Why I quit tithing

[whbae]

Once I thought doing the sambaing thing - sending the tithe money where I wanted to spend, but Mrs. White in Testimonies to the Church states that we should support the organized church(paraphrased). If you are a SDA member send the tithe money to SDA conference and let them spend your tithe according to the Bible policy.

[Green Cochoa]

On May 29, 2016 at 4:48 AM, Robert said:

Okay, this whole tithing issue is problematic.  When I attended church I tithed, but I did it out of selfishness and/or fear.  

Selfishness because the more I gave, I was told, the more blessings I would receive in return.  

Fear because if I didn't tithe I would be "cursed with a curse".

Both reasons seem very legalistic to me.  So in 1997 - the year I stopped attending a local SDA church - I wrote on the tithe envelop: "Giving to get is not giving, it's being self-centered". In other words giving to get is sinning because, after all, sin is selfishness. 

Now don't get me wrong I think you should try to support your local church, but making it a salvation issue is very legalistic to me and belongs to the camp of salvation by works.  

My two cents 

Anything "good" that we do, if we do it for the wrong reason, will accomplish nothing.  That doesn't mean we should give up on obeying God because we have heretofore done so of selfish motives.  We simply need to ask God to purify our hearts and to give us right motives.  He can do this, and He will.  If one ceases tithing because he or she feels his or her heart is doing this selfishly, what about keeping the Sabbath? What about keeping any of the other commandments?  Many keep the commandments only for social advantage.  Should they, therefore, cease doing so?  Hardly.  We simply need to, with God's help, work on the problem--the motives.  Keeping the commandments is not the problem, and this applies to tithing as well.

God loves a cheerful giver.  We should work on giving cheerfully.

[Robert]

5 minutes ago, Green Cochoa said:

If one ceases tithing because he or she feels his or her heart is doing this selfishly, what about keeping the Sabbath? What about keeping any of the other commandments....

Which of the first four commandments say anything about tithing?

Remember that the first, four commandments are issues of faith between God and man.  

[Green Cochoa]

1 minute ago, Robert said:

Which of the first four commandments say anything about tithing?

Remember that the first, four commandments are issues of faith between God and man.  

Which of the first four commandments says anything about keeping the body temple pure and healthy--something that is necessary to have a right relationship to God?  Just because some specific thing does not appear in the big 10 does not mean it is no longer required.

[Gregory Matthews]

1)  The URL at the beginning post clearly does not relate to tithing in any manner.

2)  Whether denominational officials like it or not, its members are more and more beginning to send their tithe directly to the ministries that they wish to support and not send their tithe to Conference headquarters.  The denomination has failed to come up  with an effective respone to this.   The result of this is the the Conference has less funds to support its congregations.  The result of this is that congregations take things into their hands.  Less tithe is sent to the Conference and more people are hired on local congregational payroll.

NOTE: The comments that follow are not directly related to the issue of tithe.  I am aware of a SDA School that has a new modern plant, totally paid for and with multiple staff.  When teaching staff is hired by the school they are given the choice of going on the Conference payroll or on going on the payroll of the local congregation.  Some chose to go local and some chose to go on Conference payroll.  The financial matters of the school are run by business people who tell the teachers that they can match the salary and benefits of the Conference.  However, as happened a while back, when the school go into financial trouble staff was quickly removed.

NOTE:  It should not be assumed that the financial trouble was caused by the business people who made poor decisions. 

[joeb]

On 11/18/2013 at 1:09 PM, Gail said:

In the olden sanctuary days the tithe was meant for the priests and Levites, as they did not receive an earthly inheritance in the form of the Promised Land.

 

As time went on, the priests became corrupted, invoking a curse from God on the house of Eli. But it sounds like those just before the Exile were no better, and in Jesus' time- well, you know what they did to Him.

 

But even though I know this I have never run into an injunction for God's people to withhold or reallocate the tithe (has anyone here? I'm open to more light on this, too). The poor widow's 2 mites, sacrificial as they were, were accepted by Jesus as her gift to God Himself.

 

As we pray for God to stretch and multiply our offerings, we can pray that our portion be protected and used appropriately.

 

I hope that this tidbit adds to your storehouse of knowledge, Restin. I applaud your conscientiousness! God knows your precious heart.

Well, actually you're only partially correct. 

Quote

Deuteronomy 14: 28 ¶At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
  29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest. 

 

[JoeMo]

On ‎5‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 4:04 PM, whbae said:

Mrs. White in Testimonies to the Church states that we should support the organized church(paraphrased).

Since when does Mrs. White have the authority to issue "commandments"?  I'm comfortable with sending my tithe to whomever is spreading/sustaining the gospel; whether it is the conference or a worthy ministry.

[CoAspen]

JoeMo, I think it all depends on wether you read her as suggesting or commanding! I feel tithes could be better used when not going to the .org for disbursement  and used locally instead.

[JoeMo]

1 hour ago, CoAspen said:

JoeMo, I think it all depends on wether you read her as suggesting or commanding! I feel tithes could be better used when not going to the .org for disbursement  and used locally instead.

There are those here that seem to believe her suggestions are commandments.  Researching on egwwritings.org revealed several more quotes from her that a reasonable person would infer it to be a sin to not send tithe to the conference.

[CoAspen]

Tithing,  when, where and how much seems to me, a personal matter between the individual and God.

I would need to see the 'quotes' in context, but, based on her overall counsels, I can't see that as being a sin in the context you speak of.

[Guest Grammy Joanne]

Tithing was instituted to support those in the priesthood whose priestly duties made them unavailable to work to support themselves.  The priesthood ended with Christ's death and resurrection, and the tithing requirement ended at that same time.  I believe we should give generously to support our church and other worthy organizations as we are able and as we are prompted by the Holy Spirit, but tithing is no longer required.  Any organization that insists on tithe-paying by its members is only interested in the money!  A particular organization (the church of my upbringing) leaps to mind!

[B/W Photodude]

1 hour ago, Guest Grammy Joanne said:

The priesthood ended with Christ's death and resurrection, and the tithing requirement ended at that same time.

Quote

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev. 1:6

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 1 Peter 2:9

We are still called to the priesthood. And at least as long as this earth stands, God will have His priests. Some believe it will continue into heaven, but I am not sure. It is a future source of study for me. You can find texts where Paul has written regarding those who live to do the work of God living off the goods of the church.

I have run into people before who don't want to pay tithe and also those who don't want to keep Sabbath. I kinda relate them together as those who do not wish to acknowledge God in their lives with their time or their money.

But, I would be interested in seeing the verse in the Bible that says tithing ended with the death of Jesus. I do have someone else who is interested in finding a way out of paying his tithe and maybe he is right if there really is Biblical instruction that says tithe paying is no long required.

 

[JoeMo]

When "paying tithe", doe it only count if you pay it to the denomination (whether you are an SDA or not)?  As an SDA, I rarely pay my tithe to the Conference.  I DO pay my tithe to support the church and its ministry; I just don't put it under the entry of "Tithe" on the offering envelope. I support frontier missions, local outreach efforts, and missions to the poor and homeless.  When Malachi 3:10 says "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house", I'm not of the opinion that the definition of "storehouse" is exclusively "the SDA Conference".

[Grammy]

On 8/14/2017 at 5:29 PM, B/W Photodude said:

We are still called to the priesthood. And at least as long as this earth stands, God will have His priests. Some believe it will continue into heaven, but I am not sure. It is a future source of study for me. You can find texts where Paul has written regarding those who live to do the work of God living off the goods of the church.

I have run into people before who don't want to pay tithe and also those who don't want to keep Sabbath. I kinda relate them together as those who do not wish to acknowledge God in their lives with their time or their money.

But, I would be interested in seeing the verse in the Bible that says tithing ended with the death of Jesus. I do have someone else who is interested in finding a way out of paying his tithe and maybe he is right if there really is Biblical instruction that says tithe paying is no long required.

 

Yes, and we have jobs and receive a paycheck.  Those in the priesthood of Israel did not, which is why tithing was instituted.  

Hebrews 7:12

For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must be a change of law as well.

[LifeHiscost]

I have found no easier nor simple way to reveal my love and loyalty to the body of Christ and the Christian Deity than with tithing, as well as offerings.

38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” ....Luke 6

God is Love!~Jesus saves! 

[B/W Photodude]

On 8/15/2017 at 9:51 PM, Grammy said:

Yes, and we have jobs and receive a paycheck.  Those in the priesthood of Israel did not, which is why tithing was instituted.  

Apparently, the citizens in Israel had a way of receiving goods which enabled them to pay a tithe (And this started well before Israel). And of course, the priests were paid a tithe for their sustenance.

Just like today, we get a paycheck and pay tithe. But where does the livelihood of the "priests", i.e., ministers and other conference employees, come from?

Do be aware that in the New Testament, after the Crucifixion, Paul noted that those in the work of the Lord should live off the offerings of the believers.

[Guest HopefulOne]

On 11/18/2013 at 8:20 AM, Restin said:

Instead of tithing to the GC, I spend lots of money on DVD blanks, copier paper, printer toner, address labels, etc. This is for a mass mailing of the Three Angel's Message to whole zip codes around the USA. And some members of the church would rather help me with this where they know exactly how their money will be spent: for direct literature evangelism rather than air-condition bills for huge SDA church buildings, etc.

I've been told this is wrong, just to send tithe & offerings to the GC and leave it up to God. I can't decide, so I go ahead and help with the mailings.

Mammon is the idol of many. The love of money, the desire for wealth, is the golden chain that binds them to Satan.....Steps to Christ Pg.44....We are now to use all our entrusted capabilities in giving the last warning message to the world. In this work we are to preserve our individuality. We are not to unite with secret societies or with trade-unions. We are to stand free in God, looking constantly to Christ for instruction…Testimonies for the Church, 1902  vol. 7  pg.84

[Gregory Matthews]

Yes,  Ellen White made the above statement.  I find it interesting that you were selective in your quote.  You failed to quote what else Ellen White said (It was on the same page, so you must have read it.) as to why she said what she said.   7T84

Further, I find it of interest that you do not have the courage to post openly and let us know who you really are.

Perhaps you have a valid reason for not identifying yourself.   That I do not know.  I only know that God generally calls for people to have enough courage of their convictions to take an open stand for what they believe to be God's truth.