

while the church gets filthy rich?

Yes

Is this a marketing strategy that sells a product hope in exchange for your hard earned money and labor to the church?

Not necessarily but that may be one of the side benefits. Tithing came about as a way to provide for full time priests and cultic functionaries. The people whose role it was to lead the people in worship or to assist in encounters with the divine or holy had to be provided for as their functions did not allow for full time employment.

I suspect that in cultures where temple prostitution was an acceptable form of worship they didn't experience the absence of males in the large percentages that we experience today. While annual budgets are a modern concern, they probably didn't have the depth of concern for making ends meet as churches do today. Ancient peoples were not as "backwards" as we make them out to be.

[bluethread]

It is also important that one was also to set aside a tithe for travel, gift giving and celebration during the fiests. It is interesting that those who support a tithe for the poor and a tithe priest(which is only once every three years in HaTorah), ignore the tithe for enjoying Adonai's appointed times.

[connermt]

In the LDS church Tithing is a law found in the Doctrine and Covenants as well as spoken of by the church leaders.

In order for a person to receive a temple recommend, which allows you to participate in temple ordinances for salvation and progression in the celestial kingdom, you must pay a full 10% of your gross annual income. From an inside perspective it may seem to be voluntary to pay tithing, no one truly forces you to. From the outside, though, it seems to be a form of blackmail. Especially, when you have to pay in order to participate in all aspects of what the church has to offer. Its almost as if you are purchasing your salvation and your place in the eternities. When you are taught by the mormon missionaries about the church, this tidbit of information is candy coated. Once you become a member you become obligated to follow the leader and pay tithing. If you don't you will never go to the temple and receive your endowment and saving ordinances pertinent to your salvation.

Is this a form of blackmail?

Are people buying their salvation, while the church gets filthy rich?

Is this a marketing strategy that sells a product hope in exchange for your hard earned money and labor to the church?

The whole concept of "believe in Me and worship Me or else" is nothing more than blackmail. Tithing falls into this category. So yes, it's blackmail.
What really funny to me is that a being that can create everything out of nothing needs our $ to do anything.

[Untraveled Trail]

What really funny to me is that a being that can create everything out of nothing needs our $ to do anything.

Another one of the numerous inconsistencies within the way many Christian churches try to get money from the faithful. The honest approach of "we need to pay the light bill, the pastor/priest/minister's salary and we need assistance for our education and outreach I find more appealing.

The idea that we are giving back to God what already belongs to God because God needs it back after God has blessed us by giving it to us... ?

Utter nonsense.

[connermt]

What really funny to me is that a being that can create everything out of nothing needs our $ to do anything.

Another one of the numerous inconsistencies within the way many Christian churches try to get money from the faithful. The honest approach of "we need to pay the light bill, the pastor/priest/minister's salary and we need assistance for our education and outreach I find more appealing.

The idea that we are giving back to God what already belongs to God because God needs it back after God has blessed us by giving it to us... ?

Utter nonsense.

Nonsense is right.
However, I wonder why we need to pay for education, outreach, salary, etc when god is more than capable of doing that as well?

[Untraveled Trail]

I wonder why we need to pay for education, outreach, salary, etc when god is more than capable of doing that as well?

I am not one who believes God is capable of paying for education, outreach, salaries, etc. I hear the pleadings and am in agreement we ought to help and assist in the welfare of others. Left to God and they will die hungry and uneducated.

Why human beings created an image of a God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent would be an interesting study on human psychology. Somewhere within many people is the need to believe in a perfect being who resides in a perfect place that we may one day be welcomed into if we behave in a prescribed way. Within a very short order, we have to develop reasons or excuses why the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent responds human actions or fails to respond to genuine human need. We have to "rescue" God from our own logical inconsistencies all the while pretending that everything is logically consistent and makes sense.

[connermt]

I wonder why we need to pay for education, outreach, salary, etc when god is more than capable of doing that as well?

I am not one who believes God is capable of paying for education, outreach, salaries, etc. I hear the pleadings and am in agreement we ought to help and assist in the welfare of others. Left to God and they will die hungry and uneducated.

Why human beings created an image of a God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent would be an interesting study on human psychology. Somewhere within many people is the need to believe in a perfect being who resides in a perfect place that we may one day be welcomed into if we behave in a prescribed way. Within a very short order, we have to develop reasons or excuses why the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent responds human actions or fails to respond to genuine human need. We have to "rescue" God from our own logical inconsistencies all the while pretending that everything is logically consistent and makes sense.

Well said. I wonder though, is there a need to believe in a perfect being, or a need to use said being to control others...?

[Untraveled Trail]

Well said. I wonder though, is there a need to believe in a perfect being, or a need to use said being to control others...?

This may not be an either/or choice. I think this may be a both/ and. Some people need or want to believe in a perfect being... some know how to use the belief in a perfect being to control others.

Its somewhat similar to an abusive relationship and the psychological manipulation that ensues. The harder one tries to measure up, the more the abuser focuses attention on the victim's faults and failures. The victim, increasingly demeaned, continuously puts more effort into proving himself/herself worthy and acceptable only to be reminded he/she continues to be a failure and unworthy.

Breaking the abusive cycle is extremely difficult but important for one to fully recover psychologically and spiritually.

The way in which pastors/priests/ministers promote tithing in the church often takes on the form of abuse. Congregants are made to feel guilty, caricatured and publicly debased as lacking faith because they cannot afford to tithe.

[Nickman]

[Replying to post 26 by Untraveled Trail]

We have all heard the expression "actions speak louder than words" if this is true then the actions, or lack thereof, of this god tell us three things. Either he doesn't exist, doesn't care, or he cares but cannot do anything.

It is humans helping other humans that gets stuff done. Like you said, "if we do nothing and leave it up to god, nothing would get done."

Where is all this tithing money at? The LDS church brings in billions. With a proposed 14.4 million members tithing a hypothetical 10 dollars a month they would receive over a billion a year. Lets add all the churches to this equation. It is incalculable. Where is all the money that god has gathered? He doesn't seem to be too good with money. I wouldn't want him balancing my checkbook, wait who uses checkbooks anymore?

[connermt]

Well said. I wonder though, is there a need to believe in a perfect being, or a need to use said being to control others...?

This may not be an either/or choice. I think this may be a both/ and. Some people need or want to believe in a perfect being... some know how to use the belief in a perfect being to control others.

Its somewhat similar to an abusive relationship and the psychological manipulation that ensues. The harder one tries to measure up, the more the abuser focuses attention on the victim's faults and failures. The victim, increasingly demeaned, continuously puts more effort into proving himself/herself worthy and acceptable only to be reminded he/she continues to be a failure and unworthy.

Breaking the abusive cycle is extremely difficult but important for one to fully recover psychologically and spiritually.

The way in which pastors/priests/ministers promote tithing in the church often takes on the form of abuse. Congregants are made to feel guilty, caricatured and publicly debased as lacking faith because they cannot afford to tithe.

Agreed. Without guilt and fear, christianity wouldn't be the influencial cult* it is today.
*Cult used as defined by Webster