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10% tithing to the church?


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The Bible says Christians should contribute 10% of their income to the church as a tithe. The promise God made when He asked for this is that we will be abundantly blessed, and He even went so far as to say, "You can test Me on this."

 

So for all the Christians out there - as well as those who follow other religions where tithing is part of their worship - do you adhere to this instruction?

 

And how exactly do you calculate 10% of your income? Is it 10% of net, or gross? Do you also include other forms of income besides your job - like, gifts? Stock valuations? Capital gains? Increase in market value of your house or other property? What happens if the value decreases? Do you adjust your tithing for decreases as well as increases?

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For a person who tithes, ten percent of what goes in your pocket is what counts. If you have stock, bonds, etc., that haven't been sold yet doesn't go into the equation. It's assumed that you tithed the cash that went into paying for those instruments. Otherwise, I wouldn't spend a whole lot of time worrying about this. I don't think your maker has an accounting department that keeps up with the details on this. It's really a matter of where your heart is.

 

I also feel that what you contribute to charities and what you do for others who are in need is considering tithing as well.

 

I do think it's an abomination for television ministers to use their paid time to beg for money. I've seen them spend their entire hour just talking about money and how people should send it to them as a "seed" offering. Those people are evil, in my opinion. Make sure your money is going to be supporting a church, helping the poor or those in need, or for some other very useful and worthy purpose.

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The Bible says Christians should contribute 10% of their income to the church as a tithe. The promise God made when He asked for this is that we will be abundantly blessed, and He even went so far as to say, "You can test Me on this."
Did He provide guidance on what the church should do with all that money? I'd want to know before giving 10% of my income to any charity.

 

These kinds of things always make me wonder how much the men who wrote down "God's word" in the Bible influenced what "God's word" actually was.

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Does the tithe that's made to the government through taxes count?

 

No, I think that falls under the "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's" category. :D

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Did He provide guidance on what the church should do with all that money? I'd want to know before giving 10% of my income to any charity.

 

Point taken. I think I've found a worthy church to tithe to, but I will look further into what they're spending it on.

 

These kinds of things always make me wonder how much the men who wrote down "God's word" in the Bible influenced what "God's word" actually was.

 

It has always amazed me that the message got through at all, given the human propensity for slanting things in their interpretations... especially over a couple thousand years. That was one powerful message to survive all that!

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I don't think your maker has an accounting department that keeps up with the details on this. It's really a matter of where your heart is.

 

Well, I think my real problem is reconciling my heart with my brain. :D 10% is a serious financial commitment. I'm going to have to cut back somewhere else in order to afford it. This is a big decision, and I want to make sure I do it right.

 

I do think it's an abomination for television ministers to use their paid time to beg for money. I've seen them spend their entire hour just talking about money and how people should send it to them as a "seed" offering. Those people are evil, in my opinion.

 

Well, I don't know if they're evil - not my call, Thank God!! But I have a really hard time taking them seriously, much less send them money. I get the feeling it's all too "staged" or something. And they all seem to have ... bad hair issues?? :D

 

The one exception for me is Joyce Meyer. I think she's fabulous!! Real down-to-earth common-sense preaching. Love the way she delivers the message. I've bought a couple of her books.

 

But I still think I better stick a little closer to home. At least for now.

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10% is a serious financial commitment.
10% is a very serious commitment for someone making a smaller salary. Much more so than for someone making a large salary. It can be the difference between living in poverty during your retirement or not.

 

Remember, God helps those who help themselves - don't cut yourself short. Make sure you are fully funding your 401(k) or other retirement plan first, make sure you pay off your high interest credit cards first, make sure you pay off your car first, make sure you have a very solid emergency fund in savings first.

 

The church isn't going to pay your bills or your taxes for you, not now and not when you're 75.

Edited by norajane
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it wasn't up to me to decide where the money goes, just up to me to give it in faith that it would get to where it needed to be.

 

No offense to your grandmother, but that's exactly how senior citizens get fleeced out of their life savings by some televangelist who is later found to be whoring around and pocketing most of the proceeds from his "flock".

 

I don't think having faith means you should abandon all common sense and due diligence.

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.....

 

I don't think having faith means you should abandon all common sense and due diligence.

 

....In any sense of the process......

 

Bear in mind that an awful lot of people who donated money to Live Aid, all kicked off by Saints Bob Geldorf and Midge Ure, found out recently that an awful lot of money (and we are talking literally millions of pounds, here) was actually diverted from all the really good causes these two guys were pounding our heads and wallets for, to actually pay for arms and weapons for the bandits and renegades holding impoverished and starving people to ransom.

 

While Bob Geldorf flatly denies this, he does admit some funds might have got mislaid.

"Mislaid?"

 

I won't be donating any more money to these causes.

I don't want my hard-earned cash, given in "good faith" to buy a bullet which will be intentionally used to kill someone. Allegedly.

Thanks very much.

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I think a worshipper should give as much as they're capable of, be it 1%, 5%, 10% or 30. It's all relative, but a true Christian should be living a humble, fairly spartan lifestyle.

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That's probably why it was prefaced with "I think...". It's an opinion. I am also curious to see why they "should" as well.

 

Opulance is obviously to be avoided, but I'm curious as to why anybody should force asceticism upon themselves in pursuit of piety.

 

Cheers,

D.

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It's a part of a Christian life style. Living in excess is a sin.

There is a big gulf between excess and what you're advocating. What is wrong with the middle ground?

 

Cheers,

D.

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What's odd about suggesting a Christian live a spartan, humble lifestyle and give as much as they can to the church and those in need?

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There is a big gulf between excess and what you're advocating. What is wrong with the middle ground?

 

Cheers,

D.

 

I'm not suggesting someone give more than they're able. Why would a true Christian limit themselves to a certain percentage if they're capable of benefitting others with much more?

 

Should they just spend it on massage and greens fees, or maybe provide a hot meal and some shelter to someone?

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The Bible says Christians should contribute 10% of their income to the church as a tithe. The promise God made when He asked for this is that we will be abundantly blessed, and He even went so far as to say, "You can test Me on this."

 

So for all the Christians out there - as well as those who follow other religions where tithing is part of their worship - do you adhere to this instruction?

 

And how exactly do you calculate 10% of your income? Is it 10% of net, or gross? Do you also include other forms of income besides your job - like, gifts? Stock valuations? Capital gains? Increase in market value of your house or other property? What happens if the value decreases? Do you adjust your tithing for decreases as well as increases?

The fight starts because the Bible instructs Jews to tithe for the upkeep of the Temple, orphans, widows and the Levites. The New Testament Scriptures for Christians are a bit more murky although many do choose to tithe as an easy reference point on giving levels.

 

10% of what? Whatever feels right to you. Unless you belong to a cultist sect which calculates the amount for you.

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I'm not suggesting someone give more than they're able. Why would a true Christian limit themselves to a certain percentage if they're capable of benefitting others with much more?

 

Should they just spend it on massage and greens fees, or maybe provide a hot meal and some shelter to someone?

That didn't really answer my question. What is wrong with the middle ground?

 

Cheers,

D.

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That didn't really answer my question. What is wrong with the middle ground?

 

Cheers,

D.

 

I'm assuming a middle ground is giving what you can afford to comfortably give, so that would be fine imo. I don't find middle ground having a 52" plasma tv in every room of your house and driving a Hummer to tote around your toys and go off roading when you're single with no children.

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And the term true Christian, that is anyone who is doing whatever ever they do from the heart and with joy in doing so.

 

Just like a whore and a hero, everyone's definition is different, including that of a true Christian. Atheists and Satanists can have good hearts and live a philanthropic lifestyle. A Christian by my definition needs to live their life in accordance to the 10 commandments and avoid the 7 deadly sins in addition to the other attributes I mentioned.

 

Just my opinion, not opening up a religious debate :)

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The Bible says Christians should contribute 10% of their income to the church as a tithe. The promise God made when He asked for this is that we will be abundantly blessed, and He even went so far as to say, "You can test Me on this."

 

So for all the Christians out there - as well as those who follow other religions where tithing is part of their worship - do you adhere to this instruction?

 

And how exactly do you calculate 10% of your income? Is it 10% of net, or gross? Do you also include other forms of income besides your job - like, gifts? Stock valuations? Capital gains? Increase in market value of your house or other property? What happens if the value decreases? Do you adjust your tithing for decreases as well as increases?

 

Yes my h and I tithe 10% of our net income. Our tithes are the first bill we pay whenever we receive money. We have been abundantly blessed.

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I'm assuming a middle ground is giving what you can afford to comfortably give, so that would be fine imo.

Something like that. Especially in these uncertain times, there is nothing wrong with putting your family and those closest to you first.

I don't find middle ground having a 52" plasma tv in every room of your house and driving a Hummer to tote around your toys and go off roading when you're single with no children.

I'm not sure who advanced that idea of a middle ground. Though I agree, 52" plasma TVs are getting pretty cheap, so I'm sure it's okay to just have the one. :)

 

Cheers,

D.

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A Christian by my definition needs to live their life in accordance to the 10 commandments and avoid the 7 deadly sins in addition to the other attributes I mentioned.

Interestingly, nowhere in what you just mentioned is charity mandated or even encouraged though. The 10 Commandments is just a brief list of things you shouldn't do (as opposed to what you should) and how to go about worshipping god. The "deadly" sins are just a list of things you REALLY shouldn't do (all sins are equal before god, but some are more equal than others, perhaps?).

 

Cheers,

D.

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