Who is Jesus?

Angela wrote:
Let me tell you, I give 10% of my income to my church. Do you know where this money goes? I do. Not to my clergy....My church does not have a paid clergy. Those that serve my church do not receive paychecks or compensation. The money goes to charities, building new church buildings, paying for the utilities, buying new bibles, helping out victims of natural disasters, the food bank, medical care for the needy and there are many others.

By the way, I never said that 10% of salary given as donation was to pay clergy's wages. It is included as donation to sponsor their luxury cars. It happened here in Malaysia. But they were followed blindly by those faithful church-goers. They even set a limit of donation e.g. FROM REV. DR. SAMUEL DOCTORIAN, A lebanese Jew once said, "I HAD MADE SOME CALCULATIONS AND IF EACH ONE OF YOU DONATE AN AMOUNT OF 400 BUCKS, THEN THIS EVENT OF CHARITY WILL COLLECT (400 X 1600 PERSONS) 640,000 BUCKS.

Why set a limit when donations are supposed to be given through sincerity? Perhaps, it is time to use some logics.

TO GOSPELMAP:

If ALLAH brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Happy moments, praise GOD/ALLAH

Difficult moments, seek God/ALLAH
Quiet moments, worship God/ALLAH
Painful moments, trust God/ALLAH
Every moment, thank God/ALLAH





Edited by pauline35

I look at my 10% as God's money.  I have no right to say he cannot have it.  And because I show my faith, I am blessed.  When I pay tithing, I never want for anything.  If I need help paying rent or getting groceries.  I go to my bishop and it is given.  We are taught to budget and ignore the call for worldly things. 

There are lots of criminals out there. Televangelists and corrupt charities. 

But, God has required sacrifices, if he says you must give 10%, 2%, 100%, then you must give. 

Its a test of faith, if you don't think you can, then you aren't having faith that God will provide. 

Look at Abraham and Isaac.  He demanded his son, and when Abraham obeyed, he provided the ram instead.  Trust in God and everything will work out.

Tithes are 10% of your gross, in a world where you are compensated in a monetary gain....it is a basic translation into money.  I produce no goods at my business, nor does my husband.  Our gains only come in the form of cash.  If I were a farmer, I could donate a 10th of my flock or grain. 

To him belongs a 10th of my gains.  This is not a cut for God, this is a sacrifice he demands.  This 10th is given to those who need it.  The church administrates the distribution only.  This tenth pays for the free Book of Mormons and the basic maintenance of wards and temples.  But it also goes to feed the poor, cloth the naked and educate the young.  Our church sent $900,000 worth of food, blankets and supplies within days of the earthquake.  We were able to do this because our people already sacrifice daily.  Other churches had to hold special donation drives and fundraisers.  We also fast once a month and further as our personal needs require.  When we fast, the meals we miss, we donate to the poor.  I cannot fast as a diabetic, but I am still required to donate the equivalent meals to the poor.

Because of this, God grants us prosperity and peace.  This is not symbolism, this is action and commitment. 

Sacrificing a burning a lamb would be symbolic, taking your sacrifice and feeding another with it is a deed that can be recorded.

Mualakum Salam, forgive me that I am still learning...

amlhabibi2000 wrote:
Expertise can be a blessing where and when people need it or tutoring or money in some cases.

As for a set amount I agree it should be according to the finacially ability of the donor and not a set amount though if it was a kind world people could donate more than 2o% of their proffit.

I say you are right and it is so true that expertise can be a blessing in some cases. My girlfriend is of this example. She is so kind that she voluntered to become a special aide to Palestine's President during the Peace Forum event in Kuala Lumpur recently. It is an honour to have someone like her as confidante whom sacrificed her time and her expertise to aid in that event which held by Former Malaysia's PM (Tun Mahathir).

In return, (as the saying goes, what goes around, what comes around)she had a great opportunity to explore herself whilst voluntering as a special aide to Palestine's President.

This was like a golden opportunity that only happened   once in a lifetime. GOD BLESS HER FOR HER KINDNESS.