Should struggling families tithe?

[nick__45]

The old testement spells it out for those of you who are christian. It's tiring to watch people twist this verse around to make it their own. I am not very good at this myself and definetly work at it. I don't feel that I have the right to answer for another Christian except to say that you have already answered your question.

Numbers 18:26

26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.

Can you explain that versus for me in plain English? I don't have or know any Jew that would give me money nor would I take his money without offering something in return.

[nick__45]

But as far as answering "does the Church NEED this tithe?" Absolutely not. But that has nothing to do with it. The temple did not NEED the widow's two coins. But how else would she honor God with what He had given her? Jesus commended the woman for her faith in God - that He would be able to provide for her, though she didn't know how.

If the widow only has two coins to rub, her God has not given her ****. Sorry but that is the truth that some of you need to hear even if it hurts.

[nick__45]

With the holidays upon us, something I have been wondering about is tithing and charity. If I donate money or food to the foodbank, would that count towards tithe? The money is not going to my home church, however it is benefiting God's kingdom. I became a believer about a year ago, and I don't think I would have the heart to donate without that event happening.

Any thoughts?

ABSOLUTELY NOT. IT IS ONLY TITHE WHEN YOU GIVE CASH, CHECK WILL DO BUT NO SILLY GIFT CARD, TO YOUR MORTAL LORDS. IT IS PERFECTLY OK AND OFTEN ENCOURAGE TO NOT LET THE 10 PERCENT BARRIER TO PREVENT YOU TO GIVE MORE. IF WE LET YOU GET AWAY FROM TITHE BY BEAN COUNTING EVERY NICKLE AND DIME YOU TOSS OUT, WHAT PREVENT HIS CHILDREN OF THE LAW TO COUNT THEIR TIME VOLUNTEER AS TITHE. THINK ABOUT IT. J. COCHRAN WOULD FULFILL HIS TITHE SERVITUDE OBLIGATION BY SHOWING UP TO CHIT CHAT WITH THE LORD'S BLACK SHEEPS STANDING IN THE SOUP LINE.

[nick__45]

I guess I'd be one of those "other people" then.

For most situations, it's far too easy to say, "just stop giving to the church to free up some cash." Instead of dealing with the real issues of "you cannot afford your car", "you cannot afford your house," "you are spending way too much on food and shoes and your cell phone and are blaming your lack of money on the tithe - when it's actually your spending habits." etc.

Obivously you can get out of debt faster when 10% of your income isn't going to the church, but money isn't everything.


Plus a lot of people think that any discretionary giving, if given to the church makes it a tithe. Which is not true either. If someone make $2000 a month and is giving $500 to the church and calling it their "tithe"; they're just mistaken. $200 is tithe, $300 is discretionary giving. And if they're struggling to make ends meet, they should back down to just the $200, and take a good hard look at their expenses.

Are you sure money isn't everything? It is the form of tithe that is acceptable and non-negotiable?

[nick__45]

I agree with this 100%. I never suggest cutting out the tithe first. The other stuff - expensive car, cell phones, cable TV, dining out and all other luxuries should go FIRST. If that still isn't enough, then the tithe should be on the table.

I am one of a few people that would openly agree with you. I don't tithe because I give much more than 10%, just not the church middleman false lords. I give directly to the people. I give free oil change to single mothers and buy toys for children all the time. We also give free haircuts, meals, and any service our business handle. It cut out the middle men. Additionally, we pay a lot of money in tax and that goes toward helping/enabling other people, here and abroad.

[nick__45]

The New Testament teaches generous, sacrificial giving, from the heart, according to our means. For some, $1 might be a sacrifice, while for others, even giving 50% of their income might not induce a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, ONLY the farmers tithed, and it was equal percentage (a tenth). The New Testament teaches the principle of equal sacrifice instead of equal percentage. Equal sacrifice is much harder to achieve, if not impossible, than giving ten percent.

Being blessed as I have been, and being Spirit led, I find myself giving far more than a mere tenth of my income. Now if the Spirit led me to give exactly a tenth of my income, that is what I would do. But nowhere in God's Word does it say or infer that when we give to a church we are giving to God. We are giving to pay the bills of the church. It is church leaders that say giving to the church is giving to God, not the scriptures.

To follow the tithing commands in the Bible, one would have to give an average of 20% a year, not 10%. The three tithes averaged out to exactly 20% over a 7-year period. So those who believe you are under the tithing commands, why do you limit your tithe to only 10%? Why do you ignore the other two Biblical tithes?

I agree with the bold text.

[nick__45]

And being Jewish, you also don't tithe because you know there is to Temple and no Levitical priesthood to support. You know that the tithe can ONLY be taken to Levites. Right?

Isn't it amazing how so-called Christian leaders have taken God's commands and changed them to fit their own circumstances? And these same Christian leaders, who are misrepresenting God's Word actually think they are getting away with it! Maybe they have fooled their congregations, but they haven't fooled God.

+ 1 million zillions. I got to church but I don't fool me. Religiously they can't deny my present or entrance for doing so they deny the true God's love for me. All church buildings and properties belong to God, that means I am freely allowed in any church, during business hours of course.

For those thinking I take advantage of the church (if that is even possible) or being cheap, I will tell you this. My family business employs 27 people at the church in some capacity. We also provide free catering every week. The preacher and church elders get free haircuts and oil change from us. Church vehicles are maintained free of charge even for expensive repairs. But we don't give a penny to the donation box nor do we tithe. We had provide temp employment for people from the church with success for both parties. We are thinking about providing non-interest loan but it is a very gray area and collateral must be put up.

[nick__45]

See I just really don't like this sentiment. As though, paying a tithe means you'll be poor forever. But "giving sacrificially" means you're doing well with your money. Which if 10% makes you poor, how does 25% mean you're doing well?

If you make $60,000 a year, you can afford $1400/month for housing. If you tithe, that reduces your income to $54,000; and thus you can afford $1260/month for housing. Now how big of a difference is there between $1400 and $1260?

It means you can afford a $235k house, instead of a $260k home. Not that big of a difference.

If they lost that $60k job, and took a $50k one in the meantime, they still couldn't afford the house - even if they stopped tithing! But they'd try and stretch the income to make it work, so they didn't have to give up that lifestyle. And usually, they'd blame the tithe, or taxes, or something else as the reason why things were so tight. When their budget is the real issue.

Or would you say that they should "give sacrificially" at say 5%. What sacrifice?? They didn't give up anything. They kept their expensive home. Expensive car. Kept eating out. The only thing they sacrificed on, was their giving.

For someone who is low income already, things are tight as is. The tithe doesn't make them a "pauper." Instead of making 24,000, they're making 21,600. Things were going to be tight anyways. But there is minimal difference in the lifestyle you'll be able to live.



Can you give me an example, where the income itself is good enough to live well, but tithing turns them into "paupers?"

If your income is 60k and your mortgage is $1400/month, then you are living very irresponsibility. Your mortgage should be no more than $800, including insurance, tax, and all fee associate with owning such mortgage.

[nick__45]

Who here live on church income? I think it is fair we know which side of the bed commenters sleep on.

[nick__45]

Basic Biblical truths:

Tithe came from the miracles of God, specifically crops and animals.

Firstfruits came from the miracles of God.

Do you find any scripture where a carpenter gave the first of his works to God? Do you find any scripture where a tent maker gave the first tent he made to God? Do you find any scripture where fishermen gave the first fish they caught to God?

God reserved, for Himself, a tenth of His crops, every tenth of His animals in herds and flocks, RAISED ON THE HOLY LAND. God did NOT accept a tenth of crops or animals raised outside the Holy land. Crops and animals raised outside the Holy land were not considered clean and could not be accepted as a Holy tithe.

Easy Tiger. You may have just expose the loophole us mere mortal have against the vaticans' elites. We are now doomed, at least our wallet is, because you can keep a secret. Loose lips sink ships, have you heard of that?

[nick__45]

All the bread in the world will not save someone's soul.

I believe charities and organizations serve immense purposes in helping meet the physical needs of those who have them. Red Cross, Salvation Army, Food banks nationwide, etc.

So many great orgranizations. But which is more important: to feed someone's body? or to feed their soul?


If you don't think that giving to the Church equates to giving to God, there's not really anything I can say. How else would you give to Him? Burn up your cash? Grow some tomatoes in your backyard and burn them on a makeshift altar?

If you give food to the poor, Jesus says it's the same as giving to Him - but if someone only feels they gave food to a poor guy, not directly to Jesus, what can be said?

So if I give my money to a church who helps people find salvation, how is that different than giving food to a homeless person? I have helped feed their soul, which (to me) is more important than their body.


Nonetheless, if we have the money available, it's preferable to give to both. Feed the body AND the soul. We should not neglect charitable organizations, as they serve wonderful purposes for society.

Jim 13:
Give thy hungry neighbor thy bread, for his life is saved.
Give thy hungry neighbor thy non-sense soul food, thou will have thy ass kicked.

[nick__45]

I would think it would be more convenient for someone who wishes to keep his whole pay to pay his bills, to pay his tithe through service to the church, especially those with rotating hours.

I'm sure you can find a church that you can work within your time frame. Besides, when you work for the lord, the ticker isn't ticking(like not paying taxes while trying to pay your taxes) because you are not getting paid.

Actually, you have a God-given right to enter any church during business hours and receive preaching, however good or bad, and services free of charge. You can choose to give, tithe, donate, etc whenever you want and at whatever level you feel comfortable with. It is not up to the church to decide so you don't have to get the church's blessing before doing anything. If you ask Him, He will tell you exactly what what I told you. Your contribution is strictly between you and your God.

[nick__45]

Is giving your adult children money for food, tithing?
Is renovating an adult childs or in-laws house for free, tithing?
Is stopping to help fix a flat for a women on the highway, tithing?
Is seeing to any need of another individual(you are not responsible for), tithing?

IMO, people tithe/give without even thinking about.

They are tithing in my book. Anything you do and not get paid for is tithing because you do it so God can spend time watching over his other children. Believe it or not, God is a lot busier than we are willing to admit. If we mortal stop abusing his time and love by stop saying "God Bless You" everying someone sneeze or cough, maybe 9/11 wouldn't happen and tsunami would be nothing more than a surfer's wet dream.

[jpg7n16]

jpg7n16,

Be honest, what do you do for living?

Just to be clear, I work for an accounting firm in Dallas. We do not do accounting for churches, but for various types of mutual funds.

I am not employed by any church, nor do I serve on volunteer boards for the running of any church, nor do I financially benefit by receiving tithes in any form. I receive many benefits from my church, but money isn't one of them.

Any views I posted are my personal beliefs and are not influenced by some alterior financial motive.


I also think I enjoy SA better when I'm not arguing about my personal views, so I probably won't reply any more to this thread. There's not much more that can be said.

[GaryArnold]

If your income is 60k and your mortgage is $1400/month, then you are living very irresponsibility. Your mortgage should be no more than $800, including insurance, tax, and all fee associate with owning such mortgage.

Says who? Some loan officer?

$1,400 a month mortgage payment out of an income of $5,000 is very reasonable. It still leaves $3,600 left to live on, and still leave enough to be a generous giver.

When you use a percentage given by so-called financial experts you are using flawed reasoning. Since a home can be an investment, and since the interest and taxes are deductible from your income if you itemize you deductions on your tax return (in the US, anyway), that $1,400 payment in reality can be much less. Actually, for someone making $5,000 a month, I would expect their mortgage payment to be much higher than $1,400 a month.

My qualifications: Retired Accountant and Tax Auditor. Currently a Money & Finance Minister