Latter-day Saints believe that tithing is a principle instituted by God. We of course see the Biblical basis for tithing (Gen 14:20, Gen 28:22, Num 18:26, Deut 12:6, 2 Chr 31:15, Luke 18:12, etc), and believe that it is one way to offer sacrifice to God.
The Old Testament Law was fulfilled by Jesus. He established the New Covenant, based on the love and mercy of God. So, the strict tithing requirements of the Old Covenant are not the same in the New Covenant. Although 10% is suggested for tithing, it’s not explicitly required as a strict rule in the Catholic Church. Catholics make offerings according to their own conscience and means. There’s no ‘minimum requirement’ for anyone to be able to attend Mass or participate in any other Church activities. The churches are always open to anyone that wants to go in to pray, Catholic or not. Some are open 24/7.
It’s very sad to me that any church expects it’s poor members to give, even when they can’t afford it. It’s hard to make ends meet, even if they’re frugal. Supporting a family is hard enough without adding a burden that causes them even more hardship. If they can’t afford to pay a full 10%, they’re ostracized and judged to somehow be unworthy to worship God in the temple, or perform any of the other requirements to be considered a “good Mormon”. IMHO, it should be the church’s responsibility to support the poor, not add to their burden and embarrassment by refusing to let them enter the temple.
I doubt Jesus would approve of anyone being turned away from His house because they’re too poor and can’t afford to pay the dues required by the leaders of the church. I’m reminded of a Utah Phillips song, “Room for the Poor”.
Regarding Luke, let’s look at it in context:[10] Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
[11] The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican. [12] I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess. [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying:
O God, be merciful to me a sinner. [14] I say to you, this man went down into his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.
The one that was bragging about paying his full tithe was the Pharisee. Jesus said that the publican was more justified than him, because he humbled himself and asked God to forgive him because he was a sinner. The Pharisee thought he was doing God’s will, but he was only doing those things for his own vainglory.
We believe that to enter the Lord’s holy house, the temple, one should be striving to follow the Lord’s commandments. Essentially, to enter the Lord’s house, one should believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, have faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, believe in the restoration of the Gospel and the Lord’s Church, sustain the inspired leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ, and follow commandments and teachings such as the law of chastity, the word of wisdom, and tithing. I see nothing about “only the richest of men can afford without going broke”.
God never excluded anyone from entering His Holy Temple because they didn’t pay their tithe, nor did He exclude sinners from entering the Temple. It was a holy place for men to go to worship God, and ask forgiveness of their sins. They made offerings to burn on the altar for their sins, but those depended on the condition of the person making them. The poor could offer less expensive items (turtle doves) to not hinder them from being able to be forgiven, but the rich were expected to offer things that were more affordable to them (rams, goats).
Giving 10% of our income also teaches us to live more frugally and to manage our income better, to try to not go into debt, and also to rely on the Lord to provide us with what we need. Also, if one does not have any income at all, then obviously 10% of nothing is nothing. They will not be “barred” from the temple, and I know that when I was a student with no income, I certainly was not restricted from attending the Lord’s house, and even now I am still not “the richest of men”, nor are the vast majority of temple patrons. We believe that following the Lord’s commandments, including tithing, brings blessings (both temporal and spiritual) into our lives, and I and many others have seen this, which is why we strive to follow Christ’s commandments.
I’m glad to know that those who have no income are still allowed in the temple, but that doesn’t change the fact that Mormons are required to show their bishops proof of their income, so they’ll know how much they should donate, to keep their “temple recommend”. My objection to having a minimum requirement is that it’s contrary to what Jesus taught. He never said that those who followed Him had to pay their ‘dues’ according to the value of their worldly goods. His requirement was that we follow Him out of our love of God. He’s more interested in our building up spiritual ‘treasures’ in Heaven, than possessing material wealth. He was never concerned about money in the least, and taught His followers not to be concerned about it, either. The Gospels are filled with examples of Him teaching that the poor were much better off spiritually than the rich.
“
[Matthew 19:] [23] Then Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. [24] And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
