Could Tithing Lead Some Americans to Lose Their Homes?
Published on - September 28th, 2008 (by J.D. Roth) Last week, USA Today featured an article on Christians who continue to tithe even as they face foreclosure.
Tithing is the practice of donating 10% of your gross income to your church. It’s not a common practice (only 5% of American adults tithe), but it’s important to those who choose to do so. It’s a component not just of Christianity, but other religions as well.
But what happens when tithing interferes with your ability to pay the mortgage? The USA Today article explores this conflict.
“I’ve had home owners who face foreclosure sitting in front of me saying, ‘I’ll do anything, anything to keep my home,” said Ozell Brooklin, director of Acorn Housing in Atlanta, a nonprofit which offers foreclosure counseling.
“But after we’ve gone through their monthly expenses and the only thing left to cut is their tithe, they say ‘I guess this home is not for me’ and they walk away,” he said.
The article discusses just how important this conviction is for some people, and how they’re willing to sacrifice their homes in order to continue tithing. “To stay current on the $500 monthly mortgage, [one woman] was faced with giving up a tithe to her local evangelical church of around $200 a month. Instead, she let the property go into foreclosure.”
For many people, tithing is the most important part of their budget. Even before the age-old admonition to “pay yourself first” (which means to set money aside into savings before paying your bills), these folks donate money to church or charity. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it can lead to financial decisions that most people never face.
But is tithing really the reason some people face foreclosure? Or is the financial distress a symptom of deeper problems?
Tithing is another reminder that financial decisions aren’t all about the numbers. Our personal convictions affect our choices. I frequently say that money is more about mind than it is about math; our decisions are influenced more by our psychology and emotions than they are by the arithmetic of the situation. But sometimes our financial decisions are also subject to other forces, such as religious beliefs and personal convictions.
Note: Get Rich Slowly does not take a stand on religious or political issues. I’m presenting this topic for discussion because I think it’s fascinating, not because I want to promote or denigrate any particular point of view. Although I don’t tithe to church or charity, I respect and admire those who do. Please be considerate in the comments.
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I think that it is incredibly sad that, in this country, as rich as we are, that more people don’t give. My goal is to get up to giving 10% of my income to charity and In my opinion, if you don’t give, you don’t get it. What is life, if your not sharing your blessings? Why live, if its just about collecting the most money or toys? An important part of letting the importance of money go is to give freely.
On the other hand, the tithe issue with church, is likely some people thinking that somehow God will think less of them (to put it a nice way) or something like that. This is not biblically supported. It would be perfectly ok for someone to temporarily give up tithing to save a house, etc. Unfortunately some may be doing this because of group pressure too, especially if you go to a smaller church.
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I’d rather have a roof over my head, than tithe. I don’t see how it’s part of any deities plan to have it’s followers destitute.
I don’t tithe, but I do make charitable donations. If my car is broken, I’ll spend the money I’d normally spend on donations on getting the car fixed. If I can’t get to a paying job to earn some money, the charity is going to be hurt more in the long term.
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Agreed Solomon. I wonder if these folks consider the damage they are doing to the overall economy, and more directly to their neighbors when they decide to default on their obligations. There’s certainly nothing wrong with giving, but you also have to question an institution that would continue to accept donations from people who are clearly overextended.
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Biblically speaking, the entire point of tithing is to show the Lord that we trust Him to care for us by putting our money where our mouth is, so to speak. A very large portion of the Bible deals with monetary issues, because God knew that money would be a sensitive topic with us.
Biblically, it makes sense to continue tithing, no matter what else happens to you financially (assuming, of course, that a person is a Christian and follows Biblical teachings). It’s very possible that God is using a financial situation to test a person’s faithfulness and willingness to trust Him, even to the point of losing a house. He promises to provide for our needs, but He doesn’t say he’ll salvage our pride in the process. In fact, His goal is completely the opposite.
Tithing is not necessarily 10% – that was Old-Testament. Under the New Testament, each person should give as we feel that God is leading us to give.
God will not be mocked. BUT tithing is the ONLY place in the Bible where God calls us to test Him. Malachi 3:10 says “‘Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’” This does not guarantee financial success – it is not a “Health and Wealth” Doctrine. However, there are many other ways that God can bless us (good health, close family ties, peace, contentment, and thousands of other things).
Tim, God will not love us any less if we choose not to give to the church, but He will hold us accountable for not doing what He asked us to do.
One last point that is often misquoted scripture – it is not “wrong” to be financially successful. MONEY is not the root of evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the LOVE of money is a root of ALL KINDS of evil.” (emphasis mine) So, it may be true that God blesses people with large financial resources, but some of that is contingent on their willingness to trust Him financially even when times get tough.
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I also find it strange that only 5% tithe, since I know so many that do. Thinking that god will think less of you or a church exerting pressure is simply bad theology. Every church I have ever attended had a ministry in place to help people going through messes like that- giving them the whole gambit of money, financial advice, food, even professional services to get them through. Part of it, though is being honest with your community to let them know you need help. I wonder if people that give a lot have a harder time taking charity. That’s a pride issue I guess.
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When I was having tough times, I found alternate ways of tithing. I did things for my community, helped low-income children, etc. That was my way of giving to God. I think it was actually more effective than giving money to a church would have been.
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Religious leaders aught to step in and advise their members to stop tithing temporarily until they get their finances in order. Certainly the church or at least the minister or reverend aught to know the situation of the congregation.
This tithing blindly like an imbecile is terrible because these people are literally led to believe that by tithing they’ll get back the blessings of “the lord” a thousand fold. How can I say this? What evidence do I have?
My grandmother. She’s always telling us about how she gave this (insert dollar amount here), and then it came back later that week, that month, that year by (insert a random multiplier). She literally believes that “god” grants her financial success based on her giving. It’s so sad. But when she looks at aunts and uncles in the family who’ve given and given and given and yet wind up in really awful financial shape, she cannot attribute that to “god”. No no no. It’s the work of the “devil”. I am seriously not making this up.
In my family we donate to UNICEF. I further donate whenever there is a cause I deem worthy. But I know also that when I am down and out it’s time to stop donating and start plugging the old financial seep holes and cracked pipes to keep the monetary house from flooding.
I think if you let personal convictions send you into foreclosure you damn well deserve that foreclosure. Period.
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Couldn’t agree more with Sammy, if you’re gonna loose your home and tithing is the only thing you have left to cut back you should do it, God doesn’t wanna you to be homeless. We must remember there is one more way to tithe: with our TIME. Help someone out to repair their home, impart some free classes to the children of your community, start a church choir or book reading club! And as Sammy said that would be more effective.
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I find it pretty interesting that people who are faithful tithers have problems with losing their homes. I agree with the idea of tithing completely, but I think that somewhere in there someone’s missing the point. The church is supposed to help people in need, so if members of their community are in trouble, the people of the church should be helping. I’m sure there are lots of individual situations with lots of different issues involved, but if a person is a member of a church community to the point that they are not just showing up but also giving money I believe that they should be included as a member of the community on the receiving end of assistance. Great discussion.
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I used to attend a church that strongly encouraged a strict 10% tithing; however, in return, if you found yourself in financial distress, the church’s deacons would provide you with financial counseling and assistance with necessary expenses like housing and food (funded by other church members’ tithes). I always thought that was a nice return to a New Testament-like “let’s all take care of each other” mindset.
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If people wouldn’t buy the MAXIMUM amount of house they can possibly afford, they would have more wiggle room when things happen. Buy a house that is a little LESS than you can afford. Same for a car. That’s my philosophy.
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Tithing is such a sensitive subject among many Christians. Many who tithe do not give the 10% the Lord asks. Others tithe with a grudging heart.
For my family, we are only stewards of the resources God has blessed us with, no matter how small or large. To return 10% of those blessings to the Lord’s work is not a suggestion, but a commandment and we should do so with joy in our hearts as that money will be used to benefit those who are much less fortunate.
Without fail, and even when our tithing funds where nearly all the money we had, by giving with a heart of gratitude and generosity, the Lord has never ceased to provide my family’s needs. Granted, we may not own our home and we certainly do not have the nicest things, but as Christians, we are to store up our treasures in Heaven, not here on earth.
What benefit will money and worldly possessions be if we are not willing to follow our Lord’s commandments and serve him in all our affairs? For myself, when I stand in front of my maker, I want to know in my heart that I did my very best to serve the Lord, even though I fall short on a daily basis.
Even if I am wrong in my beliefs and there turns out to be nothing after death, then the legacy of helping those who were less fortunate that I want to leave behind is far more valuable than worldly possessions or having a big house that I honestly don’t need.
IMHO, what Christians should be asking themselves regarding tithing is, “Do I really need the worldly possessions or do I need to store up my treasures in Heaven?” Besides, if many Christians were honest with themselves, they have the 10% available, they just choose to spend it on other things like gaming consoles, take-out, clothes shopping and vacations. If we are to serve the Lord, we must be willing to sacrifice these worldly pleasures and give with a joyful heart.
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I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly referred to as Mormons) and it’s part of our doctrine to not only tithe 10% but to fast once a month and make offerings to feed the poor using the money we would have spent on three meals.
And it’s not optional. It’s God’s commandment. He gives us all we have, and asks that we give back 10% of it to the Church specifically for its work, not simply to charities as we see fit.
For some of us, God’s law is way more important than a house we can not otherwise afford. I’d rather find a cheap rental than not give back to God what He’s given me.
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First off, kudos J.D. for opening a topic so neutrally. I can’t see many people referring to this article without taking a hardline stance one way or the other. Though I’m strongly opinionated on this matter, I’ll do my best to follow suit:
10% of gross is an enormous part of your income. This is pre-tax– after federal and state taxes, payroll deductions for health insurance, etc, 10% of your gross can easily be 20% of your take-home pay.
When a bank approves you for a loan, they (should) look at your entire financial situation to make the decision. Obviously, they’ve made some recent poor decisions, but it seems that both the lender and the borrower have been working together to try to loan as much money as possible.
With a consistently tithing borrower, it’s unlikely that the lender knows about this expense, and the borrower is probably not going to disclose more information to lessen their chance of approval.
As everyone was operating on razor-thin approvals as it is, I would imagine that expenses like this (I’m sure there are others) that don’t easily show up on a credit report can increase the likelihood that someone is approved for a loan they can’t afford down the road.
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That chart you linked is interesting, JD. I’m a cradle Catholic but have never been to a church which mentioned 10% (or any percentage). Maybe it’s a US thing, trying to compete with the Protestants and their tithes.
If you’re giving 10% in good times to your church as opposed to a charity, the whole point is for it to be available in terms of whatever financial help and advice they give when you need it, right? I hope those people are at least asking.
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Damsel makes a good point. If you think your financial difficulties are a test from God, which you would fail if you fail to tithe, it’s more understandable that you would continue. Like most of the responders, I try to give generously both in time and money. When things get tight,though, the money part of my donation dries up until I become more solvent.
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I know one couple who was going through a financial crisis and was facing the option of either reducing their tithe or let themselves fall behind on the bills, rent, etc. After much prayer and consulting with others, they decided to reduce their tithe but increase the time they were spending volunteering and helping out the church. This way, they were still showing respect to God and the church, but also respecting the people and the community around them by not falling behind on bills or going onto public assistance. Once the crisis passed, they increased their giving back to the previous level.
I think this was a good solution to the problem. Yes, not giving to God/charity/deity of your choice isn’t a good thing; but not fulfilling your obligations to others isn’t a good thing either.
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Great comments so far, everyone. Thank you for sharing and for staying on topic.Tim gets at an interesting point with the very first comment:
I think that it is incredibly sad that, in this country, as rich as we are, that more people don’t give. My goal is to get up to giving 10% of my income to charity and In my opinion, if you don’t give, you don’t get it. What is life, if your not sharing your blessings? Why live, if its just about collecting the most money or toys? An important part of letting the importance of money go is to give freely.
I’ll be honest: I do not tithe to church or charity. I feel guilty about this. And yet I don’t. It’s something I feel I should do, and yet I’m so incredibly protective of what I have. My rationale is always: “Once I take care of myself, I’ll take care of other people.” Yet what do I mean by “taking care of myself”? I don’t know.
Sometimes I think “once I’ve saved X, then I’ll start sharing my wealth”, but X seems to be a moving target.
Anyhow, this is an issue I wrestle with, and it’s something I have to work out for myself…
I look forward to further interesting (and civil!) comments on this topic…
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I agree with much that has been said. If you strongly believe in tithing, you need to be cautious in taking on other obligations. If you are in need, you need to speak with your local pastor.
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She should have at least talked to her congregation and explained the situation. I’m sure they would’ve tried to help her with the house.
The bible spoke of helping those in need within the congregation financially, so he one with little does not have too little. (2 Corithians 8:12-15) It’s about being balanced. You should be able to turn to your congregation f you are having a hard time putting a roof over your head.
“To stay current on the $500 monthly mortgage, [one woman] was faced with giving up a tithe to her local evangelical church of around $200 a month. Instead, she let the property go into foreclosure.”
Does this mean she had $2000 in income a month? Was she carrying a big amount of debt or maybe medical bills? I have no idea.
I feel like not being able to pay your mortgage vs tithing is a money management problem. It doesn’t have to be an either or situation. If she wanted to do both, maybe increasing her income would help.
Good topic JD!
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I find it interesting that people that make the least often give the highest percentage of their incomes to charity (http://como.typepad.com/community_mobilization/2005/12/charitable_givi.html) . DH and I have always given generously (even when we didn’t make much) and each year we increase it by .5%. We don’t donate to a church, we give to an organization that provides education to poor children in other countries.
If these people can’t afford their homes and their tithes, they like most Americans probably bought too much house, or they’re wasting their money elswhere. I think that tithing was one way God wants to teach us about the value of budgeting your money, if you set aside 10% for God then the rest will be sufficient.
I don’t necessarily agree that “your financial difficulties are a test from God” most often their a result of your own stupidity and lack of restraint. I’m sure most people have many places to cut back rather than tithing (cellphones, cable, eating expensive pre-packaged foods, driving here there & everywhere, dollar store crap, etc.). We are the richest people in the world, even the poor in this country are very wealthy by worldly standards, if we can’t give to help others than where does that leave us?
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I faithfully tithe 10% of gross every month, and yet, I am also aware of God’s admonition against borrowing money. The lady who let the bank foreclose her house showed integrity in one commandment (tithe) and showed duplicity in another (paying your obligations). God also tells us to not cheat, steal, or lie. Failing to pay a debt is the same as cheating, stealing, or lying.
I am not trying to judge this lady. She found herself in a tough situation. However, I don’t think its a good practice to be “good” in one area and “bad” in another.
If I were her, I would temporarily suspend tithing, work to sell the house (including a short sale if necessary), pray for guidance on how to avoid stupid financial decisions in the future, and then live like no one else so that I can tithe like no one else.
Finally, when people come to me for advice on how to get out of debt, I have no problem recommending the partial suspension of tithe for the 10-12 months it would take to finish the debt snowball. This recommendation is based on the principle that having huge amounts of credit card debt while faithfully tithing is the same as borrowing money to tithe to the church. The Bible does not say that you should borrow money money to give money. However, I only recommend the suspension of tithe when they’ve cut EVERYTHING else out and are truly living on rice and beans.
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This is the first time I read a post about this and I must congratulate you for doing such a job, without any bias. I did not regret when I subscribe to you.
Anyway, there are many kinds of Christians and this tithing issue has been an issue for a lot of debates, for centuries I guess.
But the point is if you believe in something, go for it. If you think it’s right then do it. Save money for it and consider it as a tax, or deduct it automatically even before payday.
Just my 2 cents.
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i thought that god also helped those who helped themselves. giving up your home (which, at $500/mo is probably not extravagant- i can’t get a 1br apartment for that) willingly and choosing to instead rely on the support of others temporarily does not strike me as the most responsible decision for yourself or your community support network.
what if health insurance was on the chopping block? accidents and illnesses happen to good people every day.
i’m really curious because i can’t comprehend a mandated tithe. at what point do your own financial obligations and protecting your family come first? when you can’t afford to eat?
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I do not believe choosing to pay tithes despite going through tough economic times is a contributing factor to the problem of people losing their homes.
I also do not tithe, and I used to feel guilty about it. I am going through some tough times financially (key point, “going through” and not “in”) but I don’t believe it’s because I’m being punished for not tithing. If I’m being punished for anything, it’s for making bad financial decisions and poor planning, lessons I’m learning the hard way. Through this current economic crisis, both personal and with the nation as a whole, I have re-learned the importance of not becoming attached to material posessions and not falling in that trap of “keeping up with the Joneses”.
Since I value my time much more than my money now, I get more out of spending an hour or two a week with my kids at the SPCA, or other worthy local charity, than dropping a few bucks in a bucket once a month.
I admire those whose moral and personal convictions are stronger than external forces such as the economy and continue to give.
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I also feel that you have to recognize that the mortgage one signs up for is an obligation too. What good is it for someone to tithe and then go back on their word (contract)?
We give by choice and include it in our budget. I agree with many that money is just one way to give. Time is a great resource and many charities would appreciate it.
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at what point do your own financial obligations and protecting your family come first? when you can’t afford to eat?
I am a person who pays a 10% tithing. I believe that doing so IS protecting my family. It’s giving them God’s protection, although I get that this is a concept that not all will share or agree with. Still, it’s my choice and an important one in my life.
The flip side of this is that I belong to a religion with a huge welfare program because of our tithing program. If I can’t feed my family, my church will. If we can’t buy groceries, my church has welfare centers around the country that will give me the food we need. If I can’t pay my rent/mortgage, the church will do so (for quite a long time too – as people taking advantage of this is a real problem).
I pay my tithe for spiritual reasons. But because I do, we (as a religion) are able to take care of own and do a great deal for people not of our faith.
Again, this is not why I pay. That choice is between God and I. But it does have a practical side as well.
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JD, you say, “My rationale is always: “Once I take care of myself, I’ll take care of other people.” Yet what do I mean by “taking care of myself”? I don’t know. Sometimes I think “once I’ve saved X, then I’ll start sharing my wealth”, but X seems to be a moving target. ”
I know an awful lot of sad, lonely seniors who waited to have children until they could afford them (citing the magazines estimates of cost per child) and ended up waiting too long. X is indeed a moving target. Putting off living until X arrives is a hazardous practice.
There are joys beyond the financial in giving with a cheerful heart. Tithing or giving to charity won’t get you into heaven, but it will make your life here much more rich!
God doesn’t need my 10%. He already owns it all. He asks me to return 10% to Him to teach me something.
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What a fitting subject for a Sunday!
I too, am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Like Emily C, above).
Although Tithing is a commandment, and that is one of the reasons I pay my tithing, it is not the primary reason. For my entire life, I have faithfully paid my tithing. I have done so because of the many times that I have been in poor conditions, and thought I wouldn’t be able to make ends meet, yet have somehow been able to do so… and then some.
I’ve invested nearly $4,000 in retirement this year. Every time I’ve budgeted, I’ve paid my tithing first, and retirement, emergency savings and child’s college second. After all that, my budget comes out $200 – $300 short, yet I never, ever have a problem meeting my obligations, don’t draw down my savings, OR use credit. Between tithing, retirement, other savings and payroll deductions for taxes, etc, I usually have less than 50% of my annual income left for our budget.
Can’t explain it in earthly terms, but to me, it isn’t even an option not to.
I’ve found that if I give for the benefit of others first, that I am always taken care of. My wife and child don’t suffer for it.
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Giving substantially, whether a ‘tithe’ or otherwise: whether money or skills or resources, is an open acknowledgement that we are part of a larger whole. Giving informs other values and brings them in line. Clearly, for some, the psychological/emotional benefit of having a large component of giving in one’s life outweighs a lot of financial concerns.
The problem is with financial markets that push people to the nth degree of their financial ability to procure shelter.
thanks.
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“when they decide to default on their obligations.”
Mortgage lenders have security – the house.
Letting it go into foreclosure is indeed fulfilling their obligation – borrowers are obliged to continue to pay the mortgage, OR let the lender take possession of the house.
The largest state (California) explicitly prohibits any deficiency judgements on a first mortgage loan – the lender knows up front their sole recourse is foreclosure.
Many other states prohibit wage garnishments for private creditors, so even if deficiency judgements are not explicitly prohobited, mortgage lenders know that foreclosing on the house is ultimately the only real recourse they have against the borrower.
Even if this lady has $2000/month in income, we don’t know what other money issues she has (e.g. sudden illness)
I thought my mom had a decent income until she became ill and had to spend her remaining life in a nursing home (not cheap)
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I pay a 10% tithe ‘religiously’.
I do believe that the Lord will take care of you in unforeseen ways if you do. Maybe not in immediate returns but throughout your lifetime.
One reason I like to pay tithing is because it makes me value the other 90% so much more. When you’ve given away a good chunk of your income, you make sure you don’t squander the remainder of it (at least for me.)
And I’d also add, losing your house isn’t the end of the world. Sure it’s huge. But in the grand scheme of things, and I mean grand, it’s only a blip on the radar. Thats how I try to look at things.
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Unbelievable.
Well, you learn something new every day.
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I see some confusion on the comments here between tithing and giving your time and talents to the community. These are two separate actions that every christian should participate in. Volunteering is not a substitute for tithing; just as tithing extra is not a substitute for not volunteering. This is where the roman catholic church got in trouble with indulgences, and the issue with indulgences was included in the proclamation from Martin Luther about the items in the church that needed to change.
JD – Another correction to the word tithe; while it is correct that the Bible recommends 10% of your income to go to charitable causes it is not necessary that it all goes to the church. Many churches make a recommendation on how your tithe should be divided (ex: 5% church and 5% other causes) I have never heard of a church asking for the entire 10%.
Peggy – I am glad to hear someone that has the same attitude. God owns all of the material possessions in my life, as we are good stewards with what he gives us to take care of he will entrust us with more. If we are poor stewards he will take back the things that are His in the first place
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The clergy still wants your money and obedience. But hey, at least they let you read your scriptures yourself now! How nice of them.
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I’m just curious – here in Canada, charitable givings (including tithes to your church) are tax deductible. The percentage of that claim increases if the giving is over $200. Giving can actually have the effect of reducing your income and lowering your tax. Is this not the case in the US?
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I’m holding a couple of comments in moderation because they’re intentionally provocative and contribute nothing to the conversation. If the writers want to rephrase their comments, I’ll be happy to approve them. Otherwise, I’ll hold them until tomorrow.
Again, GRS doesn’t take a position on topics like this, but I’m not going to let a fine discussion degenerate into the same argument you can find on thousands of other sites. For once, I’m going lend a heavy hand in moderating comments.
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“If you’re giving 10% in good times to your church as opposed to a charity, the whole point is for it to be available in terms of whatever financial help and advice they give when you need it, right?”
There seems to be a little confusion about what a tithe is actually used for. Its use extends far beyond simply providing financial support to the church congregation. It’s also used for missionary support, building upkeep, and paying clergy salaries. Keep in mind that this is THE income stream of a church – without it, they simply can’t afford to operate.
One thing that does surprise me is that the financial discipline it takes to consistently tithe doesn’t appear to influence other financial decisions. For instance, I would expect a consistent tither to also be a consistent saver.
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One would have to keep the utmost belief in their faith to keep tithing in the face of despair of becoming homeless. These firm believers need to talk to their church elders as earlier posts have suggested.
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BJC, yes under current US tax codes charitable giving to a recognized non profit are tax deductible. I believe the woman in the articles problem was month to month bills, not year end money.
Can we take a look for a minute to ask why someone took out a loan for exactly 25 percent of her income, before taxes? This is not including Federal, State, Medical, 401k, utilities, property taxes, and home maintenance.
The issue that shines through here is the woman refusing to give up her contributions to her church. The sad (and underlying) truth is this woman was set up for failure and even if she did stop giving to her church she would most likely have lost her home anyways.
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Point of clarification on the quoted example in the post. It’s unintentionally misleading. The article includes a bit more info:
Ingram said one of her clients was a 68-year-old woman who obtained a $62,000 mortgage on behalf of her daughter. When her daughter stopped paying the mortgage this spring, the woman was stuck with payments since her name was on the loan contract
So, it’s not her home. That’s a minor point, though, since it’s essentially her home. She paid for it, even if she’s not living there. And, as others have noted, she was setting herself up for failure (even though it was obviously through kindness…)
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I am not religious, and don’t tithe. But I was raised to give a portion of my money to charity. I don’t give 10%, but I do make a monthly payment (set up via bill pay) to a small non-profit that I support, and I donate about $200-350 around the holidays to a local women’s shelter. I also make small contributions randomly throughout the year…usually when I feel as though I’m becoming too wrapped up in my own “problems” (which are nothing compared to what other people are dealing with).
Everyone makes financial decisions based on their own set of priorities…but these stories remind me of the stories of parents refusing medical treatment for their children, since everything should be “left in the hands of God.” But as I said, I am not religious so I see things from a different perspective.
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J.D., you did an excellent job presenting this, and I’m also impressed by the level of discussion here (among the comments posted, anyway). There ARE different viewpoints, but everyone’s been able to discuss them rationally and without namecalling. Kudos!
I think giving is important, but not necessarily complying with a strict tithing regulation. I don’t think Jesus would want us to follow a strict law like that in the face of financial crisis. Some people can give more, and some people less.
J.D., if you do want to start giving regularly, start with something small, like $5 or $10 per month. A lot of people make a practice of giving the same amount that they put into savings, but it sounds like that may not work for you.
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I think it’s worth noting that if you can’t afford your house after your tithe, that a foreclosure might be a blessing in disguise. Not all blessings are initially clear.
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Kathleen McDade writes: J.D., if you do want to start giving regularly, start with something small, like $5 or $10 per month. A lot of people make a practice of giving the same amount that they put into savings, but it sounds like that may not work for you.
Brilliant. So obvious, and yet I never would have thought of it. Thank you, Kathleen.
October 15th is Blog Action Day. The subject this year is poverty. I’ve been trying to think about how to approach it, but I think I might write about charitable giving. And I think that Kathleen’s idea might be a great intro. In many ways, it’s similar to the concept of learning to save or to pay off debt by setting aside just a few dollars at a time, and then gradually, as you build those muscles, doing more.
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We have a societal problem. We encourage constant spending. Credit is free and easy. Americans are not fiscally responsible or disciplined. They obligate themselves financially beyond their means to withstand an extended economic hardship.
We need to teach and train fiscal responsibility now. So if someone chooses to tithe they understand implications on their ability to obtain a certain mortgage size and their ability to continue to pay that mortgage given economic instability.
Although our politicians, businesses, and organizations like Acorn have made substantial contributions to our current problem, the root of it is our own willingness to extend ourselves beyond our means.
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Another interesting aspect which may be considered is the type of recipient of the tithe. Some are directly connected to church and not to “general charity”. Not saying “should or could be” either/or as debated above, but considered as applied to individuals.
Some churches, especially small independent evangelical ones, depend solely on church-members tithes to exist. There is no large association behind them, paying the minister, providing the church. The congregation does.
It may not be a choice between UNICEF and house but a choice between church and house, or the minister’s salary or room and board. I mean the small town, sincere “men of the cloth”, not the “God said send me your money” televangelist. The guys who are minister, adviser, mediator, therapist, brother/sister, mother/father–friend and family, to whole communities. And to some, that is simply a non-debate, right, wrong, or indifferent.
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I think the concept of tithing is a little outdated, as governments now provide some of the social services that churches used to provide. (I’m not saying they do a better job than churches.) I’m in the 15% tax bracket (I think- according to wikipedia- $8,026 – $32,550 income per year), so I’m already paying 15% of my income to the government in taxes. That money’s used for infrastructure, social services, etc. like a tithe would be
Sure, government isn’t as “good” as the church, but I’m also not religious and I certainly wouldn’t want my money supporting an organization that went around telling people what to believe.
I want to increase my charitable giving once I have a real job, but I do think we should at least consider that taxes and tithes as relatively similar in terms of their functions, when you leave spirituality out of it.
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“I’ll be honest: I do not tithe to church or charity. I feel guilty about this. And yet I don’t. It’s something I feel I should do, and yet I’m so incredibly protective of what I have. My rationale is always: “Once I take care of myself, I’ll take care of other people.” Yet what do I mean by “taking care of myself”? I don’t know.
Sometimes I think “once I’ve saved X, then I’ll start sharing my wealth”, but X seems to be a moving target. ”
Maybe you just don’t want to, and you feel a little guilty because of it.
I don’t donate either. It’s a personal and private thing, and no one’s business but your own (and your deity’s/church’s, if you believe in that).
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I think people tithing isn’t the problem. The problem is committing to too much money wise. Tithing is great, but you have to cut back a bit in lifestyle to do it. People have been stretching themselves beyond what is wise to get a house they think they need and there’s not room for the house in the budget let alone a tithe. I was “taught” to take the tithe off the top and make a budget on the rest. I hope people can learn to do this if it’s important to them to tithe.
Dittos to Laura, Aaron and Stan!
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