sakaguchi:
And then the ultimate question is why would I lie? What do I stand to gain by lying?
Even is school, when they pay their tithe, the priest pray on them. Yesterdays mass was different because the priest quoted malachi 3:8 trying to justify the act and he went on as far as saying that next sunday and subsequent sundays will also be tithe sundays so that those of us who were not too convince before his tithe sermon or have not collected salaries then will pay up.

However let me chip in one point here which I didn't earlier, this said priest is not our parish priest, he said he was a class mate of our parish priest back in the days and he came to visit us, he'll probably spend 2/3 sundays with us. But then again, either way, he is a priest.

HE'S A FORMER PASTOR THEN

sakaguchi:

Bros listen, today, our priest said, "IF WE DON'T PAY TITHE, WE'RE ROBBING GOD BECAUSE IT IS NOT OUR OWN"
That to me is a high case of persuasion, he was only shot of saying defaulters will go to hell, but the way he put it, there is some compulsion in it.

I have gone through your posts, and this is my contribution.

1. It is wrong to generalize on the whole of Nigeria/society; by the actions/inaction of one or a few individuals.
2. If all you've said is right (and I really do not have reason to doubt), your priest is surely overdoing things.
3. There is always a tendency for one to be off the mark due to the attractions of materialism.
4. You can make a petition to a higher authority, with evidence.
5. Catholic Teaching is what the Church teaches, which is available to all, and not what the priest says. (even the pope can be challenged if he teaches contrary)Remember It is only in certain few occasions that the pope cannot err.
6. Priests presently are under pressure from several parishioners, to collect tithes from them...so a priest can make it optional, for there is nothing wrong in giving to God.
7. The church does not eradicate a good culture, we and the scriptural Jews are similar in offering thanksgiving at the end of the harvest season...even before the advent of Christianity, this culture is good and indeed scriptural, the church encourages it.
8. Good practices do not need to start from Rome, the church is universal, she adopts good things God has initiated through his people, no matter the location.
9. We must however be careful as well not to justify our "stinginess" to God...and to man. Remember it is our duty to help build the church and sustain our priests.
10. The manner finance is sort after in our churches, is really becoming a cause for concern, but we need to use the appropriate channel to complain and seek change, when you use non appropriate channels to talk about faults even on an individual, it is called slander.


God bless.