Does tithing buy you a get-out-of-Hell card?
Although it is certainly not one of the wealthiest states in the nation, Utah has a longtime reputation as being one of the most generous when it comes to charity and volunteerism.
This isn’t some Chamber of Commerce propaganda based on incidental, anecdotal observance or opinion; it’s fact.
According to a study released by WalletHub, a national personal finance company, Utah ranks second in the nation in charitable giving and volunteerism, barely nosed out by Minnesota.
While it may seem odd to equate charitable giving and volunteerism to a place of such cultural and political conservatism, you must consider that there are some strings attached to this generosity, primarily one’s own personal salvation. And considering how the study included church donations and tithing … well, suddenly, the picture clears.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are expected to tithe — giving 10 percent of their income — to be considered Mormons in good standing. I’m not sure if that means net or gross income. But either way, it is a tidy sum. It’s a Mormon’s ticket to the temple, which means opening the gateway to heaven, so to speak. So this tithing business takes on much greater importance in Mormon culture and practice.
The church also has a variety of callings — church-designated volunteer jobs — which are non-compensated positions. Back before having a falling out with the Boy Scouts of America, the young troops were guided by men who were given callings as Scout leaders. It is a job that requires significant time and energy, as most callings do, that pushed volunteerism numbers upward.
Don’t get me wrong: Giving is good, whether it is hard-earned cash or your precious time.
But giving is something that should be a heartfelt exercise, not something you do because your eternal salvation is being held hostage.
The issue takes on further significance with a recent revelation that the church is stockpiling vast amounts of wealth — some $100 billion — through Ensign Peak Advisors, which is granted tax-exempt status as a supporting organization and integrated auxiliary of the church. The exemption has been given to other money-handling organizations if their sole purpose, according to a piece in the Salt Lake Tribune, is solely charitable and the funds are distributed “commensurate in scope with financial resources,” a mumbo-jumbo term even IRS experts are unable to define. But this money is being held, not passed along to those in need.
The Salt Lake Tribune story went on to state that the claim against the church also alleges that Mormon leaders set the money aside in the event of the second coming of Jesus Christ. I’m not quite sure how that would all work out, but I seriously doubt Jesus would scalp tickets to heaven.
Before you get all indignant and huffy and start in on me about all the good the church has done through its charitable efforts, let’s remember that we are talking about $100 billion socked away in a holding company that has been given tax-exempt status. This money has nothing to do with any disaster relief the church may become involved with or with the private welfare system set up to help, almost exclusively, members of the church who fall upon hard times.
I have some very cherished friendships with members of the clergy, friendships that I treasure. I admire the love they have in their hearts, the compassion they have for their fellow humans, and the wisdom they share. I have also known supposed religious leaders who are mere puppets for political or business aims. That’s why it is difficult to reconcile my feelings about church tax exemptions, which I believe are violated egregiously. It’s also painful to see those duped by supposed men and women of God.
I remember when a former southern Utah mayor would appoint a very wealthy bishop to serve as overseer on committees pulled together to administer city projects, projects this bishop would make money on himself.
I doubt this unethical behavior had any bearing on the bishop’s temple recommend, because he continued to buy his get-out-of-Hell card through tithing.
Charity is not something that should come through blackmail or strong-arm tactics. It is something that should come from the heart, an act of love and compassion stirred by the soul.
Charity should not be thought of as a way to chalk up tax write-offs. It should be something given regardless of compensation.
Charity is not some quid-pro-quo arrangement.
The key to heaven’s gate is in the heart, not the wallet.
I remember when I started drifting from organized religion. I was in eighth grade, and our church had a fundraising drive for building expansion. As you entered the church, there was a chart showing the big donors to the fund.
I remember walking in beside my dad. We stopped and looked at the chart and he put his head down and walked into the church in silent embarrassment. He remained quiet the remainder of the day.
My dad was a good man.
He was a hard-working man who put in many hours to keep a roof over our heads and food on our table. He didn’t drink or gamble it away. He didn’t spend it to chase women.
He put whatever he could into the collection basket each Sunday. Some Sundays it was more than others. Some Sundays there was nothing.
I remember that look and how I felt about the priests who put up the chart. In fact, I had a very long and unproductive chat with one of them explaining how un-Christian their actions were, about how they had hurt and embarrassed so many whose names did not appear on that chart, about how I thought they were trying to shame good, hard-working men and women with their unreasonable demands. About how they had hurt my dad, which in turn hurt me.
The priest was unyielding, saying that he felt the need to acknowledge those who had given to the fund.
I explained that the folks on his chart owned car dealerships, ran small businesses, and had inherited pretty good sums of money — that nobody on that list was from the working class.
I haven’t been to church much since then.
In fact, the scandals and exclusionary principles have, if anything, driven me further from organized religion regardless of the club it represents.
But, you see, separating oneself from religion does not necessarily separate oneself from faith or spirituality.
So before you pat yourself on the back for your charitable giving, take a long look in the mirror and ask yourself if it was genuine or if you were simply trying to buy your way into a pleasant afterlife.
Faith.
The viewpoints expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Independent.
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I’m not a member of the LDS church; but, have studied it extensively over the past four years. Have to admit that I was an investigator. The church is like most large bureaucratic organizations. At the local level, members of the faith are welcoming and kind. It was at this level that my interest was first stimulated. At the institutional level, the church is bureaucratic at best, and downright cruel at worst (a big shout-out to Dallin Oaks on this one). The $100 billion SNAFU in the church is what one would expect from any large uncaring organization (government, corporate, religious, …). Because of perfect obedience, the local level does not question the institutional level. Just because someone is a member of The Church doesn’t mean they approve of the money laundering going on, it just means – in the LDS faith – they aren’t going to publicly question it.
Finally, a doctrinal issue. As I understand it,in LDS theology there isn’t a “hell” as most Christians define it. There is Outer Darkness, and that is reserved for once practicing members of the faith who turned away. The remaining possibilities are Terrestrial, Telestial, and Celestial kingdoms, all of which are said to be a great improvement to our current situation.