What Would You Have Done?

[The_Watchers_2017]

I was at a Church Service a couple weeks ago, and at the ending the Pastor said, all Tithe payers, you know who you are, stay, there is something that needs a vote on. I don't attend there, just visiting, but watched as people, evidently, not Tithe Payers, leave.

.......
ummmmmm, when did being considered a Member or being qualified to Vote for the Church require you must be Paying Tithes, in the Bible?

just to add another thought here: There are struggling people who barely afford getting to and from Church let alone pay Tithes. are we to segregate people based upon their net worth, when it comes to who can and cannot be a member or participant of the Church?

to just also point something else out, in doing research, i discovered that even some Churches have a 3 year, 3 step program. 1st year, you pay 10% tithe, 2nd year 20%, 3rd year 30% + i also discovered many well known Denominational Churches actually currently practice this as part of the Churches Membership Program.


i think some or many probably have a good idea to what i did, but, like the title states: if you were at a Church or your own home Church and they did this, What Would You Do?

 

[Mem]

I was at a Church Service a couple weeks ago, and at the ending the Pastor said, all Tithe payers, you know who you are, stay, there is something that needs a vote on. I don't attend there, just visiting, but watched as people, evidently, not Tithe Payers, leave.

.......
ummmmmm, when did being considered a Member or being qualified to Vote for the Church require you must be Paying Tithes, in the Bible?

just to add another thought here: There are struggling people who barely afford getting to and from Church let alone pay Tithes. are we to segregate people based upon their net worth, when it comes to who can and cannot be a member or participant of the Church?

to just also point something else out, in doing research, i discovered that even some Churches have a 3 year, 3 step program. 1st year, you pay 10% tithe, 2nd year 20%, 3rd year 30% + i also discovered many well known Denominational Churches actually currently practice this as part of the Churches Membership Program.


i think some or many probably have a good idea to what i did, but, like the title states: if you were at a Church or your own home Church and they did this, What Would You Do?

There's one of five or so rules I learned in a communications, debate, or philosophy (I can't recall exactly which) class, that goes something like, 'if there is a shadow of doubt, offer charity," and I'd consider that as much worth as any monetary contribution if I were short in that area. Perhaps it was a vote on a proposed use of the tithes like roof repair or paving the parking lot?

 

[MsMediator]

I don't agree with the tithe which is too legalistic, but believe in giving to the church especially those who consider their church their church home. I think this is more of a conscience issue. Personally if I were giving money to the church that I see is fitting and sacrificial, I would stay and vote even if I don't give a "tithe". Those who should leave are those who can give but don't (or just give "spare change" when they can afford more). People know what they give is sacrificial or spare change. Only people committed to the church should vote.

 

[Aussie52]

If it was my Church I would seriously consider leaving permanently!

 

[Nehemiah6]

...when did being considered a Member or being qualified to Vote for the Church require you must be Paying Tithes, in the Bible?

The pastor should have said nothing about tithes. Simply invited all the regular members to stay behind, in order to vote on a church matter. Any member could have approached him later on and pointed this out. As to demanding a progressively increasing contribution, it is up to the members to voice their opinions, and ask for biblical grounds for such extortion.

 

[jb]

I was at a Church Service a couple weeks ago, and at the ending the Pastor said, all Tithe payers, you know who you are, stay, there is something that needs a vote on. I don't attend there, just visiting, but watched as people, evidently, not Tithe Payers, leave.

.......
ummmmmm, when did being considered a Member or being qualified to Vote for the Church require you must be Paying Tithes, in the Bible?

just to add another thought here: There are struggling people who barely afford getting to and from Church let alone pay Tithes. are we to segregate people based upon their net worth, when it comes to who can and cannot be a member or participant of the Church?

to just also point something else out, in doing research, i discovered that even some Churches have a 3 year, 3 step program. 1st year, you pay 10% tithe, 2nd year 20%, 3rd year 30% + i also discovered many well known Denominational Churches actually currently practice this as part of the Churches Membership Program.


i think some or many probably have a good idea to what i did, but, like the title states: if you were at a Church or your own home Church and they did this, What Would You Do?

For those interested a bit of a study can be found Here..."Tithing in the Scriptures and Church history."

 

[JaumeJ]

I would dissassociate myself

 

[Karlon]

I was at a Church Service a couple weeks ago, and at the ending the Pastor said, all Tithe payers, you know who you are, stay, there is something that needs a vote on. I don't attend there, just visiting, but watched as people, evidently, not Tithe Payers, leave.

.......
ummmmmm, when did being considered a Member or being qualified to Vote for the Church require you must be Paying Tithes, in the Bible?

just to add another thought here: There are struggling people who barely afford getting to and from Church let alone pay Tithes. are we to segregate people based upon their net worth, when it comes to who can and cannot be a member or participant of the Church?

to just also point something else out, in doing research, i discovered that even some Churches have a 3 year, 3 step program. 1st year, you pay 10% tithe, 2nd year 20%, 3rd year 30% + i also discovered many well known Denominational Churches actually currently practice this as part of the Churches Membership Program.


i think some or many probably have a good idea to what i did, but, like the title states: if you were at a Church or your own home Church and they did this, What Would You Do?

holy heavens! quite ungodly that is! 2nd corinthians 9:7 teaches to give lovingly, willfully & cheerfully. whatever anyone can give in this manner is proper. i've heard of churches with rules similar to what you described. a church with controlling ways is against God. it's amazing how people allow themselves to be duped by control. i believe 1st Corinthians 14:40 also means to have a policy of cheerful giving. there was a church around here who established, that to join, you had to sign a paper that says you will tithe 10% all year. if someone wanted to be married at that church & didn't tithe 10% you couldn't get married there. yup!, you guessed it, a big division developed, amongst other reasons too, & people split off. charles stanley spoke the best statement i ever heard about tithing or extra giving: "i believe you shouldn't ask god for money"! he was only worth a bit over a million when it easily could have been many millions. i would not attend that church & to prevent people wasting time trying out that church, tell them not to attend.

 

[Dino246]

I was at a Church Service a couple weeks ago, and at the ending the Pastor said, all Tithe payers, you know who you are, stay, there is something that needs a vote on. I don't attend there, just visiting, but watched as people, evidently, not Tithe Payers, leave.

.......
ummmmmm, when did being considered a Member or being qualified to Vote for the Church require you must be Paying Tithes, in the Bible?

just to add another thought here: There are struggling people who barely afford getting to and from Church let alone pay Tithes. are we to segregate people based upon their net worth, when it comes to who can and cannot be a member or participant of the Church?

to just also point something else out, in doing research, i discovered that even some Churches have a 3 year, 3 step program. 1st year, you pay 10% tithe, 2nd year 20%, 3rd year 30% + i also discovered many well known Denominational Churches actually currently practice this as part of the Churches Membership Program.


i think some or many probably have a good idea to what i did, but, like the title states: if you were at a Church or your own home Church and they did this, What Would You Do?

A church I attended many years ago had written requirements for formal membership (and therefore voting privileges) that included paying a 10% tithe. I was never a member there, and though I left because I moved, I would have left soon anyway as I had lost all respect for the pastor, mainly because of his expressed views on tithing.

Churches can establish any criteria they like for membership, and normally must do so to maintain their non-profit status, but that doesn't mean those criteria have to be biblically sound... that is up to the individual to assess. A legal organization (which a non-profit is) must distinguish between those permitted to vote and those not permitted. Of course, a congregation may avoid all this by not registering as a non-profit corporation.

Recently, I questioned the elders about the proposed wording of a section of our church's 'vision' document which addressed tithing. I wasn't given a clear explanation why, but the proposal was withdrawn soon after that. Had they pushed forward with it, I would have requested a meeting with the elders to discuss, and if they persisted, I likely would have left the congregation.

 

[Edify]

Jesus never wrote about tithes.
None of the apostles wrote about tithes. Tithing is only listed one time in Hebrews as OT history.
Most denominations that teach tithing have control issues, which means they want control which is against Jesus' teachings.
God loves a cheerful giver.
But how does God feel about people in His church adding to His teachings as if He needed it? This speaks to me that churches think less about His Word than their "rules", & in the end makes the Word of God of none effect with them.
Do we realize that if Jesus came to most of our churches he would NOT be an active member with voting rights?
That .... to me.... stinks, period.

 

[Cameron143]

I thought church membership was predicated upon a credible profession of faith.
Only one person in our church knows how much people give besides themselves.
And if you are truly trying to build a church, it would be better to let newcomers sit in on meetings to understand what the church is all about.
The action was clearly a snub and was tantamount to giving the wealthy a nice seat up front. I wouldn't go back.

 

[Nehemiah6]

I thought church membership was predicated upon a credible profession of faith.

True. At the same time it means supporting the upkeep and ministries of the church through giving. The demand for tithes is clearly unscriptural, and too many pastors talk about "tithes and offerings" instead of simply telling people that a part of Christian worship is to give offerings to the Lord (not the church). Of course the local church has a responsibility to apply those offerings in a manner which is acceptable to God. And God has already shown Christians what His priorities are.

 

[Dino246]

Jesus never wrote about tithes.

To be strictly accurate, there is only one place in Scripture where it is recorded that Jesus "wrote" about anything... in the dust at the temple when the woman caught in adultery was brought before Him, and His message there was not recorded.

He spoke about tithing three times, to the Pharisees, in all three cases He was rebuking them for their inconsistency and hypocrisy. He was addressing tithing within the context of the Sinai covenant.

None of the apostles wrote about tithes. Tithing is only listed one time in Hebrews as OT history.

Agreed.

 

[studentoftheword]

I think that the word tithe scars people as it means 10% but when you break it down to a dollar all God is asking for is 10 cents from your dollar ------you get to keep 90 cents as God allows you to do---as all money is God's anyway ----God isn't draining you dry from your Finances by asking for 10 cents of His dollar ----God doesn't need your money He needs your Faith ---Trust and Gratefulness for all He does for you ------

Tithing is not necessary under the New Covenant ----God's Kingdom works under the farming system ---sowing and reaping -----The Parable of the Sower tells you that ------If you plant your seed in Good Soil and let it take root and keep the weeds out you will have a good harvest ------this is God's Blessing being sown to the person ------


Giving from your Finances works under this principle ----- as Paul here points out here



2 Corinthians 9:6-7 AMP B

6 Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [a]generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap [b]generously [and be blessed].

7 Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].


Whether you tithe or give ----it must be done cheerfully and with a Good heart ----- and not under compulsion -----Cain gave of his first fruits but God Rejected it ------

Do we believe this below --------NOTICE :it says Give and IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU -------It Will be Here---- is a Promise -----anywhere God say -----I will --It will be --that is a promise ------and God keeps His promises always if we have the right Faith in and Trust in and adhere to His word -----

I Personally think that many have no concept of how God's Blessings work ------

If your a Christian and you have a job and you have been making enough money to sustain yourself and your family and you get promoted and have an increase in pay ---then that increase in pay is your Blessing from God --God gets the Glory for your Promotion and the increase in pay --not you ----that increase is over and above what you need as you have been living comfortably before the increase -----so the Blessing is not for you ----the Blessing is for you to Bless someone else ---- the Blessings we receive are never for us ---they are to advance God's Kingdom --------this is not taught in main stream churches that I know of ------




I say -----The Widow gave all she had -----Great Faith and Trust in God displayed here in my view ---


https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guid...=The poor woman, as a,she offered them to God

Then a poor widow came along and put in two small copper coins. Jesus teaches the disciples that the woman gave more than the rich. The poor woman, as a widow, would have had no source of income after her husband's death. Therefore the two small copper coins were all she had - and yet she offered them to God.

Is this an offering or a tithe -----you decide ---this is Paul speaking here

! Corinthians 16:2

 

[The_Watchers_2017]

I think that the word tithe scars people as it means 10% but when you break it down to a dollar all God is asking for is 10 cents from your dollar ------you get to keep 90 cents as God allows you to do---as all money is God's anyway ----God isn't draining you dry from your Finances by asking for 10 cents of His dollar ----God doesn't need your money He needs your Faith ---Trust and Gratefulness for all He does for you ------

Tithing is not necessary under the New Covenant ----God's Kingdom works under the farming system ---sowing and reaping -----The Parable of the Sower tells you that ------If you plant your seed in Good Soil and let it take root and keep the weeds out you will have a good harvest ------this is God's Blessing being sown to the person ------


Giving from your Finances works under this principle ----- as Paul here points out here



2 Corinthians 9:6-7 AMP B

6 Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [a]generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap [b]generously [and be blessed].

7 Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].


Whether you tithe or give ----it must be done cheerfully and with a Good heart ----- and not under compulsion -----Cain gave of his first fruits but God Rejected it ------

Do we believe this below --------NOTICE :it says Give and IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU -------It Will be Here---- is a Promise -----anywhere God say -----I will --It will be --that is a promise ------and God keeps His promises always if we have the right Faith in and Trust in and adhere to His word -----

I Personally think that many have no concept of how God's Blessings work ------

If your a Christian and you have a job and you have been making enough money to sustain yourself and your family and you get promoted and have an increase in pay ---then that increase in pay is your Blessing from God --God gets the Glory for your Promotion and the increase in pay --not you ----that increase is over and above what you need as you have been living comfortably before the increase -----so the Blessing is not for you ----the Blessing is for you to Bless someone else ---- the Blessings we receive are never for us ---they are to advance God's Kingdom --------this is not taught in main stream churches that I know of ------

View attachment 253319


I say -----The Widow gave all she had -----Great Faith and Trust in God displayed here in my view ---


https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zvpfd6f/revision/9#:~:text=Then a poor widow came,gave more than the rich.&text=The poor woman, as a,she offered them to God

Then a poor widow came along and put in two small copper coins. Jesus teaches the disciples that the woman gave more than the rich. The poor woman, as a widow, would have had no source of income after her husband's death. Therefore the two small copper coins were all she had - and yet she offered them to God.

Is this an offering or a tithe -----you decide ---this is Paul speaking here

! Corinthians 16:2

16:2 = it was a collection for the Saints, not the Church.

but i am not against tithing because there is a true principle involved because you are giving to God.

i am however against enticing to give based upon worldly reward like being able to Vote and have a say.

voting and having a say should be automatic without anything else attached to it.

 

[The_Watchers_2017]

There's one of five or so rules I learned in a communications, debate, or philosophy (I can't recall exactly which) class, that goes something like, 'if there is a shadow of doubt, offer charity," and I'd consider that as much worth as any monetary contribution if I were short in that area. Perhaps it was a vote on a proposed use of the tithes like roof repair or paving the parking lot?

i am all for supporting the place you attend to Praise and Worship and be fed by God.

but that's not what this was. there is a real distinction in that church between who gives and who does not. and everyone knows who gives and who does not and that is even more wrong.

 

[The_Watchers_2017]

I don't agree with the tithe which is too legalistic, but believe in giving to the church especially those who consider their church their church home. I think this is more of a conscience issue. Personally if I were giving money to the church that I see is fitting and sacrificial, I would stay and vote even if I don't give a "tithe". Those who should leave are those who can give but don't (or just give "spare change" when they can afford more). People know what they give is sacrificial or spare change. Only people committed to the church should vote.

if i understand correctly, i agree.

 

[The_Watchers_2017]

If it was my Church I would seriously consider leaving permanently!

Amen!

 

[The_Watchers_2017]

The pastor should have said nothing about tithes. Simply invited all the regular members to stay behind, in order to vote on a church matter. Any member could have approached him later on and pointed this out. As to demanding a progressively increasing contribution, it is up to the members to voice their opinions, and ask for biblical grounds for such extortion.

Amen!

 

[The_Watchers_2017]

I would dissassociate myself

Amen!