TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
Bahamas Blog International
Bahamas Blog International
To Tithe or Not
Related to country: Bahamas

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

To tithe or not to tithe:
By KARAN MINNIS,Guardian Lifestyles Reporter -
Nassau, Bahamas:


Ms. Mabel, 82, collects her paltry pension check every month. But before she spends a dime on her bills, she takes out the Lord's 10 percent. Then there's Mrs. Claire, 55, who had a patio sale and raised $900 from things she no longer wanted. Before she spends this extra cash, on her grandchildren she takes out 10 percent for the church coffers.

But Ms. Jones, 28, a young professional looks into her bag on Sunday morning to see how much cash she has on hand, takes out a $5.00 bill, drops it in the collection plate, and she's happy with herself. She doesn't believe she has to give the church 10 percent of her earnings in tithes. She puts in just whatever she can afford on any given day.

Tithing is defined as one-tenth part of something, paid as a voluntary contribution, and is said to be a sacrifice given to support a religious organization.

Historically tithes were said to be paid in kind, in forms such as agricultural products and in some cases labor. Today, however, the debate rages as to whether Christians are required to pay tithes and how much.

"To be honest I'm not really sure where these tithes ... my tithes, are going," said Ronald Burrows, 27 a hotel employee

"I pay tithes but it's an occasional thing. I don't feel I should 'cut off my nose' just to pay it though. The Lord still wants you to be able to eat on Friday. So I pay when I can."

Sharell Lowe, 18, and a college student, also believes that how much you give should be your choice.

"I don't believe that God wants us to be broke, and although persons say that you'll get back what you give in some way, I realize that does not always happen. And to me that's not always good, because I'm a student so I need to watch my funds closely, and I don't really have anyone giving me extra money, so I don't want anyone telling me or trying to force me to give the full 10 percent all the time," she said.

"I believe that I have to give back to God, but I can't give money all the time. Sometimes all I have to give is myself, and if my pastor doesn't understand that then maybe he's not the pastor for me," she said.

Jason Sands, a 42-year-old salesman, says there is just too much debate on whether tithing is mandatory.

"Biblical teachings appear to indicate that although tithing was practiced extensively in the Old Testament, it was never practiced nor taught within the first-century church," he said. "Instead the New Testament scriptures seem to teach the concept of 'freewill offerings' as a means of supporting the church. You can look at I Corinthians 16:2 and II Corinthians 9:7, and you'll see what I mean.

"In fact the earliest groups sold everything they had and held it to be used for the furtherance of the Gospel. Such practices are testified to in the Acts of the Apostles. Also in Acts, [you] can find a narrative relating to a man and wife who promised to sell a piece of property and donate it to the Church. Instead they only brought part of the selling price before the Lord, and were struck dead for lying to God. This is a clear example that the first-century Church did not establish nor insist on a 10 percent rule, but instead emphasized freewill giving."

However according to Genesis Wells, senior pastor of Chapel on the Hill, everyone should pay tithes.

"This is a very involved issue. You have two schools of opinion — one is that tithing commenced in the old testament, in particular when Abraham gave tithes to the high priest. He went out to battle and he came back and he gave a portion of the spoils to the high priest. Then Jacob, as you know he was running from his brother, for the theft of Esaus' birthright. And then he had an encounter with the Lord and he made a covenant with the Lord that if he was too bless him and bring him back home he would give the Lord 10 percent of whatever he was blessed with. So tithing was established in the Old Testament," said Wells.

"Then in Malachi 3: 8-10, the last book of the bible, the Lord challenged his people with this. He said 'Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation'."

Then there are instructions in verse 10. He said '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.'

"And so the Lord gave a promise to his people who will obey him, because it's an obedience. But then we come to the other side of the cross, the New Testament, and there are some who believe that tithing stopped in the new covenant. But my suspicion is that you ought to be giving the Lord 10 percent plus, because all of it belongs to him. In Romans 12: 1, which reads, 'I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship,' the Lord said that its good for you to give your tithes and offerings. So what the Lord requires from us is that we give of ourselves, our whole man. God wants our hearts, he doesn't need our money really. He is looking for you and me."

Wells says tithing isn't only about the money, but also about giving yourself up to God."

"You see everybody is tied into this economic or materialistic blessing but really it's casting a dispersion over Jesus Christ," he said, "because it's all dollars and cents to some people, but there are also spiritual blessings. In short God requires us to obey him, and that's with obedience in every area of our lives, not some areas. And [tithing] is also an area that we must choose to obey."

Father Mel Taylor of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic, who said he was speaking on behalf of himself, and not the church said he believes that tithing should be left up to the conscious of the individual. And that it's up to the people to decide if they can pay tithes.

"But the person should be informed and make a decision based on that information. Also I think that they must assess their budget and their life, because if they won't have anything left, then that's something they should think about. And in our society, I think its something that people need to sit and think about and see if they want to support it. But tithing is supported biblically," he said.

February 25, 2008 | 6:00 PM Comments  0 comments

You must be logged in to add tags.


Dennis Dames's Profile


Latest Posts
Meatless Mondays: Do...
Regional integration...
Call for unity as the...
Slow Down: How Our...
The situation in Honduras

Monthly Archive
December 1969
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009

Change Language


Tags Archive
america american bahamas bahamians bush caribbean crime cuba development economic enfusion engagement global health ict4d individualeconomy international investment networkbuiding obama organisationalchange people personaldevelopment political president socialentrepreneurship trade war world

Links
A+ Links Int'l
Bahamas Blog
Bahamas Dames
Bahamas Hotels
Bahamas Search
Bahamian WebRing
Blog Directory
Blogadr
BlogExplosion
Cheap Int'l Calling Cards
Crooks Blog
Dating Network
Free Paid Web Directory
LS Blogs
Politics Blogs
Top 100 Women Websites
Top Web Blogs
Vote For Me


695683 views
Important Disclaimer