Does God want you to be Rich?

[OCA]

If you miss a service and don't mail in your donation, they will call your house and ask what happened.

No, untrue. Never has once happened to me or anyone I know.

 

[OCA]

I bet I know more about how a church operates than you do.

Sure you do, did you send in that communion again?:rotflmao:

 

[Hagbard Celine]

No, I don't believe it, there is no way you could have this much experience and confuse communion with tithing. As far as I know tithing only takes place in the mormon church because as a Greek orthodox we are asked to donate yearly but if you don't you are not booted.

I don't think you have a clue as to what the hell you are arguing.

Putting money in the collection bowl is tithing.

 

[OCA]

Putting money in the collection bowl is tithing.

Not forced though which is what is being argued here.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Not forced though which is what is being argued here.

Ah, I see. Isn't a person supposed to tithe something like 20 percent of thier income? Isn't that what the Bible recommends? That's my understanding anyway.

 

[Avatar4321]

Ah, I see. Isn't a person supposed to tithe something like 20 percent of thier income? Isn't that what the Bible recommends? That's my understanding anyway.

No tithing is 10%. That is where the name came from. a tithe means a tenth

 

[Hobbit]

Yes, the tithing of 10% of all one had is introduced in the Old Testament, and is often used as a guideline of what one should give. After all, God is generous to us. Should we not be generous back to him in proportion? In the New Testament, however, we are encouraged to give as we can and as the heart leads us. Case is point is the story where Jesus saw many Pharisees (devout laymen of a specific denomination) giving 10% of their lavish fortunes and showing off just how much it was. A woman approached the alter and gave all she had, a mere 2 copper coins, which were practically worthless. Jesus praised her, saying she had given more than any of them.

In practice, all churches encourage tithing, but as an open, charitable organization, they don't show pressure. Most preachers also tend to avoid sermons on the matter out of a sense of propriety (preachers who preach on tithing all the time are usually trying to *cough*$$$$$$$*cough* say something).

 

[dmp]

Putting money in the collection bowl is tithing.

So is giving money to a person on the street. So is feeding somebody who is hungry. So is....

 

[dmp]

In practice, all churches encourage tithing, but as an open, charitable organization, they don't show pressure. Most preachers also tend to avoid sermons on the matter out of a sense of propriety (preachers who preach on tithing all the time are usually trying to *cough*$$$$$$$*cough* say something).

Righto.

Our church as two boxes in the back of the foyer. They are marked but seldom referenced from ANYONE on staff. The church's policy is this: they trust God to move on the hearts of the membership and Give. And it works.

 

[CharlestonChad]

No, untrue. Never has once happened to me or anyone I know.

Just b/c something doesn't happen in Maryland doesn't mean that it doesn't exists on a broad scale throughout the SouthEast.

There are chuches where I grew up that have locked in the congregation until they meet their donations goal.

I went to a Lutheran chuch for 6 years, and every sunday we passed around a collection plate, and members had assigned envelopes to place their donations in. The chuch "accountants" recorded what everyone gave. If you missed a week, and didn't mail in the donation, you were expected to double up the next week.

Baptist churches that I have attended also do this to keep track of attendance and to make sure people are tithing. They will call a persons LAN line to "check up on them" aka: make sure they get their money.

 

[dmp]

Just b/c something doesn't happen in Maryland doesn't mean that it doesn't exists on a broad scale throughout the SouthEast.

There are chuches where I grew up that have locked in the congregation until they meet their donations goal.

I went to a Lutheran chuch for 6 years, and every sunday we passed around a collection plate, and members had assigned envelopes to place their donations in. The chuch "accountants" recorded what everyone gave. If you missed a week, and didn't mail in the donation, you were expected to double up the next week.

Baptist churches that I have attended also do this to keep track of attendance and to make sure people are tithing. They will call a persons LAN line to "check up on them" aka: make sure they get their money.

You need to build yourself a bridge and GET OVER IT.

Find a GOOD church. If you don't HAVE a GOOD church, keep LOOKING until you find one.

 

[5stringJeff]

On tithing.

The concept of tithing (giving a tenth to the church) originates from Abraham. After he won a battle against five Caananite kings and collected the booty from them, he gave a tenth of his newly-gained fortune to Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High and king of Salem (later Jerusalem) - see Genesis 14. So the concept is older than the Mosiac Law, and thus is not part of the Law that is not a part of the new covenant in Christ.
Most churches teach that it is right to give 10% of your income to the church, in order to support those who are in full-time ministry. I believe this is a biblically correct teaching. Most churches also teach the concepts that mattskramer posted, i.e. we are to be generous in our giving. That "extra" giving can come in the form of extra money donated to the church, or to other private charities, or to needy individuals.
However, the most important thing in giving (as with just about everything else) is your heart. God is not impressed with who can give the most. Those who give out of their surplus are not considered by God to have sacrificed as much as those who give out of their need (Mark 12:41-44).

 

[CharlestonChad]

You need to build yourself a bridge and GET OVER IT.

Find a GOOD church. If you don't HAVE a GOOD church, keep LOOKING until you find one.

I was looking and learning for 16 years, and now I'm agnostic.

 

[dmp]

I was looking and learning for 16 years, and now I'm agnostic.

quitters never win...

 

[The ClayTaurus]

quitters never win...

He hasn't quit yet. Unless you believe there's no such thing as an agnostic

 

[dmp]

He hasn't quit yet. Unless you believe there's no such thing as an agnostic

He's stopped.

"I was looking..."

 

[The ClayTaurus]

He's stopped.

"I was looking..."

Stopped? Or paused? Or just standing still contemplating which direction to travel next?

 

[dmp]

Stopped? Or paused? Or just standing still contemplating which direction to travel next?

you are never wrong, are you Clayman?

:shocked1:

 

[CharlestonChad]

An open-mind has never stopped looking for answers. I'm agnostic and I'll be one until I find a more reasonable explaination for my existance.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

So is giving money to a person on the street. So is feeding somebody who is hungry. So is....

Wait a sec, I thought tithing was giving money to the church. You're saying any time you give your money to a good cause it's a tithe? What does the Bible say?