Is it required?

That won't stop some asshole bishops from insisting on paying tithing on LI benefits. But the fed doesn't even tax it, so why should the church expect any more than that?

If you go by paying "on your increase," than yeah, it would count.

However, "required" is never used. Unless the bishop is extremely nosy and pushy, no one would ever know the difference, and what a person pays tithing on is totally up to them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2012 04:54PM by sdee.

Two entirely different things. It's not considered income in any sense of the word.

Legally, I'm sure you're right. I'm talking about an obedient, committed, believing member's mindset.

You've already paid tithing on it if you took it out of already tithed money when paying the premiums.

I want to know if it's required by the brethren

This is one of those stories I heard during a pay tithing talk.

A young woman with a few kids became a widow, after the sudden death of her husband. The husband left life insurance and the widow was able to collect a nice amount from the insurance company. The speaker did mention that people are not required to pay tithing on insurance.

The story continues as the ward clerk notices a cheque for a large amount of mone coming from this young widow, who it's implied was living in a modest place and had several children. The ward clerk approaches the Bishop and suggest that perhaps the widow does not know she is not required to pay tithing and that she and the kids will need the money. The bishop looks at the cheque, thinks for a moment and replies "she needs the blessings more than she needs the money".

The speaker again says that people are not required to pay tithing from insurance, but by giving this example he is pretty much suggesting that blessings will come your way if you do.

I remember the story because I was left confused, shouldn't the bishop at least give her the choice, maybe she really didn't know.

The only reason you don't pay 10% on the air your breathe is because the church has figured out a way to collect it yet.

However, I understand Deseret Industries is working on an app for that...

What basis you use to calculate tithing is left nebulous by policy and doctrine, but a large effort is made to "guilt" people into paying it on all income BEFORE taxes, and additionally on any investment income. You're often urged to "pay til it hurts," or given the impression that the more you pay, the more "blessings" you'll recieve. Then there's the oft mentioned old saying "Tithing is fire insurance." Meaning that the more you pay, the less likely you'll be burnt like chaff at the last days, or be thrust down to hell.

In other words, they want to wring all they can out of you, and expect you to smile while handing it over.

There-I gave my 10% to the spell checkers.. *snort*

The only reason you don't pay 10% on the air you breathe is because the church hasn't figured out a way to collect it yet.

However, like my horrible spelling, I understand Deseret Industries in working on an app for that...

My bishop insisted I pay tithing on child support.

It was money that was meant specifically to support my children. It's not called church support. I ignored his guilt trip.

I would never pay on money that came from a life insurance policy. It's just a little too much like preying on the dead and their survivors (usually widows). It's not right. I would take 10% and put it in a college fund for a child in my family first. At least it would be doing some real good, not just buying more real estate for the church.

The only type of assistance not required to be tithed on, according to the CHI, is church welfare assistance. By implication, the church expects any other form of assistance to be tithed on.

IF you L.I. is part of your work compensation, a rational case could be made on tithing what your comp. pays on your behalf (provided YOU get to choose the beneficiary).

If someone died (sorry) and you collected... that's a gray area, isn't it, kinda like if your property appreciates and you sell it (with or without a replacement).

The official word I have heard is that whatever a person wants to pay tithing on(outside of regular employment income) is up to the person doing the paying and nobody elses business.

I'm waiting for my big lottery win so I can tell the Bish to stuff it when he asks for his cut....if he even knows who I am...

from a large insurance policy. Not one of his TBM kids asked what percent of their inheritance was 'tithable'. I'm sure they just paid on the total they got, even thought the premiums came from tithed money.

The church knows how this works, and this is why they don't attempt to spell it out to the members. Guilt works in their favor, rules wouldn't.

QFT

I think the higher-ups who know this enjoy seeing the Ultra-TBMs trying to rationalize the choices in the odd situations (and, there are Plenty of 'em).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2012 12:42AM by guynoirprivateeye.

I used to get my mind tied up in knots in trying to figure out how tithing is figured on retirement pay. If you pay on the gross, you have really already paid tithing on a big portion of the retirement pay out. How about 401K? Again, if you pay gross, you have already paid tithing on the principle, but how would you figure out the tithing amount on on the interest. I used to fume inside thinking you would end up paying tithing on money already tithed and get mad that the rules were not more clear. Great point about the reason behind the lack of clarity in tithing computations. That further emphasizes the money-grubbing intent of the TSCC. Ugh. Thank goodness for RFM in bringing me to the light. It is so much easier now that I don't have to twist my logic in trying to make sense of tithing. I no longer worry about tithing on life insurance, retirement, 401K, current income, lottery winnings, etc.

LDS Corp. has absolutely no qualms about asking/requiring/demanding money ("tithing" or otherwise) from its members and others at any time and in any way. This is, after all, essential to their business model: Promise 'spiritual blessings' in return for contributions (preferably cash, but they will accept real estate, stock, or anything of value that can be easily converted to cash).

You can do all the gyrations you want to try to decide if certain funds had been 'tithed' previously or not. It doesn't matter to them. All they want is cash, and they'll take it from anybody stupid enough to give it to them.

Here's one...

A rich dude I knew who needed to hoard some of his liquid cash took out a $2Mil LI policy and made TSCC the beneficiary of it upon his death. They accepted and let him off the hook for real cash tithing at the moment for longer term payout.