Do you give 10% to the Church?

[Melchior_1]

When I finished school a year and a half ago, I was unemployed and my wife was pregnant. One night , I literally prayed the following:

“God, I’m not saying this to bribe you, but if you give me this job I just had an interview for I’ll tithe the 10%”.

I got the job.

Currently I think it’s 5.5% to four friends of mine who fundraise their salaries to do University ministries/missionary work. 4.5% goes to the youth ministry at my parish, which I’ve been volunteering at for eight years now.

In addition to the youth ministry, I run RCIA for high school kids and young adults, which I do pro bono.

 

[Convert91]

When I finished school a year and a half ago, I was unemployed and my wife was pregnant. One night , I literally prayed the following:

“God, I’m not saying this to bribe you, but if you give me this job I just had an interview for I’ll tithe the 10%”.

I got the job.

Currently I think it’s 5.5% to four friends of mine who fundraise their salaries to do University ministries/missionary work. 4.5% goes to the youth ministry at my parish, which I’ve been volunteering at for eight years now.

In addition to the youth ministry, I run RCIA for high school kids and young adults, which I do pro bono.

Good for you! Like I said you can’t out give God.

 

[TrueLight]

4.5% goes to the youth ministry at my parish, which I’ve been volunteering at for eight years now.

In addition to the youth ministry, I run RCIA for high school kids and young adults, which I do pro bono.

I would love to work with youth.

 

[michaelmas]

$487.4 Million in American tax money, actually- just for Planned Parenthood (Planned lack of parenthood more like it). They did 329,455 abortions according to their report from 2009-2010.

I don’t pay federal taxes as they are not taken out of my retirement. I haven’t even tried to get a job because of the same reason you stated. It makes budgeting interesting, but, I work it quite well. I refuse to pay for the murder of thousands of children. And if my contribution is only $0.01, it’s a penny given in the name of abortion and that’s murder.

I refuse to pay for assassins against the future generation.

Jon, if you worked for yourself and didn’t report the income would it be a sin or a grace? Since the money you are not sending the govt.in taxes would not go to murder. Is it a sin to pay taxes since it supports abortion?

 

[TrueLight]

Jon, if you worked for yourself and didn’t report the income would it be a sin or a grace? Since the money you are not sending the govt.in taxes would not go to murder. Is it a sin to pay taxes since it supports abortion?

Yeah. That definitely needs its own thread.

 

[jonbhorton]

Jon, if you worked for yourself and didn’t report the income would it be a sin or a grace? Since the money you are not sending the govt.in taxes would not go to murder. Is it a sin to pay taxes since it supports abortion?

In no way am I qualified to answer your question. I am not in that position and if I were, I likely would not pay taxes on principle. But the latter portion of that sentence is entirely hypothetical as of now.

Some might pull out the “render under Caesar” verse and wave it in my face, but, if rendering to Caesar is known to contribute to a mortal sin… Well, I’ll take my 3 hots and a cot, beheading, whatever they threaten.

It’s my personal decision and the only real consequence of standing on that principle is if I seek employment which alerts the government to my said employment. I’d rather work manual labor for under the table cash than ever send one more red cent to Planned Parenthood via their creepy Uncle Sugar.

Again, this is my personal decision. I’d personally love to see all Catholics stand up and say, “we’ll pay taxes when you stop federally funding abortion in any way, shape, or form”. As American citizens, we have that right. And as Christians, we have the duty.

Or we could go into old age rendering unto Caesar’s abortion coffers and burn with him in Hell.

Edit to add: This is not an issue to just take some priest’s word on. This is a personal decision which must be researched. It has very real earthly and heavenly consequences on both sides of the coin. By refusing to pay taxes for a moral principle you are effectively saying you are willing to be put in jail, lose everything, or even die for that principle.

It is my contention that the 1st Amendment covers this as:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

I cannot effectively exercise my religion freely if I am paying compulsory tax money which ends up paying for mortal sin and goes against the natural order.

If it comes to it, I’ll face the consequences. Don’t make this decision unless you are willing to do the same.

 

[Melchior_1]

I would love to work with youth.

Definitely something people should discern before they jump into it. For what it’s worth, I think you’d be a great fit in youth ministry, and if it’s something that interests you I suggest looking around and see what your parish has to offer

 

[hannajomar]

IMO, I don’t believe tithing from our money is interchangeable with volunteering. I believe we are called to do both. Of course, there’s always exceptions of people unable to give either time or money. But I don’t believe that these exceptions get all of us off the hook.

My husband and I do make a point to give 10% of our gross income to our parish. We’re not poor, but we’re not rich either. In addition, we give to other causes as we see fit. I started tithing a few years before I met him, and I have experienced much interior peace because of it. Before I started tithing, I would open my wallet at collection time, and give from what happened to be in there. But after I started, I saw how I was finally including God in my financial life. It’s a way of saying, “God, I trust You with my money.” I had never approached it with prayer before and have had no regrets.

I encourage anyone to take the plunge, give 10%, and trust that you will have what you are supposed to have. It can be scary and impractical, but since when has Christ ever asked us to be practical?

 

[couponfit]

$487.4 Million in American tax money, actually- just for Planned Parenthood (Planned lack of parenthood more like it). They did 329,455 abortions according to their report from 2009-2010.

I don’t pay federal taxes as they are not taken out of my retirement. I haven’t even tried to get a job because of the same reason you stated. It makes budgeting interesting, but, I work it quite well. I refuse to pay for the murder of thousands of children. And if my contribution is only $0.01, it’s a penny given in the name of abortion and that’s murder.

I refuse to pay for assassins against the future generation.

Give unto Caesar! The Romans were cruel and barbaric and killed with impunity, but we must give Caesar his. While I do give money to church, I must admit that I consider my greatest gift my love and time and genuine sincerity.

 

[jonbhorton]

Give unto Caesar! The Romans were cruel and barbaric and killed with impunity, but we must give Caesar his. While I do give money to church, I must admit that I consider my greatest gift my love and time and genuine sincerity.

I’d rather answer to God why I refused to pay taxes than why I knowingly financed the murder of millions of unborn children.

The situation in which I find myself is interesting.

I am medically retired from the US Army for combat related injury. For that, I am given a retirement check tax free. My retirement is for life. I could get a job and supplement it, but I’d have to pay taxes, taxes which finance abortion. So, I choose to remove that from my life by not seeking employment which would cause me to be taxed.

As I said, it makes budgeting interesting, but I make it work. In the end, I trust God for all things and trust the government for nothing.

IF I found myself in a position to be taxed, I’d refuse.

I will not kiss Christ on the cheek while financing abortion. I feel like I would be a Judas to do so.

 

[TrueLight]

Definitely something people should discern before they jump into it. For what it’s worth, I think you’d be a great fit in youth ministry, and if it’s something that interests you I suggest looking around and see what your parish has to offer

Thank you.

 

[TrueLight]

.

I will not kiss Christ on the cheek while financing abortion. I feel like I would be a Judas to do so.

You paying taxes is not financing abortion.

If you provide a scholarship to young disadvantage youth to help take care of their books and other expenses, and choose to give the money directly to them and not the school, you do not know what they are going to do with it. They may buy books, they may even procure an abortion!

It is morally wrong to live in a country and not pay taxes, which take care of roads, construction, schools, hospitals, etc, etc because the government does not always do what is right with our money.

This is where prayer and activism comes in.

You don’t get a free ride.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I give a little money, but I also serve at the altar during Great Feasts, make prosphora (the Communion bread), teach Catechism, lead the singing on regular Sundays, and volunteer to help here and there with some tasks (like setting up things for Lent, help in the kitchen during bake sales and peroggy suppers which help fund out parish, etc.)

 

[ConstantineTG]

Give unto Caesar! The Romans were cruel and barbaric and killed with impunity, but we must give Caesar his. While I do give money to church, I must admit that I consider my greatest gift my love and time and genuine sincerity.

True enough, Jesus paid taxes to the Romans who execute people.

 

[TrueLight]

I give a little money, but I also serve at the altar during Great Feasts, make prosphora (the Communion bread), teach Catechism, lead the singing on regular Sundays, and volunteer to help here and there with some tasks (like setting up things for Lent, help in the kitchen during bake sales and peroggy suppers which help fund out parish, etc.)

You teach catechism at your Eastern Catholic Church now?

 

[TimothyH]

So what about Catholic school tuition?

I have heard people say it both ways, that it counts toward tithe and that it doesn’t count toward tithe. What if someone were to spend $13,000/year in tuition at their parish Catholic school? Is that money considered part of one’s tithe? I’ve always reasoned that it wasn’t part of the tithe because one is getting a service for it. Is there a teaching of the Church on this?

And what about deacons and priests? Do deacons tithe? I’d be surprised if priests do but could be wrong. Does the Holy Father tithe?

-Tim-

 

[ConstantineTG]

You teach catechism at your Eastern Catholic Church now?

Yes, since September. Our priest asked me to.

 

[puzzleannie]

I am going to start my career life and determined to give 10% to the church or poor people, is it practicable? and are you doing it?

when we married and moved to our new parish in Cleveland (43 years ago) the priest gave a sermon on tithing and suggested several ways to determine how much or what percentage of income to give, and splitting that gift between the local parish, diocese, and directly to missions and apostolates that serve the poor. 10% of either gross or net income was one suggestion; an hour’s wage was another; for those whose income comes in bulk there are other ways to discern the amount. The point is the spirituality behind the gift, which is a stewardship point of view that acknowledges all gifts including material wealth comes from God, belongs to God, and is to be used to further his purpose, the Kingdom on Earth. That is through our vocation and supporting our family, the primary way we serve the kingdom, and to the Church and God’s poor.

So from that day to this we have tithed 10% of our net income, part to the parish, part to ministries of the diocese, and part to missionaries or other apostolates that serve the poor. For many years we have made that gift annually, after we do our taxes, since the bulk of our income comes that way.

You discern what is best for you at this time, but do it from a spirituality of stewardship, not from a set of rules. The Church has no law about it, other than the obligation that we support the Church and her mission. She does not dictate how, or how much, to give.

What if not everyone can (or wants to) live up to your standards?

they discern in prayer their own standard that meets God’s will for them at this time of life, and don’t criticize what others have decided.
there is no occasion for any of us to pat ourselves on the back for what we do, nor to get defensive about what others do, since we owe 100% to God in any case, we are bound to fall short.

OP simply asked for opinions and personal experience as a guide in decision making. There is no room here for telling others what to do beyond sharing our own experience.

 

[TrueLight]

Yes, since September. Our priest asked me to.

Awesome. I’m happy for you. I know it is something you enjoy.

One door closes, one opens. God is always in control.

 

[Cristiano]

So what about Catholic school tuition?

I have heard people say it both ways, that it counts toward tithe and that it doesn’t count toward tithe. What if someone were to spend $13,000/year in tuition at their parish Catholic school? Is that money considered part of one’s tithe? I’ve always reasoned that it wasn’t part of the tithe because one is getting a service for it. Is there a teaching of the Church on this?

And what about deacons and priests? Do deacons tithe? I’d be surprised if priests do but could be wrong. Does the Holy Father tithe?

-Tim-

I agree with you, Catholic school tuition should not be considered a a tithe to the Church, that is payment for a service.