Is the tythe not being unnecessarily emphasized?

[Nyandora]

I am a Catholic and have always wondered if the Protestant Churchs were giving to much emphasis on the tythe.

I have a couple of Protestant friends who would rather go hungry than not pay the tythe. I did not understand this, until one day I visited and what I saw during what looked like Offertory, there were a few scriptures that were read in order to have people give out more.

So I would really appreciate if you could enlighten me on this.

 

[JimG]

I don’t know if the Protestant churches are giving too much emphasis to tithing. But I do think that the Catholic church in general gives it too little emphasis. Look around you when the collection is taken up. Does everyone give?

Now, some give their offering on a monthly basis, so the fact that they don’t put something in the collection each week doesn’t necessarily mean anything. But ask any Catholic pastor, and he’ll probably say that if every family in the parish tithed, the parish receipts would likely triple or more.

Support of the church is a serious obligation. In the OT story of Melchisedek, which Catholics consider to be a pre-figureing of the Eucharist, after Melchisedek makes the offering of bread and wine, Abraham gives him a tithe, 1/10th of his belongings.

In my parish, the parish itself tithes. That is, after receiving the weekly collection, 1/10th of it is giving to charities, leaving 90% for operations.

JimG

 

[bengal_fan]

i know the church teaches that we don’t have to tithe anymore but follow what paul says “a man should give what he has set aside in his heart to give for the Lord loves a cheerful giver.” but the old testament (and the new even emphasizes giving until it hurts…i.e. the parable Jesus tells of the poor woman giving her last few coins) is clear that we are to give a certain portion back to God (since He gave it to us in the first place). those who don’t give to God are accused of stealing from God (see Malachi), but those who give to God (especially a tithe or offering which is above and beyond 10%) He promises to “open the floodgates of heaven” to those people. so people who are faithful “tithers” are doing so because they trust God to provide and more than that…to bless them beyond what they give. it is and should be a stretch for us in what we give. some can afford 10%, some can’t and some could afford so much more. God will bless us according to what we give (Jesus talks about Him repaying us up to 100 times what we originally gave) so that is why some stress the tithe and to give until it hurts.

 

[Apologia100]

The Judaic law of tithing is no longer binding on the Christian, however, the Precepts of the Church are binding upon all Catholic. Here they are, with Precept 5 highlighted for your edification:

Precepts of the Catholic Church

Precepts of the Church are binding obligations for Catholics. They are expectations set up by the Catholic Church. Each of the seven precepts of the Church will be reviewed each week through the summer months.

The First Precept of the Church:
You shall attend Mass on Sundays and Holy days of Obligation. We are to keep holy the day of the Lord’s Resurrection by participating at Mass on Sundays and Holy days.

The Second Precept of the Church:
Catholics are to lead a sacramental life by receiving Holy Communion frequently and the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly. Catholics must confess serious or mortal sins before they are able to receive Holy Communion.

The Third Precept of the Church:
Catholics are to receive Holy Communion at least once a year. This should be done especially between the first Sunday of Lent and Trinity Sunday.

The Fourth Precept of the Church:
Catholics are to observe the marriage laws of the church.

**The Fifth Precept of the Church:
Catholics have a responsibility to financially support their own parish community, their parish priests, the world-wide Catholic Church, and the Holy Father. **

The Sixth Precept of the Church:
Catholics are to observe the prescribed days of fasting and penance.

The Seventh Precept of the Church:
Catholics are to join in the missionary spirit and apostolate of the Catholic Church.

Note that there is no percentage or mandatory amount given, only that each Catholic has an obligation to support the Church. If you have a gut feeling that you aren’t doing enough, you probably aren’t.

 

[Annunciata]

Tithing is something I distribute between my Time, Treasure and Talent to my parish and other charities and religious causes. I don’t think it is Catholic teaching in the first place to give the 10% thingy in just money… Correct me if I’m wrong?
Annunciata

 

[SPOKENWORD]

Its really funny how christians can come up with a million excuses not to tithe. Do you really think God needs our money? Many miss the whole point. The reason for tithing is God is trying to teach us something. He is trying to teach us that obidience is better than sacrafice. Every thing we have belongs to the Lord .Praise God He allows us to keep 90%. Money is the hardest thing to let go as humans. God knows that, Thats why He allows us to TEST Him. I challange all christians to TEST God in this area and see what God has in store for you. Read malachi 3 vs 6-10. God doesnt change,only mans thinking does.

 

[bengal_fan]

Annunciata:

Tithing is something I distribute between my Time, Treasure and Talent to my parish and other charities and religious causes. I don’t think it is Catholic teaching in the first place to give the 10% thingy in just money… Correct me if I’m wrong?
Annunciata

nowhere does it talk about giving 10% of anything except money in the scriptures…in fact the Bible alludes to giving 100% of everything else (time, talents, life…).

 

[Ray_Marshall]

Apologia100:

The Judaic law of tithing is no longer binding on the Christian, however, the Precepts of the Church are binding upon all Catholic.

When did the Six Commandment of the Church become the Seven Precepts of the Church?

(And as long as we’re on the subject of regulation changes, it took me quite a while to figure out that Ascension Thursday was no longer a Holy Day of Obligation in the US)

This is what they used to be in the “olden days:”

(1) To keep Sundays and Holy Days of obligation holy by hearing Mass and resting from work.
(2) To keep the days of fasting and abstinence appointed by the Church.
(3) To go to confession at least once a year.
(4) To receive Holy Communion at least once a year during Easter time.
(5) To contribute to the support of the Church.
(6) To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage.

It seems to me that there has been a lot of “good ideas” which have come up since Vatican II. Very few of them have official Church approval.

What is the status of the Seven Precepts???

 

[SPOKENWORD]

Nyandora:

I am a Catholic and have always wondered if the Protestant Churchs were giving to much emphasis on the tythe.

I have a couple of Protestant friends who would rather go hungry than not pay the tythe. I did not understand this, until one day I visited and what I saw during what looked like Offertory, there were a few scriptures that were read in order to have people give out more.

So I would really appreciate if you could enlighten me on this.

Nyandora, This thread wont last long from past experience. When you talk about giving money it seems people just dont want to talk about it.We all can come up with a million of excuses.

 

[Nyandora]

Apologia100:

Note that there is no percentage or mandatory amount given, only that each Catholic has an obligation to support the Church. If you have a gut feeling that you aren’t doing enough, you probably aren’t.

Thanks everyone for your contribution to my concern. But I think what everyone is missing is that, not all of us earn money but all of us are able contribute to the church. I have seen people who contribute even more of their time and resources in support of the church.

I believe that a concentration on money seems to make the meaning of contributing towards the support of the church a bit distorted as it means if you cannot contribute money u are finished. However, I do agree that at times we really do not contribute enough moneys to the church. I have alwaya argued with my friends that, we are more than willing to go and spend on luxuries yet we grumble once the priest appeals for financial support (many a times its only a small amount that they will assk for). I think therefore, that we should not run away from this topic but rather discuss honestly without having to protect our own interests above those of the Church.

Good bless.

 

[bengal_fan]

Nyandora:

But I think what everyone is missing is that, not all of us earn money but all of us are able contribute to the church. I have seen people who contribute even more of their time and resources in support of the church.

if you don’t earn money, how do you eat and pay bills? this is not meant to be derogatory in any way. my point is that everyone gets some money and we are supposed to give a certain amount of that money to God. Jesus gave us the example of the poor woman who gave out of her poverty and He assured us that she would be duely rewarded. i also agree we are to give time and energy to the church also, but that doesn’t excuse us from giving money. the example that Christ gives us about our time and energy is that we are to give it all (Lk. 9:24 “lose your life to save it”). the only people who shouldn’t give any money is if you don’t have any money. then the church should help that person out until they are able to support themselves. that is one of the reasons the rest of us are giving out tithes and offerings.

 

[SPOKENWORD]

bengal_fan:

if you don’t earn money, how do you eat and pay bills? this is not meant to be derogatory in any way. my point is that everyone gets some money and we are supposed to give a certain amount of that money to God. Jesus gave us the example of the poor woman who gave out of her poverty and He assured us that she would be duely rewarded. i also agree we are to give time and energy to the church also, but that doesn’t excuse us from giving money. the example that Christ gives us about our time and energy is that we are to give it all (Lk. 9:24 “lose your life to save it”). the only people who shouldn’t give any money is if you don’t have any money. then the church should help that person out until they are able to support themselves. that is one of the reasons the rest of us are giving out tithes and offerings.

AMEN ,Bengal Fan. God understands where you are at.If you cannot tithe because you dont have any money thats ok. Your prayer should be that God will bring you into a position where you can tithe. Again its about obidience that God is trying to teach you. Doing good works are not a substitute for tithing. God said bring in 10% of your firstfruits.Just think if all tithed in the church. I honestly believe we could wipe out povert in this world.

 

[Annunciata]

bengal_fan:

nowhere does it talk about giving 10% of anything except money in the scriptures…in fact the Bible alludes to giving 100% of everything else (time, talents, life…).

Bengal,
Your Sola Scrptura, correct me if I’m wrong (I just read your prolfie, Protestant) As a Catholic we also follow Tradition and together with the Scriptures we draw from the Deposit of the Faith handed down to us from the Apostles, Key word here being Tradition. I refer you to a preceding post:

Apologia100:

The Judaic law of tithing is no longer binding on the Christian, however, the Precepts of the Church are binding upon all Catholic.

**The Fifth Precept of the Church:
Catholics have a responsibility to financially support their own parish community, their parish priests, the world-wide Catholic Church, and the Holy Father. **

So, I guess what I am saying to you: Jesus said to Peter and the Apostles:… “He who hears you hears Me; he who rejects you rejects the One who sent Me.” I believe in what the Church teaches handed down from the Apostles.
In His Love, Annunciata

 

[bengal_fan]

actually, i am not sola scriptura and am on my way to becoming catholic. and yes i saw the earlier post and it said that you (and i and everyone else) are responsible for financially supporting the church. what in my post disagreed with this? in acts, there was an incident where a couple sold a field and were going to give the proceeds to the church, but at the last minute they decided to hold back a little for themselves and peter (the 1st pope which i fully aknowledge) struck them dead. interesting that peter knew you couldn’t serve God and money which is why i am saying it is important to give money back to God and why not do it the way that the spiritual giants in the old testament did? i fully admit in an earlier post that we are not under the command to tithe but i then go on to say that there is a promise attached to it (in malachi and many other places) that God will open the floodgates of heaven if we just trust Him enough to give sacrificially. so i guess, nice try to turn this into a protestant/catholic argument, but it really comes down to a trust issue. who do you trust? God or money.

 

[SPOKENWORD]

Annunciata:

Bengal,
Your Sola Scrptura, correct me if I’m wrong (I just read your prolfie, Protestant) As a Catholic we also follow Tradition and together with the Scriptures we draw from the Deposit of the Faith handed down to us from the Apostles, Key word here being Tradition. I refer you to a preceding post:
So, I guess what I am saying to you: Jesus said to Peter and the Apostles:… “He who hears you hears Me; he who rejects you rejects the One who sent Me.” I believe in what the Church teaches handed down from the Apostles.
In His Love, Annunciata

I guess they didnt hear very well.Does Gods Word change? Or does mans words change? Jesus didnt come to change the law but only to fullfill it. Like I said man can make a million excuses why we shouldnt tithe. Ill trust God in what He said verses man word anyday… History has proven that man fails but God doesnt.

 

[Annunciata]

bengal_fan:

actually, i am not sola scriptura and am on my way to becoming catholic. and yes i saw the earlier post and it said that you (and i and everyone else) are responsible for financially supporting the church. what in my post disagreed with this? in acts, there was an incident where a couple sold a field and were going to give the proceeds to the church, but at the last minute they decided to hold back a little for themselves and peter (the 1st pope which i fully aknowledge) struck them dead. interesting that peter knew you couldn’t serve God and money which is why i am saying it is important to give money back to God and why not do it the way that the spiritual giants in the old testament did? i fully admit in an earlier post that we are not under the command to tithe but i then go on to say that there is a promise attached to it (in malachi and many other places) that God will open the floodgates of heaven if we just trust Him enough to give sacrificially. so i guess, nice try to turn this into a protestant/catholic argument, but it really comes down to a trust issue. who do you trust? God or money.

Bengal,

I’m so happy to hear that you are becoming a Catholic; I’m a convert myself! Please, I wasn’t trying to turn this into a P/C argument…I was simply defending the Faith… Something I have had to do for many years with some of my family and friends…something that you will have to get used to…we should ALL be giving to the Lord our best in all that we have, say and do!

God Bless ! Annunciata

 

[Katia]

Interesting topic. We were just talking about this with friends the other day. For those of you who have started to tithe, how did you make the switch? I know my current spending makes it impossible (gotta pay the mortage and the other official bills), so that would have to stop. Not to be nit-picky, but since it does make a substantial difference, do you tithe out of your take-home pay, or before Uncle Sam gets his sizeable chunk?

If I can cut back my shopping, I’m thinking of suggesting to my husband that we try to get up to the 10% tithe (a long way from where we are), and split it amongst the Church and various orthodox Catholic organizations. As it is, we’re thinking of sending the money that usually goes to our diocese (not our actual parish) to one of the dioceses that has a bishop that’s standing up for Catholic beliefs in the press, just as a way of showing our support. Our bishop is not so brave, or doesn’t agree with some Catholic beliefs (hard to say which), sad to say.

 

[SPOKENWORD]

Katia:

Interesting topic. We were just talking about this with friends the other day. For those of you who have started to tithe, how did you make the switch? I know my current spending makes it impossible (gotta pay the mortage and the other official bills), so that would have to stop. Not to be nit-picky, but since it does make a substantial difference, do you tithe out of your take-home pay, or before Uncle Sam gets his sizeable chunk?

If I can cut back my shopping, I’m thinking of suggesting to my husband that we try to get up to the 10% tithe (a long way from where we are), and split it amongst the Church and various orthodox Catholic organizations. As it is, we’re thinking of sending the money that usually goes to our diocese (not our actual parish) to one of the dioceses that has a bishop that’s standing up for Catholic beliefs in the press, just as a way of showing our support. Our bishop is not so brave, or doesn’t agree with some Catholic beliefs (hard to say which), sad to say.

Like I said every time you talk about money people run. When was the last time you gave God a raise?

 

[bengal_fan]

SPOKENWORD:

Like I said every time you talk about money people run. When was the last time you gave God a raise?

while we might be on the same side in this situation, you shouldn’t take the opportunity to insult people when they are really trying to come to grips with this situation. it is difficult to trust God, especially with money, when it is not sosmething you are used to. i guess i’m just saying that this comment didn’t seem very loving.

 

[SPOKENWORD]

bengal_fan:

while we might be on the same side in this situation, you shouldn’t take the opportunity to insult people when they are really trying to come to grips with this situation. it is difficult to trust God, especially with money, when it is not sosmething you are used to. i guess i’m just saying that this comment didn’t seem very loving.

Bengal, That was not my intent,and if I did insult anybody my sincere appoligy. Yes ,God knows money is one of the hardest things to let go of. And thats why He tells us to TEST him.Our prayer should be ; God help us to put our trust in you. Bring us into a position where we may obidient to your Word…AMEN.