Should LDS consider a progressive tithe structure?

[_quark]

Household Income ................ Temple worthy tithe
<30k .................................... 1%
<60k .....................................2%
<90k .....................................5%
<100k ...................................7%
<200k ................................... 10%
More ................................... >10%

[_Buffalo]

Absolutely. The leadership claim to be against unnecessary debt, but 10% is a VERY heavy burden even for those in the middle class, let alone at lower income levels. And, given the high birth rate among members, it's the children who suffer the most from the uninspired tithing policy.

[Guest]

I was about to call you a socialist, until I saw that people making over 200k pay nothing.

I actually prefer the church's tithing model because it's voluntary. So you can pay 0% and you don't even have to be a savvy finance type.

Edit: You decided to gouge the rich. You really are a socialist:)

[_Some Schmo]

I was about to call you a socialist, until I saw that people making over 200k pay nothing.

A socialist? I don't think that word means what you think it means.

[_DarkHelmet]

It seems to me that the church could potentially increase tithing revenues with such a structure. I've heard rumors that the percentage of full tithe payers is pretty low. If they could increase the percentage of tithe payers with a new structure, they could potentially increase revenues. The way it is currently setup anything less than 10% makes you unworthy. So if you can't pay 10% you might as well pay nothing. It is easier to just skip paying tithing altogether then try to explain why you are paying less than 10%.

[_asbestosman]

The church should consider scrapping tithing altogether.

It should bring back the financial law of consecration instead. How's that for progressive?

[_ajax18]

Tithing was easier when I was a kid and didn't have to use my money to pay bills. 10% went to the Church and the rest pretty much went to my mission fund.

When you graduate high school and start considering a lifetime of debt (education, a house, a car) and everything that made life as I once knew it possible as a child, tithing becomes much more complicated in my mind.

[_Some Schmo]

Tithing was easier when I was a kid and didn't have to use my money to pay bills. 10% went to the Church and the rest pretty much went to my mission fund.

Hmph. It seems to me that your mission fund should be tithing deductible.

[_Drifting]

I think the Church should produce a new tithing slip onto which you could allocate your payment to where you felt it should go.

New Tithing Slip

Manuals & Materials
New Chapels
New Temples
BYU
Interest Bearing Investments
General Authority Stipends
General Authority Expenses, cars etc.
Church Educational Employee's
Etc, you get the picture.

You can apportion your ten percent across which ever areas you felt were most deserving.

[_Buffalo]

I think the Church should produce a new tithing slip onto which you could allocate your payment to where you felt it should go.

New Tithing Slip

Manuals & Materials
New Chapels
New Temples
BYU
Interest Bearing Investments
General Authority Stipends
General Authority Expenses, cars etc.
Church Educational Employee's
Etc, you get the picture.

You can apportion your ten percent across which ever areas you felt were most deserving.

Agree, if they include humanitarian in there somewhere.