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The Mormon Church kept their $100 BILLION investment fund a secret over fears that it would discourage members from tithing Login/Join 
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Sorry for the Typos 'R Us post. Posting from the tablet does not encourage good usage (especially when autocorrect rears it's ugly head.

But to the point, religious organizations are granted special tax free status. I don't have a problem making them follow certain rules to maintain this status. This is especially true if those rules shouldn't be a problem if they really are anything we would want to think of as a religion.

In terms of this, I think of Scientology. L Ron Hubbard explicitly started Scientology to abuse the tax rule for religious orgnaizatins. But because he and his associates were able to convince the IRS they are a religion, they can abuse the tax rules with no problem. That should be stopped.

quote:
Originally posted by PowerSurge:
quote:
Originally posted by BBMW:
Not specific to the Mormon Church, but considering this information and how it came out, and that religious institutions get special rax exempt status, should they...

- Be required to publicly relates there financial information annually? I believe other types of non-profits are required to.

- Be required to spend a certain percentage of there assets on charitable activities?


I’m not a believer but I’m against more gov’t intervention in just about everything. Maybe the Mormons should just wake up and pay attention to where their money goes and leave it at that.

Then again, if they’re ok with the status quo, leave them be.
 
Posts: 21240 | Registered: November 05, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
delicately calloused
Picture of darthfuster
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quote:
Originally posted by Prefontaine:
quote:
Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
quote:
Originally posted by Prefontaine:

Big Grin

That should cover the cost of magic underwear too.


Roll Eyes

What a tired, old, dreary comment. I suppose you think you’re clever by retreading this backhanded attack? I’ve heard this kind of crap since I was a kid. You don’t know what you’re talking about.

Nobody in this country cared 120 years ago when the LDS church was nearly bankrupt from having all of its assets seized over polygamy. Now that they’ve been good stewards of their funds and recovered, people have problems with it? The LDS church also runs one of the most extensive charitable organizations in the world, along with an extensive missionary program. Reagan said that the country’s welfare system should be modeled after the LDS Church’s. Also, the clergy is a lay clergy, along with all the time that’s donated by its members. Having no payroll really saves a lot of money. Are these bad things? Near my town alone, the LDS Church gave $200K to the Krishnas when they ran out of money trying to build their temple in Salem, UT.

It’s sad when people attack an organization for doing the right thing.


The very thing you mentioned, I read up on many years ago. They wanted to be a state in the United States and got into a scrap with the US over polygamy. I read about the asset seizure. Then all of a sudden the leader of the LDS said he had a revelation from God, that no more polygamy. Funny how that works.

Then I also read about blacks not being allowed to be priests in the 70's. Story caught on from local paper to national news. A lot of pressure and whining occurred. All of a sudden, the leader of the church said he had a revelation that black people should be able to be priests.

If that's what you believe then believe it. My comment shouldn't mean anything to you. My opinion is not the gospel. I question any religion such as this that came about in 1830, nearly 2000 years after the Lord. Talking about a spaceship, your own planet, etc.


I'm no expert but as I understand it your perceptions are distortions and partial truths. Of course they make things look silly or suspicious. That's what the Left does to us conservatives and it is no more true than an all out lie. As a rule I stay out of religious bickering because the internet is a poor venue for an edifying discussion relative to that. But I get wrapped around the axle when I see distortions used to deceive or mock others on this board. Forgive me if that is not your intent.



You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier
 
Posts: 29578 | Location: Highland, Ut. | Registered: May 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I'll clarify one point in the article regarding tithing. There are many faithful, active members of the church who struggle to pay tithing. They are not ostracized or cast out. Others pay tithing quite willingly. Members believe tithing is a commandment of God. Those who pay tithing from around the world understand where it goes to. With very few paid positions in the church, the majority of the tithing funds go to construct and maintain local chapels and temples and also fund church-sponsored schools.

Members shouldn't stop paying tithing because funds have reached some critical point. At some point, that may change or expenses may change.

The church bends over backwards to comply with all tax and investment laws. There's no incentive to skirt the laws.


P229
 
Posts: 3807 | Location: Sacramento, CA | Registered: November 21, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
women dug his snuff
and his gallant stroll
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How about some reparations for the families of the Mountain Meadows Massacre?
 
Posts: 10823 | Registered: August 12, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
delicately calloused
Picture of darthfuster
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How about some reparations for the women and children murdered by the good Christian mobs of Illinois and Missouri?



You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier
 
Posts: 29578 | Location: Highland, Ut. | Registered: May 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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And then there's the Vatican's Peter's Pence.

quote:

In 2019, it was revealed that the charity had secretly been used by people within the Vatican to buy luxury property in London and to fund movies such as the 2019 Elton John biopic Rocketman. It has also been used to finance the budget deficit of the Holy See.
 
Posts: 2537 | Location: KY | Registered: October 20, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Reparations for Mountain Meadow? What about the dispatch riders from SLC riding south to instruct the settlers to leave the Missourians alone, notwithstanding the Missourians boasts about a repeat of Hawns Mill?

Those were local settlers who were acting independently. The west was a little bit wild back in the day, so I’ve heard. The church is no more obligated for reparations today than you are for American slavery, or a bunch of Swedes are for breeding up my great^18 Celtic grandmother.



Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus
 
Posts: 8189 | Location: Utah | Registered: December 18, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Dinosaur
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In related news, Russian, Chinese and North Korean hacking units have announced a pause in operations in order to pursue exciting opportunities for personal enrichment. Smile
 
Posts: 6955 | Location: 96753 | Registered: December 15, 1999Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I'm surprised this topic has become so contentious.... I'm not LDS , so it's none of my business what they do financially.
None whatsoever.....mike
 
Posts: 1264 | Location: Idaho | Registered: October 21, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
His Royal Hiney
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How they were able to keep it a secret is a wonder to me.

As a non Mormon, that impresses me that whoever controls the money are good stewards.

Mormons were used as an example in a book I read as a young man about being able to save as part of being successful.



"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.
 
Posts: 19555 | Location: The Free State of Arizona - Ditat Deus | Registered: March 24, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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