For the religious DUers - tell me how you tithe (if you don't mind).

[merh]

One of the policies of the church that has always caused me the greatest conflict is the requirement that we tithe a percentage of our income. It seems in conflict with Jesus' statements against building golden altars or grand temples.

I give as I can afford when at church, I won't tell the church my income (none of their business) and I don't use their weekly envelopes. (I am a nomad Catholic, I don't belong to a parish, I go to different parishes to celebrate the mass.) My tithing, like my life and my religious beliefs, is between me and my god.

My tithing generally consists of giving to needy causes. Isn't a cause like Andy Stephenson's more important than giving money for a church that already exists? My tithing for the month of May will go where it is most needed. When I see a need and ignore it, I feel as if I am committing a horrendous sin. Given to one member of the community in need to me is giving to the church, as the people are who make up the church. Andy probably isn't Catholic but that doesn't matter, to me, we are all members of the human race, the greatest congregation on earth.

For Andy - who will join me?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3561640

[izzie]

1. 10% of your income

Right?

[merh]

2. Right, 10% of your gross income

(gross not net, I think)

I just don't get it. The people are the church, so why am I supposed to give to a building or an established institution when there are so many needy people not getting a thing.

[hector459]

53. Old Testament requirement used to brow beat Christians.

We (spouse and I) give more than 10% of our income away in the name of the Lord. We give to very needy people in our family first, then to people outside the family as needs arise, certain charities, and to our church (but not 10%). We give of time and money much more than 10%. With us, our family comes first especially those who are ill or who have lost employment and those who can barely make ends meet. We probably live on 30-40% of our income, the rest we give away but not necessarily to church, although we do give quite a bit to church.

[patricia92243]

3. 10% Gross Salary or other income (I inheritated some money) n/t

[merh]

8. Thanks, I thought it was gross salary.

My younger brother is a cop with a young family. The church began this policy that they must know their income, so that they can properly establish what they will give annually.

I just think it is wild that the church expects they have the right to know my income.

My tithing, like my acceptance of the sacarments, is between me and god. They may be conduits, but they are not the final judge.

So giving to Andy seems like a good use of my tithes.

[Wright Patman]

4. The New Testament

has no tithing requirement. However, the early followers of Christ actually routinely gave more than 10 percent to their churches. One even held everything in common.

Malachi is the book most often cited from the Old Testament to 'guilt trip' the parishioners, but if you do not believe the Old Testament was written to you (and I don't), it rings sort of hollow.

I think there is no real agreement anymore on what churches, Protestant or Catholic, are supposed to be about anymore.

Everyone, even in rural areas such as mine, is into the Rick Warren 'let's build a megachurch with basketball gyms and food courts' idea.

After building the new facilities, then our attention is directed toward the political arena so as to pray for and campaign for our 'godly' leaders such as *.

An effort is always made to play 'victim of persecution' as was evident in the Justice Sunday event. There is so much reference in Jesus' gospels to persecution that everyone has to feel it even if it is manufactured.

I am beginning to believe that whenever there are MORE than "two or three gathered in My name," the potential for mischief and deviltry in the name of God increases exponentially.

[merh]

12. Thank you for the reference.

I thought it was in the Old Testament, I just wasn't sure which book.
:hi:

"I am beginning to believe that whenever there are MORE than "two or three gathered in My name," the potential for mischief and deviltry in the name of God increases exponentially."

Too many false prophets and too much idol worship. They have made themselves gods and are misleading the people.

[The Straight Story]

58. Malachi 3:10 I believe

Also talks about God giving back to you and to test him on it.

[Kerrytravelers]

60. Merh, simply brilliant.

"Too many false prophets and too much idol worship. They have made themselves gods and are misleading the people."




Truly brilliant statement. You have hit the nail squarely on the head.

[merh]

70. Gee thanks

:blush:

I sometimes feel like Christ in the temple, when he throw a fit and turned over the money changers tables. :argh:

They make me furious. Not in my father's house - not in my father's world - not in my name! :argh: :nuke:

I have to pray for forgiveness, the hate I have in my heart for them is so powerful, if I am not careful, I will be spending eternity sharing the same sauna with them.

[Igel]

24. Luke 11:42

"But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." (KJV)

"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone." (NIV)

So Jesus said their focus was wrong, but they (presumably were right in that they) shouldn't have left the tithing undone.

[merh]

26. So, basically, it is best to do both.

But the love of God and striving for justice are more important than tithing and should be the priorities.

What is the church? Isn't giving to needy causes just as important as giving to a church, if not more so?

[RevCheesehead]

38. Yes.

"Church" is much more than your local parish or congregation.

Mehr, I'm just shocked that your church is asking such personal information. My two churches are struggling to survive, but somehow, we manage to pay our bills (and me), plus pay our apportionments (conference/missional giving).

I'll just add that Jesus said to "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and render unto the Lord what is the Lord's." Considering that Caesar gets about 30% of my income (I am "self-employed," according to Brutus/IRS), 10% seems fair to me. But I spread it around, I often buy things for the church without reimbursement, etc.

Give your gift to God - wherever you find God.

[merh]

40. Will you move to Mississippi?

I want to go to your church. Heck, I nominated you for Pope, but that good ole boy network known as the cardinals, they just ignored the nomination.

BTW - my monthly tithing is best used to help someone live, so it is going to Andy.

I know that Jesus understands, even though he doesn't like us telling others of our good works. In this instance, he may appreciate the reason why I have posted this. I want others to give to Andy.

I do love you RevCheesehead, I wish you were my pastor! :hug:

[RevCheesehead]

41. LOL!

I love you, too, merh! :hug:

Would you like to move to Wisconsin? We're blue, and we have cheese and beer. And it is called "God's Country." What more could you ask for? :)

[merh]

42. How about warm weather

and live on the Gulf of Mexico and the Biloxi Back Bay.

If I didn't have the Gulf, I am afraid I would be lost. How else would I know which way is south?

We are the Redneck Riveria! (no kiddin')

[RevCheesehead]

44. Perhaps when Brett retires....

But there's all that humidity. I don't do humidity.

[merh]

45. Brett will be retiring soon!

And where do you suppose he will be retiring to?

Humidity is good for the complexion, the plants, give me a minute, I'm thinking .....

Well, for those of us with wavy hair, it really sucks, but heck, it is better than the snow!

[RevCheesehead]

46. I love the snow. I have to. It was snowing this morning! n/t

[merh]

54. It is a beautiful 60 or so degrees outside.

Low humidity, crisp blue skies. Slight wind, enough to make the Bay a little choppy.

Snow, in May??? You all sure have some weird weather.

[Igel]

63. Yes.

But ministers are worth their hire, as well. I don't regard this is as either/or, but both/and. The church I was in tithed much and often. Being OT in many practices, it had the canonical OT tithing system. To wit:

the first tithe (annual) was for "the Levites"; this was interpreted to mean all things church-administration related--salaries, hall/office rent, printing costs, etc. (It had no building; a building would have been cheaper.)

the second tithe (also annual)was only for holy day observance: we kept the "Feast of Tabernacles" as an 8-day fairly mandatory retreat. Most had far too much second tithe, and the excess was unspendable--so it went to those with less, directly or through the church.

the third tithe went for the needy. It was paid either every third year, one year in seven, or two years in seven, up to you, the OT isn't too clear on the matter, so one person averaged 3.3% of their gross income for the needy, others far less. It went for needs, as judged by the person holding the money at the time--some people distributed it themselves, others gave it to the church. First, church members were expected to take care of their family; then to help out church members, "household of faith" (I think the KJV translates Paul's words). The tithe amount was considered a minimum, not a complete fulfillment of your obligation. Non-family/non-church people weren't at issue; the church would help people that it could verify were needy (not a problem in small, agrarian communities). The church always had more 3rd tithe money than it had need for, the town wasn't especially needy, and the church members were mostly working class or lower-middle class. Members were told to help those non-church members they knew to be needy; some volunteered with service organizations.

[Wright Patman]

30. "Give it to God"

is easy for a pastor with a building program and a political agenda to repeat to guilt-ridden congregations.

It is highly debatable that building megachurch campuses and then devoting the preponderance of what remains of "God's money" (after paying oneself a salary more than double what the average citizen here makes) to a political agenda attempting to erase the separation of church and state is "giving to God." I don't see any evidence in the Gospels that either of these two emphases are what God is requiring of us.

The wannabe megachurch in my little burg has hit a "soft patch" and has regularly reported a collection shortfall of about 20 percent each week for a while now. The start of the chronic deficit more or less coincided with * beginning to hector us about how Social Security is in crisis. Since the average age of the givers is way up there, I would imagine he scared a lot of them into saving more money until they see how this all shakes out. Plus, the skyrocketing gas prices are brutal on rural folk.

It is poetic justice that the same pastor who violated IRS guidelines repeatedly last year to campaign for * now must figure out how to cut 20 percent out of the budget.

[SheilaT]

5. This is among the many reasons

I'm opposed to organized religions.

Only certain denominations want members to tithe. Some sects want you to give all your worldly goods to them -- although these groups we tend to consider cults.

Every organized religion asks that you not think for yourself, that you subscribe fully and only to their beliefs.

Of course, if you're here on DU you're probably doing a lot of thinking for yourself, so, good for you!

[merh]

29. I am not opposed to organized religion, some people need the

organization. I don't use a rolodex for my phone numbers, I generally have a great memory for numbers or know where to go to quickly find them, but that does not mean those that use a rolodex are not as bright as I am, it just means their minds work differently than mine.

I am opposed to organized religion thinking that its organization is the only correct organization or its interpretation of the bible is the only interpretation of the bible.

I one day woke up to realize that not everyone thinks the way I do, it is an odd realization. But once I recognized that basic principle, I have had an easier time in life. Not without conflict, mind you, but easier. When I have questions, I generally ask them to better understand the differences, like this post.

Giving to the needy is more important to me than giving to a church.

[yvr girl]

6. I've never known a church to require that you disclose your income

Or one in which they insist on the 10 percent.

As far as giving money to the church, here's my take. I use services of the church. I listen to the preaching, participate in various activities etc. Pastors need to eat, pay their bills etc. Churches have expenses - lights, electricity, office supplies etc. If I 'use' the church, I should help pay for it. My church also supports causes I believe in - the food bank, people in need, youth programs.

The little envelope is for tax deduction purposes. If the government is going to let me deduct my donations, why not take advantage of it. When my church takes the offering, they always tell people it is for the church family only - if you're a visitor, please do not feel obligated to give. They don't pressure regulars either.

I think we're all responsible for how we use our money. If your heart urges you to support various causes, I think you should.

[merh]

18. Well, they have in our diocese.

Of course, they don't have any established policy to punish you if you don't disclose, but they do the guilt thing, as if your failure to accurately disclose is a sin.

How many churches is enough, how big is too big. What car too fancy for the priest/preacher? How fancy is he allowed to eat, how much wine or scotch to drink? Is he entitled to cable tv or dish network - what luxuries is he entitled to?

I know of one church that raised money for their preacher, in celebration of his 25 years as their spiritual leader. They bought him a rolex. He drives a mercedes.

[yvr girl]

22. I don't think people should go into ministry for the money

I'm obviously not a fan of the televangelists, but I don't think pastors need to be as poor as church mice either. I would say the pastors in our church have a lifestyle similar to those who attend the church, it isn't extravagant.

How many churches? How many are needed. Our building is thoroughly used. There are at least three services on the weekend, and they're all pretty full. Sometimes there is no place for people to sit. There are other activities going on pretty much every day of the week.

[merh]

27. Then you church is in need and I can understand the needs.

But what about cathedrals so glittered and churches so large that a food court is necessary?

:shrug:

[yvr girl]

31. I love the architecture of old churches, but that's impractical now

I've belonged to three churches that have gone through building phases. The building was always done because there was a need for space. A couple of them had gyms and they all had kitchen facilities, but they were extremely well used.

I've gone to some large churches - they're not all bad. One church had about 2500 people. The balcony had sections with headsets, because the services were translated into several languages. I have heard of churches that seem more like malls, and I must say I would be uncomfortable with that.

[donco6]

33. You sheltered, sheltered thing.

Back in my fundie days, it was very common to hear sermons insisting on the 10% tithe. They would have "counseling" sessions with people where they would ask you to divulge your income and set up a "giving Plan" so you could hit your 10% (see, if you don't eat out, live on mac and cheese, and cram your six kids into two rooms, you can hit your Glory Goal!)

It really does happen.

But in reality, for those who value their religion and church, I think the best advice is to follow Paul's admonition, "A workman is worth his wages." If you value what you're getting, then you should pay for it. Simple.

[yvr girl]

52. I've never gone to a church that hammered the money issues

They've all been growing and dynamic and they had the money they needed to pay the bills and to work with.

[donco6]

56. The fundie megachurches need

millions to keep operating each year. They take money-collecting very seriously.

[yvr girl]

57. These were fairly large churches

With 5-10 full-time staff and lots of programs. They had huge budgets too. What can I say, God provided without any nagging.

[donco6]

64. You know what I think it is?

In the fundie churches I was part of, it was like a revolving door. People would join, take part for a few years, then move on to the bigger, newer church down the road. Sort of like shoppers drawn to a new mall. So it's no wonder they have to keep begging for money all the time - they're always having to draw in new givers.

At least, that's my guess.

[asjr]

7. I tithe with prayers for the church. I have no money.

[merh]

25. And your titheing

has a greater impact than any money you could ever give.

:hug:

[RevCheesehead]

39. Excellent point.

In our church (United Methodist), we pledge/promise to support the church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service.

It ain't always about money.

[Bronco69]

9. In the church I used to go to, this is what the pastor said about

tithing. I will give him every bit of respect in the world for this.

He told us to give away 10% of our income every week. He said he didn't care if we ever gave another cent to the church, but find someone who is in need and help them. He said that tithing does not necessarily mean giving money to the church. They always passed the offering plate, but if you couldn't afford to put anything in it no one thought any less of you.

I haven't been to church in a long time for personal reasons, but I can live with that philosophy about tithing.

[merh]

10. I love his philosophy.

What a wise man. Thank you for sharing.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

35. Beautiful philosophy, and, gee, I would guess God might like it.

When we attend church services, we put between $20 - $50 in the plate, but we don't attend that often. We give generously to charities, especially locally, such as benefits for local people and neighbors who have had a recent tragedy or serious ilness. But lately our grown children have had some medical problems with sick kids, etc., and we have switched our contributions their way. I do believe that charity begins at home, and then locally and then nationally and then internationally.
And my husband is a very generous tipper. His feeling is that local service people should take care of each other. I don't know if you can find anything about tipping in the Bible, but there are a lot of single moms who have bought a weeks worth of groceries on his tips.

[cornermouse]

11. Churches are already getting "my" money via taxes.

They are misusing that money. I now give to charities and worthy causes.

[merh]

17. I know of a man that makes a ton of money in his business.

He needed to figure out a way to save himself some money in taxes.
He formed his own church.

Operating a church can be very profitable. :shrug:

[Orangepeel]

13. I thought that "tithe" by definition meant giving a tenth of your income

to an institution. It seems that in popular usage, the word has come to mean giving to charity for religious reasons, but I think that tithing to a church necessarily means giving 10% of your income to that church.

IMO, giving away a portion of your income/assets to various good causes would be a very generous thing to do, but it wouldn't be "tithing".

Of course, that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be a better thing to do.

[merh]

15. Well, if you are an open minded, spiritual person

And you take the messages of the New Testament to heart, we are all members of the church of man, and giving to needy causes or needy people (like helping Andy in his time of need) is titheing.

There are too many church structures. In the days of poor transportation, it made sense to build churches in the communities, but now that we can hop in our cars and get to church in 10 minutes, why not consolidate the parishes?

The people are who make up the church, not the physical structures.

[Catholic Sensation]

14. I don't tithe

I give like 5-10 bucks out of my wallet, which considering I'm a college student can be quite a bit.

[merh]

16. If you are like me, your conscious is your guide.

You know what you can afford to give. I have just found that the latest local effort to require the 10% is just so wrong.

[Red State Rebel]

19. 10% tithe, plus additional giving for causes

[merh]

20. Why?

Why is the physical structure of the church and those that operate the church more important than the people?

The people are the church.

[Red State Rebel]

73. I'm not sure I understand what you are asking?

Why do I give? or Why do I give or additional causes in the church?

Clarify, please.

[murray hill farm]

21. Even when i belonged to a church,

i did not give the 10%...and it was never a problem with the church that i belonged to..a methodist church...they asked that u give what you could do up to 10%...or more if you felt that you were able to do it financially, but no one knew what you gave in the congregation. For some, that 10% of their income goes for food when an income is low...and even 1% tithing of ones income is impossible to do...churches know this and that is one of the reasons for asking for your income..which is kept private from others in the congregation. You can always find ways to give the a portion of what you have to others...you can visit others in hospital or nursing home, help an elderly neighbor with yard work or rides to the store. Take kids to the park or fishing or something when parents have to work weekends...so many ways to give and to tithe.

[murray hill farm]

23. forgot to say something...ha

I also believe that tithing is a wonderful thing to teach even small children...that they set aside 10% of their allowance..and then when it reaches a certain amount, that the child then choses which charity or cause to donate the money to...that the child makes this decision..and learns early their responsibility to care for those who are less fortunate than they are..and also to begin early to understand and feel the personal reward of giving.

[merh]

28. I think that is a wonderful idea, teaching the children to set aside

for others.

But as you can see in some of the posts in this thread, tithing to some is to give directly to the church. It does not include giving to charities or worthy causes.

[Shell Beau]

32. I think if you belong to the church and believe in the message

they send, you tithe to help keep the message going. Preachers in my mind should not accept gifts like a Rolex. The money that paid for that watch could do wonders for causes that really need it. Giving to the church should also mean giving to the community. The money should go to help others as well as the church. My church beleives in caring for others, not just those who belong to the church.

[merh]

34. I like your church.

I wish more were like yours. Hugs to you and your pastor. :hug: :hug:


And Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Shell Beau]

36. Thank you. I also wish more churches were like mine. Some

churches get caught up in the "church" and not the message of love and giving. Helping those in need should be a top priority of every Christian church seeing that is what Jesus did.

[merh]

37. Exactly!

thanks again. :hi:

[PowerToThePeople]

43. We already get taxed 30 some % or more

If the freakin govt would use those funds wisely and not waste it, then charities would not be needed.

Heck, after sales and propery taxes, we probably only "spend" 50-60% of our gross. That means nearly 50% of the country can free-load off the backs of the "workers". (Wow, sounded a little libertarian there, not normal for me.)

[merh]

47. Yea

that free loading comment is a bit much. I don't know many that are free loading. I know many who are trying to survive.

Welcome to DU. :hi:

[PowerToThePeople]

49. Thankys

:hi:

Been around for a few months, but typically the late night crowd. But changed to day shift so might get around here earlier now.

[merh]

50. You will find it interesting to compare the day crowd to

the night crowd. :hi:

[sweetheart]

48. Whatever my deepest heart of heart requires

It can sometimes be the majority of my income, like it has been in
some years, and others much less. The question to me, like you say,
is it is between my heart, and the totality, and whether i'm holding
back, or have given over to following whatever path to truth the
totality has made clear.

Some day, i will tithe everything as i leave this body, and take nothing
with me, so anything less than 100% is a gift of grace. :-)

[troubleinwinter]

51. My church does not have tithing.

I give as I feel is right, to help keep the church property in order and in good repair. We don't have paid priests or ministers who have salary. But there are certain expenses like a new heater, roof repair, electric bills, etc.

I do like what was said above by a minister, that a certain generosity is in order, whether to the church for their needs or other worthy projects and causes.

[merh]

55. Hi ya TIW

Yeah, RevCheese is a wonderful minister. I wish I could attend her church, but the commute to Wisconsin is a bit much.

As long as Brett Farve is playing, she will remain there. But guess what, Brett is a Mississippi boy.

I give as needed and as I can afford and mostly I give to worthy causes. In my area, I think there are enough Catholic churches with enough buildings and golden temples to go around.

:hi: It is good to see you.

[Kerrytravelers]

59. Currently, we don't tithe.

Thanks to outsourcing and the economy in general, we have watched our income fall, literally, just under 75% in the past two years. We never thought we'd be living like this at our age with the education and degrees we have.

However, even if we had more right now, we are unhappy with the Cathoilic church lately. In particular, the new pope. He was instrumental in this new "we won't give communion to pro-choice politicians" and specifically made a statement in regards to Kerry. He was also instrumental in aiding Cardinal Law's run to the Vatican when questions of why he helped shuffle accused chil molesters on unsuspecting parishes.

This makes me extremly angry. My anology of this is like a principal having a techer transferred when students suggest that the teacher was molesting them. Would we over look this teacher's trangressions/crimes? No. We also would hold the principal accountable. In this case, Cardinal Law is the principal. He technically may not have broken any laws (I'm not sure one way or the oterh as I am unfamiliar with exactly what the law says) but certinay it is a major moral issues, and from the church, which is where millions look for moral questions and answers, I find it reeprehensiable.

So, after this long rant, that is basically why we, at this time, do not tithe. However, with what little money we do have, we donate it to causes that we believe in, like the DATA One Campaign. We also volunteer our time all over the greater Los Angeles area to candidates who we feel strongly in- even though we don't live in their districts and can't vote for them.

[scarlet_owl]

61. I give what I can. Right now is our annual dioceasan (sp?)

appeal, and I have pledged fifty dollars, to be paid in ten dollar increments over five months. My church does not have a policy that requires us to tithe, or even give anything at all.

[DarbyUSMC]

62. If you attend a church where most folks tithe, there is no need for the

"fund raisers" such as bake sales, rummage sales, Bingo, raffles etc. etc. The needs of the 'church' are many, not just the pastor's salary. The bus that picks up people who have no transportation; the roof that had to be replaced because it leaked; the heat bill or air conditioning bill if you are fortunate to have A/C in the summer and so on and so forth are all expenses that have to be met. Tithing churches do not look to non-members to support the needs. When a member is in some kind of urgent financial need, the church (which is the body of believers, not the building) will supply that need if possible. I know of a pastor who wrote a check to have a man's car fixed so he could work. I've never personally belonged to a mega church. All that is needed is a simple building with seats and maybe some rooms for Sunday School. I tithed and I counted anything I spent on behalf of the Lord's work including buying the church an overhead projector or helping a neighbor pay for their heating bill, as part of the tithe. You can't out-give God. It is most definitely returned ten fold or more. It is scriptural but it only makes sense that if God is the most important part of your life that the first fruits go to His work. The next to be paid is yourself according to financial experts no matter how little you have, make sure you save something. I fritter away more than ten percent of my monthly income. How much better I'd feel if it were going to a place that feeds my spirit (if I were a part of that congregation). It goes without saying that a church that pressures anyone to tithe is not following the right path. The best thing I ever heard about was a church with a wooden box in the back where people put their tithes and offerings (anything above and beyond the tithe) on the way in or out of services. No collection. Visitors money was no good --- glad to have you here; just sit back and enjoy the singing, praising and teaching of the Word.

I wouldn't stay in a church that made me feel uncomfortable. Begging for money is very unattractive and I doubt the Lord enjoys seeing people do it in His name.

[SCDem]

65. My new UU church

encourages up to 5% of income. The reason is that we should give 10% of income to charity, causes close to our hearts etc, but all of that should not just go to the church.

So they have levels of 2%, 3% 4% and 5% or none if you are not financially able. For me it was just better to do 2% and have it taken out of my bank so I don't have to right checks or carry cash on Sundays. And they are a great church and to wonderful service for the local community plus it helps organize my other 5% of giving which is to my local democratic party, the ACLU, public radio/TV and I think that is it for now.

[lonestarnot]

66. 10% to God's work...doesn't have to be a Church...Make a protest sign

a week, make 10 protest signs a week.

[earth mom]

67. They just built a HUGE MEGA Church down the road from our town...

why didn't they spend that money instead helping the poor and homeless in this area?

I have to say that this tithing stuff is a HUGE racket if you ask me. Why should people be expected to give 10 percent or ANY amount?! Sorry, but that's one of the many reasons I don't believe in any type of organized religion. Faith and spiritual beliefs SHOULD NOT be about money, or have anything to do with money! Otherwise it's akin to worshipping the "almighty" dollar!

[youthere]

71. I agree with you....

I'm ready to leave the church because of money issues. Ours has always struggled to just pay the bills let alone do any "mission" work. Two years ago they recieved a HUGE endowment after a long time member passed away (close to a million) and they stuck everything in high yeild investments. They won't send kids to camp. They won't begin a food pantry or anything else to help this community or any other with it. They take the interest and invest that too. They still are doing 5 fundraisers a year, the proceeds of which go into the general fund to pay the lights, pastor etc. Last winter they went to the women's group to have them pay the light bill!We just had a huge auction and we now have a $7000 surplus in the general fund, and they will couch it as opposed to doing some good with it. They harp constantly about tithing and quite honestly, I refuse to give one damn cent for it to sit in their general fund and rot. They have an opportunity to do some really incredible things and really make a difference in this community, but instead of honoring God, they honor their financial statements. It makes me absolutely sick. I can't stand it anymore. I now give directly to HACAP andd other resources here. I haven't put a dime in that collection plate for three months. I'll help in other ways, but I will not support their idolatry.:grr: :nuke: :banghead: :rant:

On edit: I'm really sorry about the rant.:blush:

[ElaineinIN]

68. Its a guideline and a point to make you think

My church (episcopal) does not require a tithe, and the thought of disclosing my income is just outrageous. 10% is a guideline--the idea is to look at your income, look at your spending, see what you are doing with your money. You may only be able to do 1%, but if that 1% makes you look at your spending priorities (do I really need another latte? that new sweater?) In addition, my priest, when he does a sermon on this issue, says its not about just giving to the church, although the help with the operating budget is appreciated. Its about service and using your spirtual gifts--giving your time, your prayers, your talent and, if you can, your money--because God has blessed you and asks you to help the least of society. Therefore, its not just money, and not just money to the church, any time or effort to any charitable organization counts all the same cause at the end of the day its all about loving your neighbor as yourself.

[Horse with no Name]

69. I quit tithing

because my pastor drove a Cadillac and I drove a 10-year old car, while our church still needed a larger nursery.
My tithing these days consists of giving to people truly in need.
Andy is a good one for us.:)
Another way to do God's work is to drive through the homeless sections of your town--take clothing, blankets and food and drop them off accordingly. That is always appreciated.
I don't think God meant for us to tithe so our pastors can drive big cars and live in the best neighborhoods.

[merh]

74. Hello Hw/NN

It is good to see you again. I do believe you and I think alike.

Liberal causes and folks in need before the pastor drives a fancy car.

:hi:

[TWiley]

72. I do not tithe to church. I donate to Liberal causes.

The Interfaith Alliance is the only religous outfit that I will send money to. The rest of the churches can fend for themselves.

I do support a Catholic food pantry, but mainly I donate to organizations like the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, Amnesty International, The Carter Center, Public Radio, and so on.