Warning: the following contains Christian value references, might be important to international regulation. Also warning to reader complex topics that might be a bit more A fee than I would like – I don’t have all the answers, some of the questions I pose are hard for me. Not having all the answers not all easy when Bible requires people to Be Perfect and not delivering on that perfection is set to sin. I provide the following to both potentially increase my own knowledge, let others know where I am coming from, raise awareness of real issues as I see them, and hopefully help promote mercy and grace for others.
Tithing to the Church 10% or not?
Imagine a President tithes 10% of his wealth, or 20%, or 0%.
There is more than one religion that a President is over. Is giving 20% to one Religion likely to make all taxpayers that invest in other religions, or other versions of the same Religion happy?
Christ and The Bible says Be Perfect + James 4:17 knowing and not doing is sin.
If someone does not pay 10% or more to The Church, could they be leveraged in society, like Scarlet Letter, or Boston Witch Trials, or like Jim Jones, Heaven’s Gate, David Koresh?
A civil servant that is like the president – are they protecting more people by investing in a Church that might wreck their life if they don’t give, give enough – by those that are taught not to judge yet have a tendency to try to set what is sin and what is not sin?
Without sin cast the first stone does not amplify by itself – which equates to looking like having less sin is valuable. Tithing might make one look like they are less sinful, more generous to God – and in our society it is hard, difficult at best to hide anything – surveillance is IBD (in by design), desire to track finances where finances go is IBD – nothing is hidden that won’t be proclaimed from the mountain tops (maybe a bit more awful version of Luke 8:17 – scrolls of everyone’s sins played on repeat as a song to humiliate the sinner from a gracious, loving and merciful God that claims to have actually forgiven?). I am imperfect enough to be unlikely to know or have full ability to comprehend other’s sins – less than ideal comprehension not really adequate grounds to judge, less knowledge might equate to less temptation to judge, thus everything revealed actually might be a temptation to judge which is less than ideal sin out. Might be more requirements to re-amplify take mote out of own eye before helping with spec.
If one insists on saving their own life they will lose it but if they lose it for my sake they will find it is one of Christ’s teaching. Is it more dangerous to Tithe or not Tithe? Golden Rule, public officials not putting money where their mouth is, trust them they actually believe what The Church is saying about generosity, love, and The Golden Rule if they are not giving themselves, if they are not in the soup kitchen pouring cups of soup with the rest of the volunteers? What is seen isn’t everything, time is directional limited, funding and resources are directional limited, requirement to love your enemy, do right by more than just Christians equates to is it ideal Golden Rule to give to a Church with salaries funded by public tax dollars – when Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, and Agnostics all contribute, when other Churches that won’t see that money contribute? Possible to perfect Golden Rule, love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself when your neighbor might not be a believer?
Someone that is not Christian might not want to invest in cannibalism, cannibalism that might lead to less-than-ideal Flavor Aid? Communion and snake handling, telepathic powers based upon mustard seed – tests of faith might not be thought of the same by all people. Trust the Church, take a cracker, drink the blood for the forgiveness of sins – as a Christian I generally agree it is a safe process, I also acknowledge it might not always be a safe process.
T min my A problem. Christians min my access to A thought by others, possible or not possible to inspire the thought, Golden Rule or not Golden Rule to inspire the thought? Who gets the promotion? The Christian, or the one that wants to do right by others?
Christians have invested in a lot of nude artwork over time. Have allowed Statue of David to remain standing. Combination has lead to ideal less wars, ideal sin reduced over time? Yes or No? World has a problem with homosexuality and sexual sin or not? Sets an example for whats acceptable in art class, and in malls, or does not? Questionable whether Church can actually fix the problem, has promoted real change. Desire for mercy and grace has potential to leave homosexuality unchallenged, yet those that don’t challenge it effectively aren’t always required to remain in jail and prison systems that are in by design in those same systems. People that aren’t Christian might not feel The Church is effectively addressing the problem.
Injustice acknowledged might lead to people like Christ released, it also might lead to people like Barabbas released. There is potential for danger acknowledging injustice which is partially why injustice does not always get acknowledged. People don’t want murderers released on technicalities, and injustice acknowledged has potential to lead to technicalities. People also don’t like to always admit that technicalities are what sometimes leave people in jails and prisons in the first place. Less trials and pursuit of crime solved sometimes valuable, might equate to less injustice over the long haul. Pursuit of real justice might be more fickle than people might likely truly admit. Is the system the kind that will pursue real justice or will go for a witch hunt? Are we asking ourselves this on a daily basis?
Is requiring a President to Tithe in a country of more than one religion a sin under Be Perfect + James 4:17 knowing and not doing is sin + Love God with all your heart, love your neighbor as yourself?
Is a country that turns up debt and national debt as a useful system really promoting give and expect nothing in return for the masses? Be Perfect + James 4:17 knowing and not doing is sin to the system we commonly invest in is collective sin or not collective sin, collective sin that is likely to be addressed and punished, or likely to be set to status quo acceptable value out acceptable value in. Less love your enemy might not be ideal peace made, more peace made swiftly matters.
Really fair to claim justice, call out sins of others in society when our system is turning down Christian practices, practice our society sets to good (10 Commandments sometimes in public buildings, In God we Trust)? Financial instruments that lead to many on the streets homeless need to be re-examined or do not need to be re-examined? We have a tendency to think it is profitable, it drives GDP, it is what we have done, invested in in the past to it is sufficient, a sufficient path forward – while at the same time we claim we want things to change, greater access to peace. Government could give bonds away free to all the homeless? No hope of being repaid – if it truly believes in Christ’s teaching.
Maybe part of the reasoning is too much access to drugs like heroin and fentynal is an excuse not to pay people and leave them on the street – yet nearly freezing to death might lead to pursuit of drugs. Government that does not fix cartel problems, lets citizens be surrounded by crime, saying it is protecting you by leaving you to freeze to death with reduced access to funding all while being less than ideal sin out gives feeling of ideal? It is a viscous cycle at times, enough money to pursue dreams or low funding keeps people in a rut. Worthy of note the temptation likely leads to some getting involved with organized crime – I am not involved with organized crime does not equate to the temptation for need for protection when a government doesn’t protect you is an ideal test for fellow citizens. Though at the without sin cast first stone level, any investment in tax dollars or systems that rely upon gas money (basically all access to food and transportation) could be questioned on involvement with organized crime (governments and gas corporations not all crime out, hard to divest in ideal ways). Walk everywhere, eat nothing? Governments not all crime out, and governments are organized – to technically speaking…. buying goods that have a sales tax?
We if A on met, I don’t own or desire to own a Tommy Gun, rob a bank – my name isn’t Thelma or Louise to I am ideal organized crime out. Yet I promote mercy and grace for people including illegal immigrants and the combination might equate to less than ideal cartels and drugs out. I could venture to say someone could escape cartels legally, illegal immigration could lead to those people re-surrounded by those same cartels, then find themselves back involved in organized crime without having tried to. Sounds awful, try for a better life, same desire to give others the same mercy, grace, and forgiveness you have been given might lead to your demise. Likely vastly different levels at different places in the country – specifics matter greatly and desire to fix might label all problems similar.
Note: might be useful to defense law I mentioned Thelma and Louise (actually typed Selma and Louise changed the names in my head) – is a movie when I was thinking it was real life, was actually trying to reference Bonnie and Clyde – Wikipedia. Easier to get media jumbled in the head than one might like to acknowledge or claim.
Love God with all your heart equals more or less neighbors saved? Tithing seen as Golden Rule to neighbors that are non-Christian or not. Appearance of less sin (Christ warned of people looking religious for public) likely to lead to neighbors that are non-Christian investing in, trusting in Christ or not? They are taught to pray in private yet pray in public on the common – Church does not always iron out inconsistency. Everything said in a world of surveillance might be set to public, prayers not spoken out loud might be less private in a world with neural links and brain implants.
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