Yeah, they exist but it's nothing like it was. Like you said, most municipalities have created their own rules.
So, you're saying there's a chance
- Thread starter The Cooterpoot
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This is really the key attitude that you/we need to have. I know I'm a sinner. Ouch, do I know it well. I have paid way too much stupid tax for it over my lifetime. And I'm constantly trying to get better and not do stupid/sinful stuff (even though I still fail).
And if you walked into Pinelake, St. Francis, Christ United, or most any other church this Sunday and asked random people - I believe most of them would admit that. Yes, there are going to be a few high-and-mighty types who don't get it yet, but the vast, vast majority of people in those buildings know they are sinners and want to be healed of that - and are in fact there to learn how to move on from it and enjoy a better, happier, less sinful life living closer to God.
But boy, those few "hypocrites" have sure done a number. They have given the atheists, the agnostics, and the non-church-goers their talking point. You'll hear it over and over used as their main excuse as to why they just can't go to church.
You say 10% comes from OT scripture and shouldn’t be taken literally now that we have Jesus and the NT. Ok. You say Jesus leaves it up to the individual’s heart. Ok. But then you immediately add- if you’re part of a church/organization you value, “contributing is a pretty decent way” to keep it going, and “operating costs must be paid.” That little pivot is how manipulation sets in from inside that same system. You reintroduce a functional 10% expectation under a softer name- “contributing” to keep “your” church alive. Maybe not straightforward as “God commands 10%,” moreso it’s “if you love this church, you should give enough to pay its bills”- and 10% is still the go to number many people use as you edited to say. Same fear/guilt- same pressure to give a specific percentage as you said- Christian obligation is still there- “operating costs must be paid,” implying your giving is what keeps the lights on and the mission alive. The individual’s heart gets overridden by loyalty to the group ect. Same manipulation
Then the servers at the restaurants pay the real price.
Jesus! This thread makes me want a drink .******
I'm hoping he meant that getting drunk is the sin, not drinking. No, there's nothing magical about buying it on Sunday vs any other day. Not really sure why the Sunday thing, I'm with you. Either it's OK every day, or never ok.
But, as this thread proves, people love to attack anything they don't agree with (or understand, or get right, etc.).
I don't know why it matters to people. You can buy it any other time, so a little planning goes a long way. It's not that hard, and if not being able to buy it one day a week is that big of an inconvenience to you, then you may need to sit down and think about whether or not you have a problem.
I always thought the laws about not being able to buy it cold, or after a certain time of day we're stupid. I really don't care though, grown people can make any decision they want. But I do often wonder why people are so happy to waste hard earned money on such unhealthy habits (drinking, smoking, vaping, gambling, fast food, etc.) that offer only bad returns. Whatever, they're grown.
Not even a little into it. I do have a hard time seeing how you or anyone can know, much less study, what God is or wants us to do.
What a crock. Lol. Horshack's assumption is also garbage. A large portion of my wife and my income the first 5 years of our marriage came from tips, and I can assure you that is not what we found. You know who tips poorly? Wealthy people. Study after study has shown that religious people (western religions) are the most generous with their money. Even if you don't count the tithing.
And a lot of us don't just "hand it over to the church. Personally I give some to my church, some to the Tim Tebow foundation (fighting human trafficking), Salvation Army, and some to St. Jude. I've also given to battered women's shelters, save-a-life, Mercy Chefs, Compassion International, various disaster relief efforts, etc. Anywhere that I feel it can be used for God's purposes.
I've certainly NEVER felt the guilt or anxiety dilemmas you completely made up in your head, nor have I ever factored it into my tipping or other purchase decisions. LOL - what insanity!
Your entire post is just made up drivel you invented, and then you tried to assign it to an entire group of people. Geez. I get that you hate religion, and, seemingly, especially Evangelicals, but at least try to live in reality here.
I recently relocated from Sonoma to MS. You'd be surprised how easy it is to just call the places you like and see what the case specials are. You're better off ordering a full case to spread out the cost of shipping- CA to Memphis has been about $50 per case on the shipping
That definitely sounds right. Or, you know, you're just projecting your issues onto an large and relatively diverse population.
To the extent there is truth to the stereotype, I could see the 10% tithe being an anchor on expectations. Anchors don't have to be rational. And the entire tipping culture is stupid and exhausting. I don't have the heart to push back and go out there and tip 10%, but would be perfectly happy for everybody else to do it and force the industry to recalculate prices with the expectation of a 10% tip (or no tip).
I “tithe” and have never felt guilty about it. I have felt guilty about waisting money on a $40 meal or something stupid I used twice many times.
I also tip at least 20% more than 90% of the time so all of these things the guy is saying are just out of the blue.
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As with anything, what someone calls you is likely what they are....not an absolute but fairly common. Most people don't do it on purpose they just don't recognize it in themselves.
No, you're the village idiot, who isn't I even a part of the village. That's been well established already.
Ignoring the OT can't really happen, well, unless you're using it as an excuse rather than a fact. I also don't believe any Christian is going to hell for falling short of the scriptures because quite frankly, we aren't capable as human beings, thus, there's this thing called forgiveness through Christ.
I do enjoy a sip of bourbon on occasion, and I'm not sure some realize, but you can already order it online, so I'm not sure about this new law.
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Your line that jumps out to me is:“Anywhere that I feel it can be used for God’s purposes.” And then immediately follows it with a list of explicitly “Christian” or faith branded organizations.
The unspoken but loud implication is- Only these kinds of places qualify as doing “God’s purposes.” It quietly excludes the waiter we’ve been talking about, the atheist neighbor, the random stranger, from being a legitimate place where God’s purposes can be served with money. It’s still sacred checklist- just with more checkboxes now- not just one church, but several “approved” outlets. It’s actually no different than Horshack (I don’t know why you called his thoughts garbage). It’s the same system just packaged differently- that the money or “giving” or “tithing” only “counts” when it goes through an approved religious filter. It’s the same manipulative system repackaged. What I’m saying in other words, is the “I already gave to God today” mindset, or I already gave up a lot of my hard earned money today and I need every dollar, shows up specifically at restaurants, NOT when donating to ministries that an evangelical personally endorses.
Also, your entire post is just made up of personal “drivel you invented” and then you tried to assign it to an entire group of people. Other words, your personal giving habits and lack of resentment doesn’t disprove a widespread, decades old restaurant industry observation. And it doesn’t represent the majority of what’s going on in the majority or average evangelical mind. Servers have been saying the same thing since the 90s objectively speaking about the church crowd. I was a server for a long time so I too agree with what they’re saying on that end. Critiquing manipulative tithing or giving, and bad theology, and the resentment it creates, along with the effects of tipping, is not hating evangelicals.
You’re not protecting the village. You’re guarding the gate like a Pharisee.
Btw, do y’all drink alcohol in your village? If so could I possibly order some wine and have it shipped to my house- I live in Mississippi.
Not that it's any of your business, but I tip well. Always have. So you can drop the ignorant accusation that I don't care about helping the poor waiters and waitresses out there (remember, my wife and I both held those positions). I've been there. I also just gave a quick response to your incorrect statements regarding tithing. I'm not trying to check a box, and I frankly couldn't care less what you think about it. My giving helps fight the trafficking of children, saves lives, helps children fighting cancer, and supplies food, water, and support to people in need, but you want to somehow disqualify it because I choose to use organizations who are affiliates with Christianity. Wow. I'm sure all the people who are helped are really mad about that. I hope you can see how absurd you're being simply because of your hatred (but I know you don't).
Ho-lee-cow. If you use something and get value from it contribute. You've somehow written a diatribe about why that is bad/manipulation. I just call that being decent and not manipulating or using people or organizations.
How can we study what God wants us to do? Allow me to throw a couple of ideas out... start by reading the Bible. Go to church. Talk to a pastor - I've found them more than willing to answer questions about any topic. You could get into a group that meets weekly to study and discuss together. Listen to a podcast (I like 'Bible in a Year' by Fr. Mike Schmitz. 20 mins/day and very educational.) And there are endless books on the subject.
I'm not trying to sound like a smartass, those are practical ideas and I'm sure there are tons more. I actually have done or am doing most of that these days, because as I said before - I want to be a better man/father/son/husband (or, ex-husband) and eventually get where I'm supposed to go.
Tune in to the unashamed podcast. The duck commander folks. I’d start at episode 1.
You say, “If you use something and get value from it, contribute. That’s just being decent.” And you think that’s innocent, non manipulative, and totally free of pressure. It’s not. You’re still framing giving to the church as a quasi moral obligation tied to “getting value from it.”
That’s the same logic used by every manipulative tithing preacher. You’re using the building, the worship team, the kids’ ministry, the pastor’s sermons, the coffee, the whatever- so you owe your share of the operating costs.cThat’s treating the church like a subscription service or a country club you have to keep paying for or you’re a freeloader. It’s the same unconscious or subconscious “I already paid my dues this month” or “I already shelled out this much money this morning” mindset that spills over when the waiter brings the check, and then the servers pay the real price for that theology. Youre the one who originally complained about church folks being bad tippers. I’m just telling you why that is.
Gimme that tithe, yeah drop it in the plate
Ten percent off the top, don’t make God wait
If you hold back you’re robbin’ the King
But if you give big, you get bling bling bling!
Bawitdaba da bang da dang diggy diggy
Glory!
Dude, Sunday is the Lords day. You keep your sinning to the other 6 days. **
Getting drunk is a sin, drinking is not. Day on the week doesn't matter.
Had a buddy who was a bona fide alcoholic. Saturdays were stressful for him. Had to ensure a window of relative sobriety to drive to the liquor store. He never had a surplus. Incredible and sad what that guy could put away. It ultimately ended his life.
The Bible is pretty clear on hypocrisy, which is what I was addressing with the Quarter Liquor story. Drinking but attempting to hide the purchase of it so her fellow parishioners won't think less of her is pretty clearly hypocrisy
I meant this to be in agreement with both you and Horshack. It seems I failed in that.
This is why there is over 5,000 Baptist churches in Mississippi. Well over half of those are Southern-Baptist churches. Don’t fret over it- they all hate each other.