Tithing

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“10% as a bare minimum! We should be giving as much as we possibly can.”

Yes, Jesus in the New Covenant holds us to a higher standard than the old law, hence the story of the Widow’s mite. This widow gave her last penny. She was not required to give her all, but did out of love. We are all called to give sacrificially.
 
RosaryFan said:
I think tithing is an old testament idea. Back then, they didn’t have cell phone bills, cable bills, health insurance bills, real estate/school taxes, astronomical college fees, car payments, million dollar mortgages, credit card debt…

Personally, I don’t even think tithing is possible. I mean, my salary is only 100%. If the church gets 10%, the government takes 35% (give or take), health insurace is another 10%, mortage is 20%, car payments are 5%, food is 5%, tuition is 10%, clothing is 2%, utility bills are 5%, school taxes are 10%, I’m pretty much in the hole.

And I didn’t even mention auto insurance, hair cuts, entertainment, gifts to family members for various occasions, Catholic school tuition (OUCH!), cable TV, home repairs, car repairs, annual auto inspection, unexpected illness and/or doctor visits (another OUCH), dentist, orthodontist…

How is tithing possible??? :confused:
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In this age where we have more wealth than ever before in human history, you think it is impossible to tithe a mere 10%?

My friend, I think you need to reassess your priorities. Tithing was a commandment given to subsistence farmers. If the poorest are called to give back to God a portion even of what little they have, surely the rich can give more.

What is more important? Cable TV, expensive car payments, smartphone plans, $50 a month on movies, CDs, eating out, and other entertainment, etc., or helping your fellow man and supporting the Church?

I can assure you, 10% IS absolutely possible. My wife and I persisted in giving 10% even when I had almost no work and we had a new baby on the way and many debts to pay off, just last spring. We were living hand to mouth and spending NOTHING on luxury or entertainment, having long since cut everything to the bone. And we still managed 10%. And the lord provided richly for us. We had many blessings of family and spiritual riches, but later this year, He saw fit to provide me the greatest opportunities I’ve ever had for work. Now I’m turning work away and making much more money than ever before in my life.

Now, I’m not saying you’ll have the financial benefits we were blessed with after enduring 2 years of very tight hardship, but the Lord DOES provide. Sometimes He is even calling us to the higher calling of poverty for the sake of the Kingdom.

Do not scorn 10%. Do not believe it is impossible. I believe tithing is a great first step as a cure to the intense materialism of our day, to help us work out our vastly disordered priorities in this culture and instead give our firstfruits to God and His work.

And i would go so far as to say that not to do so, not to reorder our priorities when we are so materially rich compared to previous generations, is to love money and commit sin.

If you need help, Dave Ramsey and Phil Lenahan will help you manage on a tight budget and get out of the slavery of debt while still tithing and coming to value the important things in life.
 
Very well said Yada!!!
It all depends on your priorities and how much you recognize and appreciate the blessings that God has gifted you with. 🙂
 
I appreciated reading all of your responses to the initial question. One of my Christian friends brought the subject up about a month or two ago and as someone mentioned earlier in this thread, 10% was the recommended amount.

Earlier this year, I was laid off from my job due to the economy and 40 applications later, still no phone calls. Some, here, mentioned that as long as we can give a little something and still be able to pay our bills, well…that is appropriate. I would have to agree. Does it not say in the Bible that God will provide for us daily, no matter our circumstances. This is true as the Lord continues to give me health, food, a roof over my head, etc. but, I do admit that sometimes I feel bad for not being able to put $20.00 into the collection plate or having to give coins. It is all I can afford and in my heart, I am sacrificing that money which could be for gas or something to put on the table.

So, in essence, I feel as though my sacrifice and giving of what I can afford is sufficient. When I have more, the Lord knows I will contribute more, each and every time.

Thanks also for posting the articles. I look forward to reading them all during the weekend.
 
We are a one income family as well, my husband makes about $15 hour. We do our best to tithe to our church, it was something we decided to start doing the first of this year. Like others have said, we are on a bare bones budget most times and do without alot. I think our lives have improved because of this decision.

I know it might sound silly but it never ceases to amaze me how much the Lord has blessed our family this year, beyond any expectations. And when we were blessed with a financial windfall, we promptly took 10% and gave it to our church. Yes, it hurt a bit at first but you know the more we do it, the more it becomes something we want to do and would not feel right not tithing.
 
The Lord blesses you when you “give” or Tithe and it all comes down to a matter of “faith”…how much to do trust Jesus to provide for all your needs ?? I did the math and I Tithe to my parish 10%, the diocese 1%, and other charities 3%. My point is >> I have accepted that “All good things come from the Lord” and that all the good things in my life, including the food on my table and paying the bills, comes by the grace and mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ…so I stopped worrying about the almighty buck and live modestly, drive a 17 yr old car (LoL) and fine that I lack for nothing !!

My advice is give what you feel you can and you will find it easier to give and not end up in the poor house…that’s how I started. I know my tithe goes to support all the good missions of the Church and that by supporting the church I am participating in the good works that the Lord desires of us. Give what you can, and the Lord will accept your gift no matter how meger you may feel it is 👍
 
Tithing is absolutely necessary for every Christian. Give your ten per cent to the church FIRST and then the rest goes to you. That is minimal. When you become wealthier, your amounts should increase accordingly. DON’T BE SKIMPY WITH THE CHURCH!!!👍
 
dhduffy said:
Tithing is absolutely necessary for every Christian. Give your ten per cent to the church FIRST and then the rest goes to you. That is minimal. When you become wealthier, your amounts should increase accordingly. DON’T BE SKIMPY WITH THE CHURCH!!!👍
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forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=599814&highlight=tithing

Read post #7. Money that you owe others, be it for a mortgage, utilities, or other debts does not belong to you to give away…even to the Church! Once you’ve paid the money that belongs to others, you can give whatever percentage you can to the Church!!
 
The amount you give the Church, the poor, or anyone else, is to be determined by your generosity and your prudence, in the freedom of a child of God. There’s nothing wrong with picking 10% as your number; there’s nothing wrong with picking another number. The important thing is to give something if you possibly can.

If you can’t because of your obligations, you are one of God’s poor. There’s no shame in that. He is with you.
 
It seems to me that the Old Testament laws focused on the external action while Jesus transformed them to focus on internal motive.

For example:
OT: Physical infidelity is adultery. (Focus is on exterior action)
NT: Looking at a woman lustfully is adultery. (Focus is on the heart)

Following this trend, it would make sense for the Old Testament to say give a set 10% (focus on external action) and the New Testament to say give sacrificially (focus on the heart).

So I agree with the others who say we are not required to give 10% but before anyone breathes a sigh of relief it’s important to remember our gift should constitute a sacrifice. Figuring out the right percentage requires prayer and humility. All I can say with confidence is if it doesn’t hurt, it’s not enough and if your kids can’t eat then it’s too much. 🙂

There’s a greater goal than just keeping the church lights on, though. The point is to train my heart to believe (not just acknowledge) that all things I have are a gift from God and, at the end of the day, he has ownership of it all. I “own” nothing but I have been given many things (24 hours each day, particular skills, and material means) to accomplish the purpose I was made by God to do. Giving to my parish is just the tip of the iceberg; everything God has given me (everything I have) is intended to be a tool to help me grow in holiness. If I’m not using them to grow in holiness, then I’m using them unworthily.

I’m not saying I have to eat mac ‘n cheese every meal because I’m spending so much on charity but I am saying that giving sacrificially (til it hurts) to the church and then going home and feeling entitled to use everything else God gave me for my own gratification is kinda’ missing the point.

(I probably sound very self-righteous and I apologize if I do. I just came from a stewardship conference and am a little on fire about making stewardship a lifestyle instead of an afterthought (which is what I’ve been doing up to this point)).
 
This has been posted before… twice, but it deserves a 3rd time:

jimmyakin.org/2006/02/tithing_giving_.html

Jimmy’s example of a family with several children and hospital bills verses a couple with few children and well-paying jobs is very helpful (to me). To say the “right” amount for both families is 10% of their income is obviously (to me) not realistic. The first family needs a larger percentage of their income than the second family.

His suggestion to contact your diocesan stewardship office is excellent, too.
 
I researched this one time for a newspaper column and found that some of the Fathers, that is the early bishops pf the Church went as high as 25%. As stated only Protestants are held to the biblical tithe and as noted some bishops suggest it.
 
Just give what you can afford and with love. God will reward you for it. I give 10% of take home pay to my parish and favorite Catholic charities because I want to help the sick, the poor, pro-life movement, etc. 10% works for me and thanks be to God, I can afford it right now. When my children were young and we had more bills, I gave a lot less. A time may come when I cannot give this much but I will always try to give as much as I can because I know giving to the less fortunate and to the church pleases our Lord. God has rewarded me with blessings for this both spiritual and temporal. Don’t let anyone discourage you for wanting to give. I don’t see how any Catholic would think tithing is heresy. By the way, Tan Books publishes a lot of good books about the saints, devotions - real Catholic stuff.
 
We agree that sacrificial giving is what Jesus wishes because He emptied Himself, gave everything, obedient unto death Phil 2:6–11. The ten percent is neither fair nor practical; a se a couple working two jobs each to raise three children would have little to give from their combined incomes while a professional couple with their children raised would be expected to give more than a tithe. The spirit and soul of the concept is much more important.
 
Tithing is not mandated or in the canon of the church but it is an excellent guideline for all to follow. It is fair and proportional to income. If you subtract all taxes from your gross income including federal, state and social security you should strive for ten percent of income continually if it changes week to week , or monthly the amount will be fair to God and your family. Everyone can start by increasing by 1% more and over time increments of 1% to reach your goal of satisfaction and generosity that makes the person comfortable and joyful. The mandatory taxes do not satisfy the giver but free will offerings out of true love, stewardship and generosity will bring happiness and eternal rewards.🙂
 
jdipoalasr said:
Tithing is not mandated or in the canon of the church but it is an excellent guideline for all to follow. It is fair and proportional to income. If you subtract all taxes from your gross income including federal, state and social security you should strive for ten percent of income continually if it changes week to week , or monthly the amount will be fair to God and your family. Everyone can start by increasing by 1% more and over time increments of 1% to reach your goal of satisfaction and generosity that makes the person comfortable and joyful. The mandatory taxes do not satisfy the giver but free will offerings out of true love, stewardship and generosity will bring happiness and eternal rewards.🙂
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👍 But we need to remember again, that money that you owe to others (such as a house payment, rent, utilities, medical/consumer debt) does not belong to you to give away, even to Church. So, it would be prudent to include the belonging to others in with what you subtract as part of taxes.
 
what you owe for home and utilities is what you use and enjoy and cannot be subtracted like taxes that help others often more than yourself. You cannot subtract those from your gross income to calculate your tithing.
 
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