H Peacemaker – he blew entirely. But they gave him the 21 years right away, maybe for that moment they thought he just blew the Sea Org. Ant BTW he is doing great.

FMFH, did your friend blow the Sea Org or leave the CofS entirely? I wouldn’t be surprised if they were counting Sea Org members who had left the ranks, as long as they weren’t declared SPs.

Had a church demanded I turn in income information I would have simply walked out the door right after I told them ain’t no way I’m giving you that.

Same with the church I was once a part of that I grew up in, a different religion. Then they went to envelopes too……it was easier I guess to keep track of the money & make sure no one pilfers the collection basket,

We have a BOX of donation envelops with an ASSIGNED NUMBER on the outside of the box AND each envelope has a number on it as well for weekly donations. Sometimes there is more than ONE envelop in the box for the week end donation………….no collection plate in this church. Too many members & pews to pass around the long handled basket to be dumped into a larger box when the basket is filled to the brim & envelops are falling all over the floor. Mabe they’re worried someone might take some money out of the basket too, who knows.

As I mentioned when my friend’s daughter (my friend also) moved to a bigger city the local church when she asked about registering told her to bring in her Income Tax info so they could “suggest” (basically demand) how much $$$ she should donate weekly. Her son was then Confirmation age so she complied…………..Wow….

As I said, once our own Catholic Church sent a COMMITMENT letter for a building debt fund TITHE (that’s what I called it) weekly I opted out. My husband attends church hit or miss…I am DONE.

P.S. Yes………… I’ve got my weenies, marshmallows & a long fork packed & ready to go just in case…………

Well Said.

I am a Protestant and have never been told what I should give. The just pass the plate and no one sees.

Oh, well.

Sounds like they took a few lessons from the local Protestant Bible thumpers. In my brief sojourn in the Catholic Church a few years ago. I was never asked for money beyond passing the collection plate on Sunday.

The church makes a “SUGGESTION” as to how much of a weekly “donation” her family should make. I had a friend who when she moved to a new area, that when she registered her family they ASKED about their income & they also “suggested” a weekly “contribution/donation” based upon their income. Call it what you like, donation/contribution/tithe.

When the local Catholic HERE built a NEW Church, they sent everyone registered with the church a FORM asking us to sign to a COMMITMENT of a certain amount of $$$ EVERY WEEK in addition to our “regular weekly contribution” . They were COUNTING on the additional amount from the signed commitment to pay off the huge DEBT they incurred to “replace” the older church with a new more MODERN designed one. Because several people refused to sign a Commitment letter…they had to DOWN SIZE the design/construction of the new church. The new Church also CUT DOWN on the number of masses each week as well….figuring they can pack more people in since the church was larger…yet many preferred the OTHER way it had been done for decades as the new less available mass schedules weren’t convenient to everyone.

Thing is the OLDER church was in need of some repairs & was smaller than what they replaced it with. Repairs could have been done & a “wing added” to increase the size of the older church but “THEY” had to have a new more modern larger cathedral type church….the older church was demolished. Despite objections “they” won out.

We did NOT sign the commitment form, as did several others, but more people DID sign it. This caused a rift in the community & many people who objected to be required to sign this form LEFT this Parish.

I also had a friend who was a member of another religious group. They signed a registration form & based upon their income they were TOLD how much they were EXPECTED to donate each week. When she asked “what if something happens & I cannot afford that amount every week”. The head of the church told her “YOU CAN OWE IT TO US”….i.e. make up the SHORT on the weekly donation over time…………seriously WT???