Your questions are irrelevant, as are your personal attacks (so unbecoming and a bad example of your faith).
I will get into if my questions are irrelevant or not later in this post.
However - I think you and I disagree on what is considered a “personal attack”.
I consider a “personal attack” to be “making an abusive remark
instead of providing evidence when examining another person's claims or comments.”
It is basically synonymous with an
ad hominem which is “a response to a person’s argument by attacking the person’s character
rather than the logic or content of the argument.”
So - yes - I did say that you lying about the paying of tithes and extortion makes you look pathetic - but I did so after directly responding to the claims of your argument.
It’s basically the same formula used by the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament. He often referred to his opponents as “hypocrites”, “liars” or even “vipers” after explaining why they were wrong.
It’s the opposite of what you have been doing.
In Post #144 when you said, “You’re so blind it’s sad really.”
You said this in response to my claims about the Church not having any homophobic policies or practices.
You responded to my argument by attacking me
instead of “providing evidence when examining my claims or comments”.
You attacked me
rather than “the logic or content of my argument.”
You did the same thing in Post #153 when you said, “Because your questions are irrelevant to the point I made. You’re just trying to distract and pivot. Classic Mormon technique.”
You said this in response to my asking you, “Why won't you answer my questions?”
Not only did you never explain why my questions were irrelevant - but you
attacked me - then you made a disparaging comment about
all Mormons in general.
Now that is a “personal attack” or
ad hominem - because you attacked me and "Mormons" - and not the claims of my argument.
I am mentioning this to prove your hypocrisy.
Now - before you start claiming that this is another “personal attack” - remember that I examined the claims of your argument before labeling you a hypocrite.
Basically - it’s not a “personal attack” - but me “calling it as I see it” - as you would put it - after attacking your argument.
Mormons are repeatedly told they must be worthy and go to the temple.
This is true - but not just “Mormons” (we prefer to be called Latter-day Saints) are told this - but this is stressed even to those who are investigating the Church.
As a missionary I taught all those who were considering joining the Church (and everyone else who would listen) about God’s commandment to pay tithes and the importance of Temple service.
We practiced imagining those we taught wearing white three times. At their baptism, in the Temple and then in the Celestial Kingdom.
Basically - everyone who joins the Church knows ahead of time about the paying of tithes and the Temple. No force. No threats. No deception.
To do so, Mormons must be full tithe payers.
Correct.
The Church believes that the Lord has set standards for the reception of ordinances.
There are standards for being baptized - taking the Sacrament - entering the Temple - performing Endowments in the Temple - being sealed in the Temple.
The more promised blessings the more stringent the standards.
See question 10 of temple recommend question list.
I was the one who provided the list of Temple Recommend Interview questions to you.
I am well aware that a member needs to be a full and honest tithe payer in order to perform Endowments.
I have
always stated that fact.
However - a member does not need to be a full and honest tithe payer in order to
enter the Temple - as you have erroneously claimed several times in this thread.
So emphasizing the temple and blessings then saying you must pay is extortion where the one demanding payment is a $100 BILLION organization.
This is where my earlier questions are proven to be completely relevant.
You keep claiming that God’s commandment that members of His Church pay tithes is “extortion” because the Church has $100 billion.
Which leads to the relevance of my earlier question, “Would you consider the Lord’s requirement that His Church’s members pay tithes “extortion” if the Church were penniless?”
This question is completely relevant because you keep referencing the $100 billion as if that is the reason that you consider tithing “extortion”.
This also ties into my other question, “Would you consider the Church requiring that men pay their child support before being able to have their Endowments taken out in the Temple to also be “extortion””?
In case you are wondering that is in reference to Temple Recommend Interview question #12.
Doesn’t the Church requiring its members to pay child support or other financial responsibilities to a former spouse just another form of the Church “extorting” people to you?
If so - why haven’t you been bringing up this interview question over and over like the tithing one?
I mean - the Church is asking its members to pay money before they can have their Endowments taken out - isn’t that essentially the same as the argument you have been peddling?
There is no threat or force - so it isn’t “extortion” - but it parallels your argument - doesn’t it?
The force and threat is in the preaching of blessings and eternal salvation and the withholding of same should the member not pay.
First off - salvation is a free gift from the Lord Jesus Christ. No one goes to the Temple to receive salvation.
You seem to be coming from a place of ignorance about Church doctrine.
Also - there is no “force” or “threat”. No one has a “right” to blessings - so nothing is “withheld”.
There are Baptismal Interview questions too. If the interviewer has misgivings about your answers to those questions - you cannot be baptized.
The Bishop can claim that a member is unworthy to partake of the Sacrament if the member committed certain sins.
No one is “entitled” to baptism or partaking of the Sacrament. Therefore - not allowing someone to do either is not “withholding” anything from them.
The same goes for entrance into the Temple and performing Temple ordinances.
If someone answers all the Temple Recommend Interview questions appropriately - instead of the one about tithing - they won’t be able to attend Endowment services.
If another person claims to pay 100% of their increase in tithing - yet fail to appropriately answer the other 14 Temple Recommend Interview questions - they also would not be allowed to attend Endowment services.
So - it's obviously not about the money - but keeping the commandments of God.
God saying that He wants His children to do more - give more - in order to receive more is not extortion.
By the way, I call it as I see it.
Me too.
I’ve seen many unsupported attacks against the church here and will defend the church when the attacker is wrong.
Then I would say that you require some self-reflection.
Because you are lobbing unsupported attacks against the Church.
Just because I call out the church on this issue doesn’t mean I’m wrong or that I’m trying to hurt the church any way I can.
It does if you do so while lying about the doctrines of the Church and running away from relevant questions.
To the contrary, I think your demeanor here has been far more damaging to the church.
Nothing either you or I say here does any damage to the Church.
However - your lying about the doctrines of the Church, making disparaging generalizations about “Mormons” and your hypocrisy in general are damaging you - no one else.
I stand by everything I have said here because I can support them with facts.