Tithing gets you into a club and lottery tickets get you a slight tiny chance to get rich quick.

I'm just curious. I know that buying 10 percent of your income on lottery tickets is the worst idea ever - but what about a comparison to paying it to Mormonism? Mormonism better spent money?

If I had to pick, I'd put my 10% towards the lotterty. At least the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 175 million, compared to ZERO odds of a return with tithing.

I'd put the 10% in a money market fund.
Win-win. :)

Put 10% of your money in an IRA. Invest it in a mutual fund appropriate for your retirement date. Keep putting 10% in ever year, and when you get to be in your 60s you will have enough money to replace your working income.

That will take care of you a lot better than a church or a lottery.

The lottery. If you win at least you'd get something back. With tithing there's no actual accounting of where it went to etc....

I'd put it in buying lottery tickets, but in order to resell them as a scalper.

I buy into a lottery pool....costs me $50 for the year...that's all the gambling I do....and I buy good single malt scotch and shotgun shells. That's about it for my discretionary spending.

Ron Burr

At least you get a tax write off with tithing. If you itemize. Otherwise go with lottery.

NormaRae Wrote:
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> At least you get a tax write off with tithing. If
> you itemize. Otherwise go with lottery.

Actually, in most states you can write off the money you spend on the lottery as "gambling losses," but only to offset any gambling *wins* you have. Still, keep track -- if you win the lottery some day, you can not pay taxes on part of it! :)

I wondered if the lottery is better just because of the miniscule chance of a big payout but your reply does bring up a question of where the money goes is better? I don't know. LDS Inc. is all about enriching itself for dead people.

Buy a mutual fund. Contribute to your 401K. Remodel your bathroom or kitchen. Do something worthwhile with your money. The lottery is an absolutely terrible investment.

I'll probably get roasted, but...

With tithing, you get a tax deduction. That's worth something like a quarter on the dollar depending on what bracket you're in. Still better than the average return on the lottery.

Also, with tithing, you do have a bishop that may be able to help you out when money's tight. As always, that seems to be an uneven experience, but I can attest that fast offering funds, at the least, do seem to get used. I've cashed a few thousand dollars worth of fast offering checks when the tenants in my rentals couldn't make rent and went to the bishop.

Of course, there are any number of better options -- 401k, remodels, taking a vacation.

Lottery actually had a chance (small one) of paying you back some day. This is a no brainer.

Here in the UK the Lottery is a chance to win half your money back on average over the long term. For every £2 ticket £1 comes back for the lucky winners. An instant 50% loss on average long term except for the few that win.

That's a bad rate of return.

Tithing is a guarantee that you'll never see your money again, ever! A 100% loss guaranteed.

That's even worse.

Saving your money anywhere else is better (though avoid the Bernie Madoff equivalents).

If you're paying tithing to live the principle of tithing (some of your increase should go to the needy) and you truly believe that the church fits that, then you are paying with a good heart. Problem is that tithing doesn't go to the poor- except maybe to build them a building (which may be a blessing, if it has amenidies your house doesn;t- like showers- and the members can use it ). But building castles and at the same time making members clean the toilets is NOT called charitable service, except to the mormons themselves.

I stopped paying tithing before i left the church b/c i decided that the person who needed it more was me- and my family. We did contribute something to the church- our portion of rent/ water/heating costs, which is only fair, if you're going to use a place.

When the G15 built a conference centre, whose only purpose was to have more lds people be able to see (worship) them on GC weekend, i had had it. They could broadcast this w/o anyone being in an audience and save lots of cash. Nope, even tho we have internet, satelittes etc. they needed to be seen by more members.

Not what i consider a prudent use of rank and file (meaning people who are raising families, may be in a low paying job etc) donations.

Fast Offerings are about as charitable as they get for the poor and needy that I know of...

karin Wrote:
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> When the G15 built a conference centre, whose only
> purpose was to have more lds people be able to see
> (worship) them on GC weekend, i had had it. They
> could broadcast this w/o anyone being in an
> audience and save lots of cash. Nope, even tho we
> have internet, satelittes etc. they needed to be
> seen by more members.

Rock Stars for Jesus. Rameumption baby!

In California, 34 cents of each lottery dollar goes to schools. Most of that goes to local schools near where the ticket was purchased.

Buying a lottery ticket is like throwing away money. But I do like where some of it goes, and it is audited. Can't say the same for tithing.