Mormons baptize the popes

[psyche23]

the mormon “church” does well financially because in order to be saved and to be in good standing, the poor duped mormon faithful must tithe 10 percent. Titheing is FIRST, before you pay your bill, you had better pony up the 10 percent. Nobody has ever twisted my arm in any parish that I have been a member of. It’s a racket.

You’re both right here. Yes, the Catholic Church is a business. I happen to work for it. But that is not our first and foremost priority. I have no idea how Mormon finances are run and if hosemonkey is right about armtwisting, but I can tell you that the Catholic Church , while a business, is only a secondary business. Our primary function is to spread the word. Our finances are only to help us to this effectively. Not to say there isn’t corruption with us either. Bishops and such are human too. But in general terms, we tend to be pretty poor when it comes to finances because that’s not our intention (to be rich). We just want enough to get by and help others when they need it.

 

[Catherine_S]

I used to be lds but am now catholic. I do not understand why everyone gets all bent out of shape about this. They aren’t hurting anyone. They are conducting a ritual that has no effect on anyones soul. They are just waisting their own time and efforts **although the geneology library is **a nice resource. The only way I could see being upset is if you actually believed their ceremonies had effect in that case you might as well join the lds church.

***Jodi ! ***
.

 

[zerinus]

You’re both right here. . .

Only one of them is!

There is no “arm twisting” in the LDS Church to pay tithing. Nobody has ever been excommunicated or disciplined in any way for not paying tithing.

Before joining the Church, it is explained to you that paying tithing is one of religious obligations as a member of the Church, and you are expected to pay it. If you don’t believe in the Church, or if you think that they just want you for the money, you don’t have to join. Even after you have joined, if you don’t pay, nobody takes disciplinary action against you for not paying. But those who do, consider it a privilege and a blessing to do so, not a burden.

I have paid my tithing all my life in the Church, and have never regretted it, and have never done so begrudgingly. I have always considered a great honor, a privilege, and a blessing to do so; and I know that I have been greatly blessed for doing so.

zerinus

 

[hosemonkey]

Only one of them is!

There is no “arm twisting” in the LDS Church to pay tithing. Nobody has ever been excommunicated or disciplined in any way for not paying tithing.

Before joining the Church, it is explained to you that paying tithing is one of religious obligations as a member of the Church, and you are expected to pay it. If you don’t believe in the Church, or if you think that they just want you for the money, you don’t have to join. Even after you have joined, if you don’t pay, nobody takes disciplinary action against you for not paying. But those who do, consider it a privilege and a blessing to do so, not a burden.

I have paid my tithing all my life in the Church, and have never regretted it, and have never done so begrudgingly. I have always considered a great honor, a privilege, and a blessing to do so; and I know that I have been greatly blessed for doing so.

zerinus

One of the boxes that must be checked at your “bishop’s” interview for your temple recommend is one that asks if you pay “full tithing.” No “temple” recommend, then I guess that you are an “uncircumcised Philistine.” Looks like arm-twisting to me.

 

[RebeccaJ]

This is a joke right? The LDS is a faith based church that has been very successful with its finances. However, any church which has property must take care of its business. The catholic church is no different. Do you really believe that the catholic church does not have lawyers and accountants managing its finances? Of course it does. And can one really claim that the RC Church is also not run like a business? In the parish that I belong to the church is very poor. Hard to meet endsmeat. However, the lds chapels have no problem with their finances in my neck of the woods.

How to explain it except that the worldwide lds church manages finances better than the Worldwide RC church.

Certainly I agree that all churches should manage their finances both prudently and skilfully.

The Catholic church may have lawyers, but how many lawyers are also clergy? The mormon upper clergy, every apostle, is a former businessman, and Oaks is the lawyer I was referring to. Please point out to me any upper clergy in the Catholic church that is a businessman.

Maybe I’m wrong whyme, as I don’t know all of the Catholic Church’s enterprises. But I wonder if the Catholic Church is spending 2 billion dollars on a business enterprise that has nothing to do with faith, at all.

The mormon church is. Two blocks of downtown SLC. Shopping mall, condo high rise, apartments and commercial high rise. And this is just the beginnings of the commercial enterprises that they own. None of which as anything to do with faith.

 

[PaulDupre]

One of the boxes that must be checked at your “bishop’s” interview for your temple recommend is one that asks if you pay “full tithing.” No “temple” recommend, then I guess that you are an “uncircumcised Philistine.” Looks like arm-twisting to me.

Not only that, but if you do not pay a full tithe, you are stripped of any leadership- or teaching positions you may hold in your ward or stake. Taking away your callings is a way to draw attention to the fact that you have become “unworthy”, and the tongues begin to wag. I have seen it several times. That exerts tremendous social pressure (read: arm twisting) to conform and pay a full tithe, even if it means withholding money from your aged parents, not setting aside enough money for retirement or not buying food and clothing for your family.

Paul

 

[psyche23]

All I know is that being a youth minister for the Catholic Church is not a very lucrative job. Everyone I work with knows I can not afford to pay the tithe I would like to, and they certainly are not going to strip me of my title because they aren’t paying me enough for me to be generous. It would be really silly if they did. They are very supportive and help me out whenever they can. I’m very grateful to them for their level of understanding.

 

[zerinus]

Not only that, but if you do not pay a full tithe, you are stripped of any leadership- or teaching positions you may hold in your ward or stake. Taking away your callings is a way to draw attention to the fact that you have become “unworthy”, and the tongues begin to wag. I have seen it several times. That exerts tremendous social pressure (read: arm twisting) to conform and pay a full tithe, even if it means withholding money from your aged parents, not setting aside enough money for retirement or not buying food and clothing for your family.

Paul

Not true. Not paying tithing may prevent your advancement in the priesthood, or getting a temple recommend; but it won’t prevent you from having ordinary callings in the Church, such as a teaching calling.

zerinus

 

[hosemonkey]

Not true. Not paying tithing may prevent your advancement in the priesthood, or getting a temple recommend; but it won’t prevent you from having ordinary callings in the Church, such as a teaching calling.

zerinus

C’mon zerinus, admit that the mormon “church” is a con game and that you have been conned. Those old men in SLC are rubbing their hands at all the suckers that are sending them money that they do not have to account for. It’s like a license to print money. YeeeeeeeHaw!

 

[Kristine1957]

Maybe it depends one which “ward” you belong to but …

I know that many mormons are not able to go to the temple if they do not pay thier 10 percent to the church.

 

[Rbt_Southwell]

Not true. Not paying tithing may prevent your advancement in the priesthood, or getting a temple recommend; but it won’t prevent you from having ordinary callings in the Church, such as a teaching calling.

zerinus

The Zerinus Lexicon [for new posters to Catholic Answers]

"Not true" A phrase that usually precedes a cataclysmic leap of blind faith based upon an iota, or mere scrap, of a word or letter in Holy Scripture.

"Not paying tithing may prevent" The word may is NOT discretionary in mormon pantheology and bizness; instead, it carries the veiled threat of 'look out Alma, I’m getting out the big stick!"

"…advancement in the priesthood, or a temple recommend." In mormonolgy, a man is not a man unless he is a priest/bishop/elder/disciple/Prophet. To be denied “advancement” is tantamount [in mormon schema] to being told to hitchhike the ***OTHER ***way on the road to Eternal Progression. And those unlucky prophets without a “temple recommend” might as well divorce their wives and forget adding spirit children for their Eternal planet: it’s being sold to another by the First Deseret Bank of Utah.

Hope this helps the uninitiated to Zerinology.

Robert

 

[hosemonkey]

The Zerinus Lexicon [for new posters to Catholic Answers]

"Not true" A phrase that usually precedes a cataclysmic leap of blind faith based upon an iota, or mere scrap, of a word or letter in Holy Scripture.

"Not paying tithing may prevent" The word may is NOT discretionary in mormon pantheology and bizness; instead, it carries the veiled threat of 'look out Alma, I’m getting out the big stick!"

"…advancement in the priesthood, or a temple recommend." In mormonolgy, a man is not a man unless he is a priest/bishop/elder/disciple/Prophet. To be denied “advancement” is tantamount [in mormon schema] to being told to hitchhike the ***OTHER ***way on the road to Eternal Progression. And those unlucky prophets without a “temple recommend” might as well divorce their wives and forget adding spirit children for their Eternal planet: it’s being sold to another by the First Deseret Bank of Utah.

Hope this helps the uninitiated to Zerinology.

Robert

 

[holdencaulfield]

while googling pope benedict and genealogy i found this blog entry

and then reading further…

This is wrong. The Mormons should respect people wishes not to baptized into their religion of false prophets. Although a Mormon baptism doesn’t mean anything since they are not Christian. One must be present for the baptism and you can’t baptize the dead anyways.

 

[holdencaulfield]

C’mon zerinus, admit that the mormon “church” is a con game and that you have been conned. Those old men in SLC are rubbing their hands at all the suckers that are sending them money that they do not have to account for. It’s like a license to print money. YeeeeeeeHaw!

 

[holdencaulfield]

Sorry that was wrong of me to laugh, however you should look into things so that you are not deceived.

 

[hosemonkey]

Sorry that was wrong of me to laugh, however you should look into things so that you are not deceived.

It would be funny if it was not so sad. Zerinus has me on his ignore list because I hit him too close to the truth and he has no real answers for the fraud that is mormonism. When we point out the flaws in mormonism, he tells us to “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” Of course, he lives in Oz too.

 

[holdencaulfield]

It would be funny if it was not so sad. Zerinus has me on his ignore list because I hit him too close to the truth and he has no real answers for the fraud that is mormonism. When we point out the flaws in mormonism, he tells us to “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” Of course, he lives in Oz too.

It’s quite true. Most people who follow Mormonism are people who know nothing about it. When people look more into their Mormon faith they usually leave lds because they realize that it was a cruel trick fabricated to give people a false sense of hope, and for one insane person to justify pretty much doing what ever they wanted.

 

[Rbt_Southwell]

With apologies to Winston Churchill and my Southern relatives:

Mormon pantheology is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma making as much sense as a screen door on a submarine.

Robert

 

[talter]

It’s quite true. Most people who follow Mormonism are people who know nothing about it. When people look more into their Mormon faith they usually leave lds because they realize that it was a cruel trick fabricated to give people a false sense of hope, and for one insane person to justify pretty much doing what ever they wanted.

Most being the operative word, if only it were all. There are quite a few members I’ve met who treat the LDS church as nothing more than a fraternity or social network. They do all the rituals and say all the right things so that they can maintain peace in the home, business ties, networking abilities, have built in friends in a new “land” etc. Which is slightly different than the twice a year Catholic as they tend to go out of habit or a moral sense of doing the “right” thing even if they don’t really believe or understand the “right” thing. The LDS church represents a pervasive social structure for adherents that many find either too useful to leave or impossible to escape. I know one member who was not practicing for 10 years. He does not believe any of the tenets of the faith, basically caught between being an agnostic and an atheist. Then he moved to a new city and had no family or friends and being the quite type wasn’t one to go out looking for friends so he went back to the LDS church because of the social aspect of it. By becoming active again he immediately gained a support structure. For all their theological errors and tenuous grasp of logic they are for the most part open and welcoming people especially if you’re new in the ward (your mileage may vary on that one as I’ve heard of some cases where cliques worse than a high school existed). If there is anything of merit to gain from looking at the LDS church, it is that social aspect. Fortunately you can gain the same social benefits by joining any other fraternal organization (Elks, Eagles, VFW, American Legion, Knights of Columbus (if your Catholic ), etc). Many Catholic parishes are as open and welcoming as an LDS ward, though in my opinion too many aren’t, they all should be as open and welcoming.

 

[psyche23]

Why is it called a ward? When I hear that word my mind associates it with hospital…