Response to an Anti-Tithing Forum

I was in a Mormon forum on Myspace, and there was a guy who was bashing on the law of tithing, I thought I would just throw my two cents into the conversation, and below is the guys post, and my reply to his post. I thought some of you might enjoy it. Let me know what you think.

----------------------------His Post-----------------------------------

"The Church doesn't donate that much money to charities, humanitarian aide. etc. as you'd like to think.

From 1984 to 2006, the LDS Church donated $750 million to various people in need across the world. Hurray right? So that's $750 million in 22 years (34 million/yr). The Church is spending $2 billion on a downtown SLC building project over four years (500 million/yr).

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is required to donate at least $1.5 billion/yr at minimum (using 2006 data). That means Bill Gates donates at least twice as much money each year than the LDS Church donated in 22 years. Good job LDS Church."


---------------------My Response---------------------------------------------

If you would do your homework, you would know that this project isn't being funded by ANY tithing money WHATSOEVER! The church has MANY more investments, and other means of making money than just tithes.

The fact of the matter is, the church wouldn't be able to function the way it does if it didn't have any money. That's just a fact. If you don't have money, you have nothing to stand on. Not only that, but look at the temples that are being built, the church buildings that are erected, the humanitarian aid that is given, the travel costs of the General Authorities, the costs of over 50 thousand missionaries throughout the world, the cost of those missionaries being stupid, (car accidents, medical bills, etc...) cost of publications, cost of church employees, cost to manage and keep the temple grounds of over 120 temples, media costs, shipping costs, computer costs, etc etc...

I think you get the point.

The world requires money, and the church has that, because it has faithful members of the church.

The other fact of the matter is the fact that Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Gordon B. Hinckley, etc etc weren't the ones who gave this commandment, it was God. Go read Malachi 3:8-11.

Not only is God giving the commandment to pay back to him just a little so he can continue progressing his work throughout the world, but he is giving you another opportunity to receive blessings for doing it!! He even promises to "...open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." He also promises to "...rebuke the devourer for your sakes..."

If I gave you a $1 bill; would you be willing to give me 10 cents back? That gives you 90 cents to do whatever you like with. It's MY $1 bill, but I am willing to give it to you, for only a dime.

God doesn't ask us to give a lot. He just asks that you give enough to help his work move forward.

And frankly, the question is, can you afford NOT to pay tithing?

Think about it.