Further ruminations on this topic revealed that apparently the issue is not quite settled.
Let's say, hypothetically speaking, that a brother works and get paid every 2 weeks. He dutifully writes out the check paying his tithes and offerings. He then fills out a white tithing slip and places that along with the check in an envelope kept on the fridge by a ladybug magnet, with a company slogan, "If your plumbing bugs you, call Ladybug Plumbing." (OK, I made up the ladybug magnet part)
Four (4) months later, he seals the aforementioned envelope and brings it to a member of the bishopric to pay his tithing. A bishopric counselor would then, theoretically, open said envelope and count 12 white slips and 12 checks; 8 tithing checks and 4 fast offering checks. There is nothing wrong with that. I don't think there is any difference between doing this, and people that pay their tithes once a quarter or once a year.
So, maybe it's just the fussy obsessive-compulsive in me that is irked by this inefficiency and waste of 11 perfectly good "Tinkerbell" checks and dealing with checks dated 4 months earlier. Here's a tip: why not just write on a slip of paper the amount of tithing "paid" instead of the actual check and place that in the envelope? Then, in 4 months hence, add up the amount and write 1 grand check?
Back in the heady, good old financial days of 2007, a retired friend told me of a recent auto purchase he made. Since he was "paying cash in full" for his Cadillac Escalade, the dealer gave him a deal of 0%-down, 0%-required for the 1st year. So, he took his $65k or however much it cost, put it into a 1-year bank CD, and made money. Pretty slick deal.
Maybe it's the paranoid conspiracy-theorist in me, but I wonder if this theoretical donor may be holding his tithing, earning interest for the 4-months, and then paying the tithing. Granted, this is very small-scale we're talking here. But why else would you hold an envelope of 12 checks for 4-months?
And let's hope you don't die before the 4-months are up! Pretty awkward having to explain to St. Peter, "Well, you see it's right on my fridge. Send an angel-messenger down and tell him to look for a ladybug magnet."
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2 comments:
I began to agree with this method more than the Captain Qualified the First, when I determined that both of these peeps are attempting to work the system. No worries, because Thomas B. Marsh’s wife, Ananias and Sapphira all figured that the local authorities couldn’t quite grasp their “special circumstances” and nothing bad happened to them as a result of their working the system!
My main problem with this is that it technically is correct, in that the funds have been committed, in the mind of the payer, to the church, but the church is not able to depend upon these funds for budgeting and expenditure purposes.
Let’s examine a case study: Mr. S. Young determines that he will only pay his tithing when his grossly inflated NFL contract of $50 M over 4 years has been completely paid, as opposed to paying tithing on each paycheck he receives. Maria Juana Lopez and her brother Maria Juan Lopez living in Machu Picchu Peru have been paying their tithing faithfully for over 15 years, but unfortunately their tithing over that time period has amounted to $74.33 (US), which hasn’t been enough for those bureaucrats in the Wasatch Front to commit to building a Temple in their region. Obviously Maria Juana and Maria Juan do not have the fundage to travel, and so are at the mercy of Bro. Young’s $5M (US) tithing payment to fund the Urubamba Valley Temple.
Mr Young can assume that as long as he doesn’t die before he gets that tithing check in, they he will be good to go, but I would argue that he had better hope that the Lopez family’s community isn’t decimated by the next animal-named flu, as San Pedro would be a little disappointed in Mr. Young if the Lopez’ weren’t able to complete their temple work in this lifetime.
En fin: paying tithing as it is received is probably the best approach to take.
One final point: I would contend that those who pay their annual tithing in one big lump sum advance, do the church auditors and budget committee a disservice, as the church inflows are inflated for the beginning of the year, causing a discrepancy for the annual expenditures of said funds. The individual thumps his chest and declares that he is justified by the law, while creating additional work for the church auditors (which in turn might cause the auditors to work overtime, increasing their expense and payment of valuable tithing funds as well). Of course, this hinges largely on how the church budget is determined, and if it is examined holistically on the annual, perhaps it’s all a wash anyway.
you're not righteous unless you pay each day. even though your employer pays you twice a month, thats not god's problem. you're earning money every day (even holidays that are "paid") so you must pay tithing daily. I drop by my bishops house each evening on my way home from work. i hope when I die it's in the morning so there isn't any accrued but unpaid tithing on my life's books.
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