Real life MMD: Should I stop my 10% charity payment?

CazGreg

The whole point of tithing (giving 10%) is that it comes in combination with God's promise "you shall not be in want". So no, continuing to give 10% will NOT bankrupt you or anything like that, provided you believe God's promise!

I know many, many people who tithe even when they are on benefits etc. My housemate tithes her incapacity benefit. She is always blessed by God in return, with more than she needs.

The bible clearly shows that giving to the church isn't dependent on what you have. If you've faith, then you can trust God will meet all your needs if you continue to give 10%. Remember that God doesn't work in simple, human terms - people tend to end up MORE blessed, the MORE they give. I don't just mean spiritually blessed either - it's like God says "right, you have shown you could be trusted with a 10,000 a year salary - so here's a 40,000 salary!".

Solomon_Broad

Does God want you to starve or be homeless? I'm guessing not. Give what you can afford. If that's nothing, then it's nothing. Good doesn't need your money. He created the entire universe, after all......

Purplejenster2

I know that it can be a very difficult decision to stop tithing. It very much depends on how you feel about it. I sense that by having thought about it you have possibly already made your decision, but just want confirmation that you have made the right choice?

I had been a tithe payer until earlier this year. I had always taken my tithing from my pay at the beginning of each month so as not to miss it and never really gave it a second thought. Then last Christmas a lot of things happened at once and we found that we had to replace part of our roof, a very unexpected expense and soon found that even by cutting out other things I couldn't quite cover my expenses. Here is the crucial part for me, I started to resent giving my tithing and I knew that as soon as that feeling entered me, whether I gave my tithing or not, my blessings were out the window!

You may not feel as I did and I hope that you don't, it is a horrible feeling. If you do still want to tithe it would certainly be worth seeing your Bishop as he may be able to help you in another way so you can continue with your contribution.

We are slowly getting back on our feet financially and I feel that one day soon I will once again not miss the money that goes to my tithing. I feel that I must add that I have not been a regular church goer for almost 10 years, but I know the work they do locally and all over the world has helped countless people and in most cases no one even knows about it as they don't like to blow their own trumpet!

I think in many ways it almost doesn't matter if you can afford it or not, if you want to give you will find a way. That doesn't just depend on your religion, I think that applies to everyone on here. People can GIVE in many different ways, unfortunately a lot of people don't want to give anything at all these days and would rather keep everything for themselves...

Daisies

You shouldn't give more than you can realistically afford. I'm a Christian and I do give regularly to my church and have done for years, even through some quite tough times. No church I've attended has encouraged tithing though, just regular giving (it's easier for them to plan ahead if they know what money they're getting in regularly) but no one was wanting anyone to get into debt because of this.

Partly tithing never made much sense to me because is it meant to be 10% of take home pay (i.e. after tax, pension contributions etc), 10% of gross pay, or 10% of money leftover after you'd paid the rent/mortgage, utilities and food? Certainly when I was in the situation of spending 75% of my take home pay on rent, council tax and electricity there was no way I could have contemplated giving 10% to charity on top of that - I still had to buy food, and I still needed to do things like maintain and run the car I used to get to work (and to church, for that matter!).

oki25

Keep your money, I can't believe the religous dribble on here! Anyone that hides behind religion and takes your cash when you're skint and struggling should be ashamed of themselves. If you want to volunteer go ahead, there are plenty of worthwhile causes out there who would be glad of your help, with-out taking the food out of your mouth Take care!

JoannaS_3

I don't believe in God but would he want you to struggle in order to make a donation to the church?!

Get on Excel, make yourself a budget and work out what percentage, if any, you can afford and give that.

Then go and talk to your priest and explain your situation and say that you can only give X or you can't give anything but would like to know how you can help the church and your community in other ways.

If God is all about love, your priest should understand your situation and try and help you in any way he or she can.

Never should you feel guilty for your personal circumstances; helping the church could mean you then need help in the form of handouts from the church or benefits etc which seems pointless as you will only be taking back what you've given.

I'm sure the church will value your time and effort just as much as your money.

Good luck and whatever decision you make, make sure it's the right one for YOU!!

allencevans

God would rather have 1% given with a grateful heart, than 10% begrudgingly.

We're called to be good stewards of all things, money being one of them. If giving is putting you in a bad financial situation, then you should revise your current spending policy.

Of course it'd be best to talk to your Pastor.

Allen

JoannaS_3

Topher_Bear wrote: »

First of all, ignore comments made by non-christians here. They don't understand the dilemna...after all would you ask a non-Christian if you should pray? or what a particular biblical passage would mean?

TB

That's not a very Christian attitude to have is it?! That's more of a Cult attitude and it stinks!!

So if a person is not Christian they can't possibly understand life from a Christian's point of view?! YOU may not be able to see life from a non-religious point of view or a Muslim's or a Catholic's etc etc but that would be YOUR narrow mindedness not anyone's on here!!!

Would GOD turn someone in need away just becuase they are NOT Christian?! As far as I know there is only one GOD and he wouldn't so don't make such ridiculous sweeping statements and maybe brush up on the bible while you're at it!!!

JoannaS_3

SunnyBrighton wrote: »

If I decided to live in a bigger house, then I wouldn't have spare disposable income either.

You need to decide your priorities - do you want to live a a big house and have no disposable income so you can't tithe, or do you want to continue to support your church by getting a smaller place, smaller mortgage and have more disposable income from which you can tithe?

I don't think I read "I chose to live in a bigger house and now I can't afford to give to church!!"

Perhaps you are reading a different dilemma to me?!

The person said "I am a recent divorc! and bought my ex-wife's half of our house, so now pay the whole mortgage on my own." I don't see how his priorities are wrong there he's done what a lot of Divorce's do!!

If you are a religious person.....and I can't see how you could be making a judgement like that.....your answer would be of support and advice not judgement, religious or not, you have no right to question someone's priorities!! Especially in the case of this person as it seems like their priorities are fine as if they weren't they wouldn't have bothered coming on here asking for advice would they?! They would have just stopped their 10% and got on with their life!!

JoannaS_3

portlandboy wrote: »

The second dilemma is whether, as a divorced person, you truly believe in the teachings and ethos of the church...Love, honour...sickness, health...till death us do part.
And if you're wondering...I'm an athiest

How can you even question the person's faith when you yourself don't believe?! I don't believe and wouldn't dream of questioning how someone builds their religion into their life!!

If life was perfect then divorce wouldn't exist but life isn't perfect so your comment is pointless!!