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Tithing . . . what do you think?
Posted: Jun 20, 2010
Do you pay tithing? How do you feel about it? Do you have any faith-building stories to share regarding tithing?
Once again, this question is not intended to start any arguments - only a discussion. I like to share beliefs, feeling, insights, etc. Can we do that without getting into a nasty, mud-slinging fest?
I hope so. :)
;
My Thoughts - tootsie
[ In Reply To ..]This is the way I have come to view tithing.
Since tithing is mentioned in the Bible, I have come to understand it as "taking care of" the person who brings you the true word of God. What I mean by "taking care of" is offering him/her food to eat, a place to spend the night if needed, during their travels to "spread the word", and perhaps a few coins to make do until his next place of speaking, all in gratitude for bringing you "the Word."
In today's world, and this is just my opinion only, tithing is seen by most "organized religions" as a means of obtaining "income." Organized religion has become a "business" now, much like physicians. Pretty much any organized religion these days "demands" payment and a certain percentage of any member of the churchs income. They practically "invoice" their members each month with an itemized billing saying this is how much you owe me for providing "sermons" every Sunday. I do not hold with this version of "tithing" and it is one of the very many reasons why I do not like "organized religion." I have read the Bible and have found the Word of God to be free to all who seek the knowledge. When I "tithe" it is to God directly, and not handed into the hands of any organized religion. It is "personal" between my God and me, and not demanded, in any form.
Thanks for asking this question. I am anxious to read other's views on this.
I agree that the church has become a business and I don't like it. - BornAgainMT
[ In Reply To ..]I grew up in a small Nazarene church in a small town. It started in the basement of someone's house. I was a child, but my parents and the other adults of the church contributed funds to build the church and together with those funds and money allocated from the Nazarene district headquarters, our congregation bought the vacant lot next to the house. The men of the church contirubted their time and actually physically built the church. A small A-frame church with 6 small sunday school class rooms in the basement, a kitchenette for pot luck dinners, a church office, and a sanctuary that could hold about 100 people.
They still use that same building today. Over the years that I grew up in that church, the congregation raised money to pave the parking lot, buy a church van, and general maintenance like new carpet, new pews, new hymnals.
Each year, the board members put out a financial statement to the members for accountability purposes. So those contributing could see exactly where the money was being spent. The pastor of the church received his salary from the denomination corporate office (or whatever they called it).
As an adult, I attended a fairly large Assembly of God church where the pastor made a point to give a mini tithe sermon at every single service. He and his wife lived in a pretty nice home, drove a Lexus, bought their daughter a BMW for college graduation, he owned his own plane. They celebrated those in the congregation tyat were what he called "top givers" by having a very expensive dinner party at an exclusive restaurant at the end of every fiscal where he handed out engraved gold pens. I never saw any kind of financial statement at all during the four years I attended there. They never accounted for the money they spent supposedly on missions and outreach programs. The congregation had no idea how much they paid their pastor a year or how much he received from the Assemblies of God denomination. I finally left the church when the pastor announced he was building a new facility and he intended to build this $4 million facility completely debt free thanks to pledges he knew his faithful congregation would give. This came about right after I learned that the Assemblies of God denomination had decided to cut ties with this church as the pastor was not "giving" the agreed upon financial contribution back to the denomination even though the pastor was still receiving hyis salary as an Assemblies of God preacher. So the church would no longer be called an Assemblies of God church and the pastor would be technically unemployed.
Having come from the mindset of a congregation that celebrated raising $8000 to pave our parking lot to this obscenity that called itself a church, you can imagine my disgust.
I believe that tithing is biblical, but I believe God's idea of tithing is more than just monetary. We can tithe our money and our time. I also don't tithe blindly. I want to know that my tithe is being used to glorify God. I am at a small community church again who puts out a yearly financial statement. I like that. The pastor doesn't preach, preach, preach on tithing. He simply passes the plate. I like that. I tithe my time by helping with community outreach events and I like that.
It's important to know that yes the Bible teaches we should tithe 10%, but that doesn't mean that as soon as we write the check we're done. We are responsible for our tithe even after it has left our wallet.
Probably NOMB since I don't attend church but... - Charity
[ In Reply To ..]I am not Christian and do not attend church, but I just wanted to interject to say I do my part for humankind, as small as it might be.
I allocate a certain percentage out of whatever meager amount I have leftover from my check to give uot to random homeless people. There's a veteran with his dog that usually sits himself on a busy traffic signal meridian near my condo, and I always try to give him a $5 or $10, whatever I was allocate that week. There's also an older woman with her cart that hangs around outside the local Starbucks waiting for an act of kindness. I try to give her $5 a week, too. While I struggle, I recognize that I'm blessed because I still have so much more than others more unfortunate than I.
As I said, I don't tithe. Even if I were Christian and went to church, I doubt I would support tithing.
I far too much enjoy the 1:1 connection of looking another human being into the eyes as I try to make their day just a little bit easier, knowing perhaps they can at least have a bit of hot food in their stomach or a cup of coffee or whatever they choose to spend the money on. I do not judge. I do not question I just give to them from the heart.
That's all. I hope I didn't derail your thread or anything. I just wanted to interject what I hope is a positive comment before the flamers show up.
Blessed be.
I DO attend church and I LIKE this! (sm) - deg
[ In Reply To ..]Gee, for a "non-Christian" who doesn't really practice tithing, I think you have hit this principle right on the money (excuse the pun) !!
I do tithe at my church but sometimes wonder if the church is using it as God intended. Yes, we have bills to pay (electric, salaries, etc.) But what REALLY warms my heart and makes me feel like God is pleased is when I'm able to make offerings for our "mission of the month" and "extras" (i.e., to local homeless shelter, food pantry, etc.).
Anyway, just touched by your compassion and generosity ... and that fact that you actually keep your eyes open to see people in need and help fill their need. Your kindness is VERY "Christian-like." :-)
I love random acts of kindness too - nm
[ In Reply To ..]nm
we do - we are not at the 10%
[ In Reply To ..]level monetarily yet, but we do contribute about 7% of our take home income and the rest in "service." Our church does have 8 full-time staff members, a mortgage to pay, and many programs to support, so yes, they do need a consistent income....however, we do so much for the local community as well as mission work in other parts of the US and the world with that income. I have seen first hand my money at work in the church, so I don't have a problem donating. My donations are going towards spreading God's love throughout the community and beyond. That is not to say that ALL churches are created equal and use their money wisely. I am well aware of that. I do feel incredibly blessed to be able to contribute in the way I do. Yes, I make sacrifices in my own life in order to do this, but that is what I believe God wants us to do....to share our money, our time and our talents for him. It is my way of thanking him for all he has given me, because bottom line, I would have none of it without him....so really I am giving back to him a portion of what truly is his to begin with. If you can't or don't trust a church with your money, then I don't think you should contribute to that church, plain and simple. There are so many ways to give back to God:)
Tithing - Gary
[ In Reply To ..]If you are talking about the Biblical tithe, or The Lord's Tithe, NO ONE tithes today. God defined His tithe in Leviticus 27:30-33 and gave His ordinances, or instructions, in Numbers 18. NO ONE follows the definition or the instructions.
If you are talking man's tithe, the one church leaders came up with in the mid 1800s, NO, I do not pay that tithe because church leaders represent it as through it is Biblical. They are either ignorant of The Word, or just plain liars.
The New Testament teaches generous, sacrificial giving. Yes, I am a generous giver. I have found that I can't out give God. The more I give, the most I am blessed.
tithing - beNice
[ In Reply To ..]When I was in regular attendance,I did give monthly donations/tithes which went towards the upkeep of our building. I wanted to know that I had a comfortable place to worship and felt good in doing so.
sm - Yes, we tithe
[ In Reply To ..]Tithe means a 10th. That's where the whole 10th of income comes from.
Honestly, the passage in the Bible that pretty much made it clear for me is Malachi chapter 3. In verse 10, God actually challenges us to bring tithe.
"Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the TEST, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for your and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."
Wow. Where else in the Bible does the Lord actually challenge us??? That blew my mind several years ago when I came across it.
Our sermon in church today - sm
[ In Reply To ..]This is what our preacher preached about today. I have not been doing as I should with this. I totally believe that I am suppose to tithe the 1st 10%. Anything after that would be offerings. I am really wanting to do better in this area. I do go to a church that believes in tithing, but no, we are not given a monthly bill or anything. I want to be able to tithe and hope to get myself to that position soon. I really like the church that I go to, and I know they have utilities to pay, mortgage, not to mention things that VBS and camp that can be very expensive.
My preacher has made a comment in the past that really stuck. He said something to the extent of it is really all God's.
my perspective... - wrkn4pnuts
[ In Reply To ..]After much reading of the Bible and study on the subject over the years, it seems to me that we SHOULD tithe. Jesus said we should tithe (Matthew 23:23). That being said, however, it also says that God loves a cheerful giver, and whatever a person has decided in his heart to give is fine (2 Corinthians 9:7). My church does not require people to tithe like some; they strongly SUGGEST that you tithe, but it's not like they are standing there with their hand out on payday. Giving is left up to the person. I myself have not been a regular tither in the past, but the willingness to be obedient to what I feel God wants me to do is there - only recently have I gotten to the point where my first concern, when I get paid, is giving the first 10% of my check to my church - I work as an IC so that is 10% before tax money or anything else comes out. Before, it was such a worry to tithe, and at that point my first priority was putting back money for quarterly taxes. It is certainly a leap of faith to tithe, but I know God has always taken care of me despite my shortcomings. In the grand scheme of things my tithing is only a little thing I can do, but I want to, so I do. My husband is not yet a member of my church, and he does not agree with tithing, so I'm not sure how that will work out in the future.
Tithing - KLDY
[ In Reply To ..]Tithing is mentioned in the bible over 100 times (Sorry Pastor Tim, I don't remember the exact number), yet homosexuality is only mentioned a few times. However, most Christians have a stronger stance on homosexuality than they do on tithing.
I have found in my life that when I give generously to the church, my own life is positively affected. While I am not able to give 10% at this point in my life (I did in the past), starting somewhere and setting a goal and giving consistently is not a bad thing.
While churches do operating as a business may not seem desirable, they don't havea choice, how else are all the bills going to get paid? Churches make budgets and set goals based on tithing commitments at stewardship time. If they know what about what is expected they can budget for day-to-day expenses, but more importantly, towards mission goals.
Just my opinion. It is interesting to read all of the replys.
We pay 10%, and - SoCal MT
[ In Reply To ..]it goes wholly toward helping the less fortunate, both within and outside our church, and to our building fund. We have unpaid clergy, so none of it goes for salaries. Our buildings (chapels and temples) are built from the building fund, so there are no mortgages. The building maintenance is almost all volunteer. There are some paid workers who clean the temples, but even much of that is done on a volunteer basis. Even most repairs are done for free by members, especially of the chapels. Bigger things, like rehabs/remodels of the temples are done by paid labor - again all paid from the building fund.
As far as helping the poor and less fortunate - our church tithing helps people in our local areas but also around the world. We ship clothing, food, household items, and anything else the people may need to survive, to countries throughout the world. When there is a disaster, like the tsunami, earthquakes or hurricanes, we ship things out within hours/days. We also volunteer to go to places where our help is needed.
There is no "billing" for us to pay tithing. We can chose to pay or not. We do have a year-end tithing settlement conference with our bishop, and at that time we declare we are a full or partial tithe payer . . . or that we don't. We are free to choose how/if we will tithe.
We have paid a full tithe for many, many years, and we have been blessed a million times over. :)
tithing - cilla
[ In Reply To ..]I absolutely believe in tithing. A great man once told me when I said that I could not afford to tithe, he responded..."you cannot afford NOT to tithe!" And he was right. I tithe 10% of my income, which is very difficult for me. However, each month God pulls us through, one way or the other. Being a single mom of four children is very difficult on one income. Each year the person who does my taxes says "I do not know how you do it." And every year I tell him....it is not me, but God. God supplies all our needs...maybe not our wants...but our needs. Thanks for letting me share.
I find it disgusting - Maddie
[ In Reply To ..]The way the TV & radio ministers basically tell people if you give, you will get more back (and often give examples of getting unexpected money in the mail the day after someone gave) makes me ill. All the while these guys are living way beyond average. And, notice how churches are now becoming big fancy cathedrals. It seems wasteful to me.
I love to give in other ways though. If I can make someone elses life a little better, than mine is worth something. : )
Follow your heart with a little guidance from the head. ; )
We tithe on everything that we make and have - truly been blessed.
[ In Reply To ..]We started out just giving when we first started at our church but ever since we started tithing, WOW!!, our life has exploded in blessings. My husband and I have both been working very steady, we were able to pay off our house during a recession, now debt free except for utilities, groceries, etc. I wholeheartedly believe in giving God what is rightfully his. We are also able to bless our church family which is truly wonderful also!
Love to give! Awesome story of giving. - And the blessings that can follow.
[ In Reply To ..]You have to read my story below.
My feeling of tithing is EVERYTHING you have is of God. The job you have, (even though I must admit I do not like my job currently hahaha and God knows about it), the car I drive, the home I have, the clothes I wear, the plants and roses in the yard, the dog and fish, the husband and kids, the food on the table and in the pantry, yep, EVERYTHING.
The job I have and husband's job is a gift from God, so the giving goes back to God by tithing. "BUT" it is not just the church I do. When I see a family in need, I will give a gift card anonymously from a grocery store, or some extra clothes, etc.
STORY TOLD BY THE PASTOR LAST SUNDAY: AWESOME STORY BELOW:
I was a young kid and going to college and could barely pay my way. I worked in a restaurant which is where I would get some of my free dinners. It was difficult surviving by trying to keep up with your studies and grades and having only 40.00 each month to live on. I had to walk to school or ride a bike to work in the rain a lot.
Then out of the blue, I felt God wanting me to give money to a missionary couple who were visiting near the school I was attending. I knew deep down inside I was supposed to give. My mind was telling me no, but my heart was telling me I needed to give what I had. I also felt God saying to me, "I want this missionary couple to know that I love them by giving and it will be through you."
So, I walked up to the missionary couple and was planning on giving them about 5.00, but somehow I just felt the presence of giving them my 40.00. My mind was like, "Are you kidding me?" but I knew I just had to do this.
After I gave them the money I had, the missionary wife says to me, "Bless you my child!" She started to cry and says to her husband, "See, I knew God loved us and cares about us." That to me was confirmation that God really wanted me to give them the money I had and I could just see the love and joy this couple had.
Now, I had no money for the next day for food let alone for the next 2 weeks. I went to work and someone came up to me and said, "I have extra groceries here and thought you could use a couple of bags of food." I was shocked! God was letting me know that he loved me. Then I received a bonus check of 100.00 that evening for a job well done and being one of the best employees.
Then I went to the mall to get my mom a B-Day gift and there was a 100.00 bill laying on the floor in the store. I slowly picked it up and went to the store clerk and asked if anybody came to her that may have lost some money. The answer, "no". I went to the main desk at the mall and asked if anyone came forward claiming they have lost money, but the answer was, "Not one person came forward about losing any money". I even called the next day and 2 days later and nothing. Not one person came forward stating they lost any money.
So now I had 180.00 in my wallet because I bought my mom a 20.00 Birthday gift. The 180.00 was way more than the 40.00 I had started with a few days ago.
Then I received my mail and there was a card addressed to me. The card was from a family who said they felt the presence of God telling them I could probably use some extra money for the month. It was 300.00. So in less than a week, I had 500.00 given to me.
God uses you for his blessings and in return God blesses back. It might not be right away, but HE DOES LOVE YOU AND WANTS THE BEST FOR YOU.
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