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I struggle with tithing along with everything else…I live it…but I wrestle with it as well. For now I tend to believe that tithing should be paid on income in excess to what is “needful”. Determining was is needful is the hard part. My wife disagrees and feels we should tithe close to gross – so we do.
Quote:My wife disagrees and feels we should tithe close to gross – so we do.
When my wife and I got married, we agreed that I would make all the important decisions and she would make all the unimportant ones.
26 years later, can you believe there hasn’t been a single important decision?
😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 Unsure Footing wrote:I struggle with tithing along with everything else…I live it…but I wrestle with it as well.
For now I tend to believe that tithing should be paid on income in excess to what is “needful”.
I agree. That is where I came to rest after a long discussion about tithing, reading Extensions of Power by Michael D. Quinn, and focusing on core doctrine in the scriptures which defines tithing as 10% of one’s interest — which meant surplus back in JS’s time. Taken with the fact that the church doesn’t seem to really need such incredibly high amounts of funds from the membership right now, in this point in history, I agree with your assessment above.
Also, if I can draw an analogy. I just finished a course in Curriculum Supervision. It traced the history of curriculum in America, and my conclusion was that what is taught in our schools is strongly influenced by the needs of society at the time. When the country was new, Thomas Jefferson and founding fathers wanted schools to be democratic to instill commitment to democracy. During the early settlements, before we were a country, the early settlers focused on making education more religious training because that was important to them (such as the Puritans). Now, the focus is pragmatic — on getting a job because that is the need dictated by our weak economy. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see a greater focus on innovation and entrepreneurship in the coming years as our nation needs to revitalize its position in the world as a major producer of products that generate wealth for our country.
So, to bring this back to tithing — the policies used to define tithing have changed greatly over the history of the church, and they reflect the needs of the church at given times, just as what is emphasized in schools changes with the needs and prevailing thought in society. In the church, there was ongoing frustration the membership didn’t give as freely as leaders liked. And it came to a head in the sixties when the church sufferred financial straits. Financial managers took over, built reserves, and then in the early seventies, they FP redefined tithing as 10% of income — departing from the scriptural/doctrinal definition of interest or surplus. This apparently was highly successful, and the church’s coffers have been filled over and over again. They can’t reverse this now — it is too embedded in our culture, and further, it’s better to have more money than you need than too little — so they stay with the 1970’s definition. They have eased the burden a bit by no longer mandating donations to the building fund and other funds, but nonetheless, the pressure to give huge sums of money to the church continues in spite of a lack of need.
That is my assessment for the time being. I leave myself open to change my mind, and at some point, I may donate a percent of income as traditionally defined, but at this point in my journey, I can’t justify it based on my research, observations of priorities in church spending, and my current level of commitment.
Welcome, ThinkingForMyself. You aren’t alone… tithing is a major source of discord for me, too. brit-exmo, As SilentDawning said, I feel like I too owe nothing to the church financially. I have given so much money and free labor to the church, that I don’t feel at all guilty… not at all… giving far far less than 10% of gross. In my case, I don’t give anything, but my wife pays tithing from her income, so combined, my family contributes a reasonable amount.
If you want to give a donation to the church, I believe it is important to come up with some kind of comfortable position where the figure doesn’t hurt in any material way. It’s always wrong to pay tithing even though you don’t have enough to cover your other expenses. Yet, I do also acknowledge that there is something very… I don’t know… free-ing… about making a voluntary sacrifice. So, giving something consequential can be a good thing.
I would recommend coming up with what you think is appropriate to donate, regardless of the TR interview question. Come up with an amount first, and then see if you can legitimately claim to be a full tithe payer. If you can’t, then you have to ask yourself how far away you are and if it’s worth it to you. Since I haven’t had a TR since the 90’s, it’s not worth it to me.
What I find somewhat odd is that tithing is always considered cash or monetary exchange. What about time (which is money to many) & what about giving of talents…
I don’t really count it all… but I feel like I give a lot more than 10% of what I have.
I don’t give a penny to the church anymore though. I don’t feel good about giving to anything that is not open & honest.
I do, give directly to a charitable cause in an effective, transparent way.
Also, if God is always experienced/felt within… as Jesus taught, “The kingdom of God is within you” – then paying 10% to God takes on another meaning.
Featherina wrote:What I find somewhat odd is that tithing is always considered cash or monetary exchange.
What about time (which is money to many) & what about giving of talents…
This is a tough one. My wealth is definitely not monetary, and I feel God is just fine with that. I have a lot to give the kingdom, but it’s never gonna get a lot of money from me, simply because I don’t earn it, and I have chosen a profession that is not lucrative.
💡 If tithing isreally“consecration lite”, shouldn’t it also include time, talents, etc.? Just an idle musing… turinturambar wrote:Featherina wrote:What I find somewhat odd is that tithing is always considered cash or monetary exchange.
What about time (which is money to many) & what about giving of talents…
This is a tough one. My wealth is definitely not monetary, and I feel God is just fine with that. I have a lot to give the kingdom, but it’s never gonna get a lot of money from me, simply because I don’t earn it, and I have chosen a profession that is not lucrative.
💡 If tithing isreally“consecration lite”, shouldn’t it also include time, talents, etc.? Just an idle musing… I agree, Turinturambar.
God is love… & I strongly believe that the spiritual “monetary” system is how well we love others as/& ourselves.
So simple – but what a challenge to figure out how best to love others as ourselves in each moment!
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