Comments on: To Tithe or Not to Tithe?

By: Go Smell The Flowers! » Pay it Forward

Go Smell The Flowers! » Pay it Forward — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 07:53:56 +0000

[...] a little while ago on my blog, I wrote a list of some things that you could give or do that wouldn’t cost you in dollar [...]

By: angesbiz

angesbiz — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 02:49:50 +0000

Well Dave, you have certainly thought about this. You know there is no right or wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. When you say that it is not a reward system or to win points, for me it does give me a sense of helping others so I am rewarded knowing that there will be some good come from what I give and that’s all I need.
As far as “straying into a different territory,” to me, giving and recieving can be in any form, that is time or money. As I said, there is no right or wrong. Be comfortable with your beliefs. I do not believe that tax is a painful habit, instead, the amount of tax you pay is a status of the amount of money you earn. Be grateful that you earn an income which is a good thing.
Take care
Ange

By: dave

dave — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:36:52 +0000

I think I understand what you are saying, I just disagree that’s all.

You stated “Tithing does not have to be about money.” and in my opinion it is all and only about money.

I felt that you had strayed into a different territory, that of treating others the way you would like to be treated.

Whatever tithing is, whatever tithing is meant to be, it is surely not about how it feels — whether that be feeling good or bad about it; consider this, perhaps tithing is supposed to be sore sometimes.

I tell you what — if you felt it, if the amount was significant and enough to be missed, but you still tithed from habit, then you are in a situation that is completely beyond this post’s points!

I don’t know, can I be the only person who felt that there is a suggestion in this post that tithing from habit is somehow tithing without pain, easy-tithing if you will, that because it is a habit it is not-thought about, unconscious, or whatever — and I don’t think that is true for anyone generally and certainly not all the time.

I am really sorry about this moaning on your blog, because I am sure your INTENTIONS are good, but I think it is dangerous territory to suggest that tithing is cause and that “abundance” and happy feelings is the associated effect. It is my personal opinion that this sort of bartering with God is what led to the Protestant Reformation.

I personally feel that you should NOT tithe if your intention is to win points, credits, abundance, happiness, social standing, or anything else for that matter.

In my opinion, if you tithe, then you should tithe entirely from the understanding of why it is needed, that it is a sacrifice, indeed it is a tax — and as such should be an unavoidable and painful habit.

By: angesbiz

angesbiz — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 11:57:45 +0000

Thank you Dave for pointing that out to me. The point I was putting across is the intention that you have when you tithe. That is to say do you tithe out of habit and that you are happy to give, or do you tithe out of habit just because you are told you should and then you don’t feel good about it?

You see, I believe that giving from the heart makes you open to receiving more abundance, whether it be money, time, or goods and services. So next time you have an oportunity to give, be aware of how it makes you feel.

Ange

By: dave

dave — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:57:02 +0000

I think differently; tithing is one thing (about money), whereas following a Commandment is another thing altogether (see Mark 12:29- 31 and Mat. 22:37-39). The 2nd Commandment covers the non-monerary list you provide, I personally think. Even the OT has this: see Moses and Leviticus 19:18.