Do we as Catholics have to pay the tithe?

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Hello kimset-sue. Merry christmas. If you have time, you may check www.saint-mike.org/Library/Rule/Excerpts/Principles_Tithing

That is how we are guided in our giving. You may also share this with your fiance. Catholics and Protestant alike have some sort of “problem” when it comes to giving because we felt that we dont have enough. Let us just pray that we Christians - Catholics and Protestants - will be more joyful and generous givers.

God bless you and merry christmas!!!
 
ElCid said:
I just want to know if we were ever required to pay the tithe as described in the bible. And could you also differentiate it with the financial support we give to the church. Thank you.
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The Church sometimes prescribes or recommends an amount to donate, sometimes not. The tithe is traditional, but less useful now that Western governments levy taxes for social spending.

It is virtually always necessary to support the Church with money - exceptions might be serving soldiers in wartime or situations like that - but the amount needed can vary widely. Obviously we should give what is asked, and be generous if the amount is left to our discretion.
 
Also important to take into consideration the story of the poor widow and how richer people are expected to give more. I think it depends on what you earn as if you’re on minimum wage with 10 children then giving 10% is probably not a good idea, though I think it’s probably best to give any money you can even if only a few dollars, but if you earn twice what you need then you could easily give 30% (as Tobit did or is it 20% it’s not clear) and have plenty of money left over. I’ll start tithing once I start getting paid for the work I’ve just started as I thought tithing out of benefits was a mistake as they were just the right amount to live off. I would give more than 10% (I’m not a big spender and if I were it would be worth changing IMO) but my job is not completely secure and I am hopefully doing a teacher training course next year so I need money in reserves.
 
Wordhunger,

I know we don’t “have to” because that’s not how it works in the New Covenant. But the new law of love is an even higher bar than the old law. I know when I start to think “what do I have to give?” or “what can I get away with?” that I’m not doing it right.

And when I think I can’t afford to give what I probably should, then maybe I need to change my lifestyle. The firstfruits go to God. Not the last, in the OT. So why in the NT would God come last?

Just thinking out loud here.

I struggle to do right by God, too.
 
Malcolm_McLean said:
The Church sometimes prescribes or recommends an amount to donate, sometimes not. The tithe is traditional, but less useful now that Western governments levy taxes for social spending.
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Now THAT’S a great point. It’s different now. And one more reason why I’m against government social spending. It turns a beautiful thing like charity into muck when you do it like this with bureaucrats and all. People are forced to give and the people who get the money look at it like they’re entitled.

Not much room for Jesus in there. :o
 
This topic came up today between me and my brother. My brother asked if I tithed. I told him we gave money to church and the poor. His definition of tithing is giving 10% to the church. He in fact told me to give to the church before the poor.

The conversation started when I told him I was selling some things I didn’t need to give the money to the poor. He told me to tithe instead.
 
Word Hunger’s thoughts on the reference to Cain and Abel are accurate. The foreshadowing of the Eucharist is written all over. 👍 👍

Also, the reference to the "…old law(s) being nailed to the cross and Jesus statement of not to abolish but to fulfill (laws) is interesting and seems to contrast.

I think our condemnation “because” of the law is nailed to the cross, so in some way the law too is nailed to the cross. Yet, the law retains it’s potency on those who reject Jesus. :confused: (my opinion)

The Church with it’s authority to “bind and loose”…teaches we are no longer bound under the tithing practices…yet, we should give generously as the spirit moves us…monetary and voluntary service.
 
???WELL,IMAGINE IF GOD ONLY GAVE YOU 10% OF HIS LOVE!!OR BETTER…HOW MUCH IS GODS LOVE WORTH TO YOU?funny i was asked that q at work.i dont give 10%. i therefore searched the bible to defend my actions and prove my work friend wrong. that its not neccessary.but in the end i looked into ,myself and realised my selfish,vain ways.moral to be learned…we try to make God wrong so that we can be right!!!just give the 10%
 
WestonGrant said:
The firstfruits go to God. Not the last, in the OT. So why in the NT would God come last?
Just thinking out loud here.
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Right! It’s basic logic. I have discovered tithing to be a
“pearl of great price”. When I started, I was 15,000 in debt.
I am so glad that I didn’t “wait till I had the money”. The way
I was going, that day would never have come…
 
My husband and I have always been active supporters of our Catholic church with our time, talents and financial giving. We have included our four sons in this as well. However, we are possibly moving to a new area which is a Tithing Parish and I do not know how this works. When a parish is tithing, do they request copies of our tax statements and bill us accordingly or is our weekly donation amount voluntary?
 
I tithe and probably more if you count what I buy for my religious ed class and such. I figure it’s better to error in God’s favor. Yes, there are things that we do without that we want. But, there is nothing that we do without that we need.
 
crip64 said:
we are possibly moving to a new area which is a Tithing Parish and I do not know how this works.
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I never heard of this! It sounds wonderful! Even if only the very poor attended and
tithed, the church would soon become wealthy… If you or anyone else knows where
a “tithing parish” is, I would be very interested to find out…
 
I give what i can afford to sacrifice and give of my time to the church. I thought that tithing was apart of the Livitical covenant. Why do so many pastors refer to Malachi, ie "shall a man rob God,"what other scriptures refer to this. I thought that particular tithe in the old testament always referred to cattle produce from the land and not money and there were at least four different tithes ie. festival tithe. People say that if you pay your tithe God will keep the devourer away or something like that but all of this doesn’t add up. Some of the most wealthiest people on earth have never stepped a foot in the church door much less tithe while I know many people who tithe because their pastors implore them, as well as giving multiple offering and they are always broke or barley makes ends meet. Nevertheless, the Lord provides all things and our treasures should be stored in a better place.
Godbless
 
Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers on Tithe

"Now, tithing was required under the Old Law, and the Old Testament laws regarding tithing were rather complex (and somewhat unclear, at least from our latter-day perspective).

We, however, are not under the Old Law, and Christ chose not to repeat the law of tithing as part of the New Law. Instead, we are simply encouraged to give according to our means." --jimmy akin

read more in these links

jimmyakin.org/2006/02/tithing_giving_.html

jimmyakin.org/2005/01/tithing.html
 
The Old Testament discipline of tithing (along with all other disciplines of the Old Testament) has been dispensed by Christ.

The Council of Florence: “It the holy Roman church] firmly believes, professes and teaches that the legal prescriptions of the old Testament or the Mosaic law, which are divided into ceremonies, holy sacrifices and sacraments mysteries, not Sacraments per se], because they were instituted to signify something in the future, although they were adequate for the divine cult of that age, once our Lord Jesus Christ who was signified by them had come, came to an end and the Sacraments of the new Testament had their beginning.”
 
Christ mentions tithing twice in the new testament but only to relate the fact that you cannot hide behind it. He says that you tithe on your herbs and spices (the lowest form of produce) but if you don’t have faith and justice then tithing is not one of the “weightier” matters.
 
Interesting read on tithing. I was just having a friendly debate over this topic and couldn’t help but notice that it caused a visible tension. There’s just something about money, huh?

I was taught that 100% of everything belongs to God- that is before taxes. In his generosity, he returns 90% of it to me. That 10% is His and he keeps it for his purposes such as the church, the poor, the sick, the hungry, those in need. He entrusts me to deliver that 10% according to His will. Sometimes he puts a charity in front of me and they get 5% and the church 5%. That is how His 10% is directed to me to distribute.

After that, I am responsible for stewardship. Yes, that’s right. I said AFTER tithing I am now responsible to give to the poor, the sick, the hungry, etc. Sounds downright terrifying, doesn’t it? It’s not. In fact, we don’t miss a penny because God is never, never outdone in charity. Trust in Him and He takes care of everything. I was out of work with no unemployment insurance and nope, we didn’t miss a thing. Do you think His law is meant not to deprive us of anything, but instead to help strip us of our love for worldly things?

I guess, when in doubt- go read the catechism and it spells it out very, very clearly. You may not always like the answer, but it is there to provide arbitration on these matters.

Pretty good resource: vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a7.htm :o
 
=ElCid;1697119]I just want to know if we were ever required to pay the tithe as described in the bible. And could you also differentiate it with the financial support we give to the church. Thank you.
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Finicial support of the Chruch and in particular our Praish is a GRAVE responsibility.

This may or may not be exactly 10%. All are expected to give support; and God rewards in a GREAT way, those who give from “there want” not merely there surplus.

One may include all chairatble giving in determining how much to give.
 
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