I think you’re taking him too literally. A 10% tithe is old testament law. Under the grace of Christ, we’re free to give whatever we can afford to the work of the church, be it 1%, 5%, 10% or more.
The issue he raises is a good one - if you don’t believe enough in the work of your denomination/congregation to support it to one degree or another...why go?
The tithe is one of the areas where God tells his people to test him. While I understand the point that tithe is to God not a church, and I am fully aware that tithe can be spread across several churches, non-profits and direct giving, there are two things to keep in mind.
1) Cheerful giving - God loves a cheerful giver
2) giving money to an organization that does not recognize God or give glory to God for the offering and/or does not advance the Kingdon, is of little use and in my opinion, does not qualify as tithe.
Tithing is 10%. You can’t say you don’t have 10% unless you make 0%. Of course you say you don’t want to tithe, or that you can count your tithe in different ways (in kind work, all donations, help to family, offering plate, etc.).
Beck’s message is extremely simplistic. Our rights are given to us from God. If you want to preserve your rights, you first have to acknowledge God.
Atheists can also claim natural rights, but it has no greater authority that the natural right of Darwinism. That is, why shouldn’t the stronger make the rules? Its only natural.
Tithing is 10%. You can’t say you don’t have 10% unless you make 0%. Of course you say you don’t want to tithe, or that you can count your tithe in different ways (in kind work, all donations, help to family, offering plate, etc.).
Beck’s message is extremely simplistic. Our rights are given to us from God. If you want to preserve your rights, you first have to acknowledge God.
Atheists can also claim natural rights, but it has no greater authority that the natural right of Darwinism. That is, why shouldn’t the stronger make the rules? Its only natural.
Tithing is 10%. You can’t say you don’t have 10% unless you make 0%. Of course you say you don’t want to tithe, or that you can count your tithe in different ways (in kind work, all donations, help to family, offering plate, etc.).
Beck’s message is extremely simplistic. Our rights are given to us from God. If you want to preserve your rights, you first have to acknowledge God.
Atheists can also claim natural rights, but it has no greater authority that the natural right of Darwinism. That is, why shouldn’t the stronger make the rules? Its only natural.
I may be wrong, but I don’t believe “tithe” is mentioned in the New Testament at all. 10% is a guideline.
This is where he is taking us:
Malachi 3:
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.
I’m guessing he was talking to someone who said their particular church had a 10% tithing rule, and they didn’t want to follow it. In that context, it would make sense for him to ask why they were still going to the church if they didn’t agree with the policies.
In any event, what Glenn Beck says is not the all ending. Everyone seems to be bashing him for one reason or another, I suspect it is because he is Mormon. I am not a Mormon, I just think he is a good man trying to help America. He has certainly not tried to proselytize anyone.
It's in the Old Testament. The 10% is to care for the poor. With charity, you don't need Caesar.
The churches used to do what the government is doing now. Back then, charity was given from the heart. Today, "charity" is forced on people by the point of an IRS rifle.
See the difference? The old way is better. The freeloaders had to get their own jobs, and the truly needy had more than enough.(There's a big difference between the "the wanting" and "the needy.")
If your church isn't using it's funds to bear good fruit, support another Church. Think about where your money is going. Make sure it's going to the right place.
My church went liberal so I quit going.
If 10% is enough for Jesus, it’s more than enough for Uncle Sam...
And, to answer the headline question, it depends if you’re in an ELCA church, and if that church is staying with the ELCA, or getting out... if getting out, Yes. If not? I’d think real hard about continuing a tithe to that church...
I was a bit uncomfortable in the way he said that myself, and I am a Beck fan. I don’t mind him mentioning giving to your church including tithes and offerings, but to lay the guilt trip line on us was way over the top.
If we should tithe and how much, I won’t even enter that debate. I don’t tithe but I give what I can. I wish I could give 10% or more, but Just to save for my son’s education has been a chore.
I do think your family should come first with you providing for their basic needs, then your Churches Pastor, then your Church with tithes. In that order.
Read the story of R.G. Le Tourneau’s life. When he died, he was tithing 90% of his earnings. You can’t out give God.
10% is relative. 10% of a dollar is 10 cents. 10% of $100,000 is 10,000. You can afford it. If you make the decision, if you make the conversion that makes you a regular churchgoer then you are apt to find that after that 10% off the top you have more money left for the rest of your needs. That is what happened to me. When I decided to do it there was really no way I could see that I could “afford” it but I took that Bible injunction seriously. Over the next year I realized that, though my income had not gone up and I hadn’t got anything paid off that had not been paid off before, I had a little money in my pocket and the bills got a little bit easier to handle.
Now, I don’t know what Bible Mormons use, so I don’t know where Glenn get’s his ideas from, but this I do know, In Malachi chapter three God Himself says that you are to tithe.
From the 1611 King James Version:
7 ¶ Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
So, again, I don’t know where Glenn get’s his ideas, but Biblically speaking he is right, you are to tithe and Biblically 10% seems to be the amount.
So is it 10% of the gross, or 10% of the net? This is assuming that one fully intends to tithe 10% of something.
Pertaining to your point about to tithe or not to tithe and about giving 10%. Our government was never set up originally to take 40% our our incomes. That is robbery and that was done throughout the 20th century, by 535 individuals wanting to turn this Great Republic into a democRATIC socialist utopia.
I also watched the show. What he actually said was, if you don’t believe that particular church is a church that deserves your tithe to find one that you believe does.