I don't know if it's just me, but I don't consider an increase in the value of an asset or investment as money that was "made." You don't "make" the money until you sell the asset or investment. I mean, my house might have gone up in value $20,000 in the last year, but I didn't "make" $20,000. I'd only see that money if I sold the house.
If the Church was not a tax-free entity, would it be paying a long-term capital gains tax?cinepro wrote: ↑Wed Feb 17, 2021 9:36 pmI don't know if it's just me, but I don't consider an increase in the value of an asset or investment as money that was "made." You don't "make" the money until you sell the asset or investment. I mean, my house might have gone up in value $20,000 in the last year, but I didn't "make" $20,000. I'd only see that money if I sold the house.
So did the Church actually sell any of the investments, or is this just a reflection of the increase in value?
You're quite right, the Church would have to use the money for something to crystallise the gain. If only they had something worthwhile to spend it on...cinepro wrote: ↑Wed Feb 17, 2021 9:36 pmI don't know if it's just me, but I don't consider an increase in the value of an asset or investment as money that was "made." You don't "make" the money until you sell the asset or investment. I mean, my house might have gone up in value $20,000 in the last year, but I didn't "make" $20,000. I'd only see that money if I sold the house.
So did the Church actually sell any of the investments, or is this just a reflection of the increase in value?
Can you expand on your question?
I don't how that is necessary. It's a simple question that points to the need for a fully transparent accounting.
You're guessing at the answer. Because you really don't know. Nor do we know the increase in value on the Church's other investments and assets, as Dr Moore upstream points towards.If you made $80k a year at your job (your revenue), and also owned a house that appreciated by $50k in a year, you didn't "make" $130k. You had $80k in revenue, and your net worth increased by another $50k. But you can't spend the $50k from the house appreciation unless you sell the house, so you still need the revenue.
Likewise, the Church's investments might have increased by $6b, but it doesn't get that money until it sells the investments, so it still needs revenue/tithing to pay the bills.
Of course, this raises the question of why the Church doesn't start selling its investments to generate revenue, either to give people a break on tithing or to use it to do good works. But until they actually start selling off their investments, the answer to "where did all the tithing go?" is "it paid the bills (and any excess was probably invested)."
If you're a memeber, you just need to ask, apparently:IHAQ wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 12:02 pmI don't how that is necessary. It's a simple question that points to the need for a fully transparent accounting.
You're guessing at the answer. Because you really don't know. Nor do we know the increase in value on the Church's other investments and assets, as Dr Moore upstream points towards.If you made $80k a year at your job (your revenue), and also owned a house that appreciated by $50k in a year, you didn't "make" $130k. You had $80k in revenue, and your net worth increased by another $50k. But you can't spend the $50k from the house appreciation unless you sell the house, so you still need the revenue.
Likewise, the Church's investments might have increased by $6b, but it doesn't get that money until it sells the investments, so it still needs revenue/tithing to pay the bills.
Of course, this raises the question of why the Church doesn't start selling its investments to generate revenue, either to give people a break on tithing or to use it to do good works. But until they actually start selling off their investments, the answer to "where did all the tithing go?" is "it paid the bills (and any excess was probably invested)."
I'd like the Church to give a full, transparent, accounting to all the members. A shareholders report as it were. Don't tithe paying members deserve that? It's sure to be faith promoting, right? They can explain why they're amassing increasing amounts of wealth at a time when members and communities are really struggling, when in parts of the world children are suffering because of a lack of resources, right? Because Jesus needs all that wealth, right?
Transparency should be a trait synonymous with a Christ centric institution, because why not when God is on your side?
https://wasmormon.org/gordon-b-hinckley ... elevision/Gordon B. Hinckley Interview Transcript– ZDF German Television wrote:REPORTER:
In my country, the…we say the people’s churches, the protestants, the catholics, they publish all their budgets, to all the public.
HINCKLEY:
Yeah. Yeah.
REPORTER:
Why is it impossible for your church?
HINCKLEY:
Well, we simply think that the…that information belongs to those who made the contribution, and not to the world. That’s the only thing. Yes.
