I have come to the understanding and revelation that tithing is a tool used by organized religion to guilt you into giving 10% of your income.

In the Old Testament, the tithe was used to maintain the Levitical priests. In the New Testament we have through Jesus Christ who died for our sins and established a new covenant and he does not mention tithing or the giving of 10% to the Church.

The tithe was never money but food. I believe that the opportunity to give under the new covenant is about giving to the poor and needy among us, and even in your church. It could be 10% or more, or just what you can afford, as long as you give.

I was bound by that curse for years, feeling guilty if I did not give 10% of my salary to the church. But now I am questioning and doing more research into what true tithing means. So far, I know that it does not mean what church leaders has imposed on us. In fact, tithing is a mandatory part of membership in any organised christian church.

Please share your thoughts and own convictions with me on this matter.

I saw this topic covered already so I'll give it a look see!

My dear i have been asking this same question too. Tithes should be given to the poor, needy, orphans, widows and destitutes; and it must not be money and must not be 10%. You can decide to give all your salary to the poor as your tithe or give out the only bag of rice you have in your store as tithe to a widow who is your neighbour. I do not believe giving money to pastors as tithe is right. Some people say that the tithes is used to take care of the church; why not used in taking care of the poor and needy?? What do they do with the money we give to the church as offerings every sunday?? Let us not forget that tithing was an old testament thing when the israelites were still under Law and ordinances of that period. For God's sake when christ came and christianity started we were admonished not to live under the Law again. If we must pay tithes by taking 10% of our monetary income to the church we can as well also "keep the sabbath day holy", which is saturday, and we can as well call some animals like pig "unclean" and never touch it nor eat its meat.

@Trini-girl,lshmeal, l agree wit u. Tithin is a ploy employed by pastors 2 make u feel indebtd 2 d church n enrich dia pocket. Financial, physical n material assistanc r 2 b ofered in d church 2 d less privilegde nt pastor. If dia any xpenses dat has 2 b incurred by d church esp as regards 2 d building n odas, d church can den contribute 2wards. Xperienc has shown dat if u dnt av money u may b countd as a nonentity in d church.

My dear a lot of xtains dont see it the way we do. They belive tithes is meant to be paid to the church. I once asked someone a question about this tithes and i was surprised at d answer the person gave to me. The question was " if you have a neighbour that is poor and one day he falls ill and is rushed to the hospital and of course no money to pay as advance before the doctors can start attending to him; and you as a christian had only 10% of your monthly income which you plan to take to the church as tithe. Would you use that money to save your neighbours life or you will take the money to church and give it as tithes??" The person said he will take the money to church because the money belongs to God and not the neighbour. We have been so brain-washed to believe that not paying of tithes will send us to hell. Na wa oo.

Ishmael, it's so sad but true what you are saying. The fact is the church is not a building but the people, and when we neglect our brethren we are truly in a sad and brainwashed state.

I am currently loooking for a fellowship that does not teach tithing. It seems like they are non-existant here. People blindly say "I give tithe because the Bible said so", but they won't take the time to understand context or discern by the spirit the real truth.

I came across this website yesterday about people who went into bankruptcy because of tithing, and are now free :- http://tithing.christian-things.com/testimonies.html

There are so many sites that echo the same sentiment http://www.shouldthechurchteachtithing.com/

I pray more christians will be delivered from this lie of having to tithe to the church and use their money the way God intended them to use it; giving to the needs of others as they can, cheerfully and by faith, not guilt.

Tithe: If we cast our minds to the accounts given in the Old Testament. Let me give a little help,the tithe of then that is the giving away of the 10% of your income arose from this fact.If one remeber there're twelve tribes that made up of the israelites,and it is only one tribe out of this twelve that the descendants are allowed to be the leaders in the synagogue and this tribe is the Levite.Since they have been ordained to be the leaders in the synagogues, a decree came then for them not to engage in any activities,but only to the religious activities.So the other 11 tribes were told to be bringing the 10% of their income only for taking care of the basic needs of the levites.
So to come over to the New Testament,though Jesus never made any comment on Tithe according to the Bible.But he continously said,"I have not come to overthrow the laws of the prophets, but to fulfill them". But nowadays,the church leaders use this to rip off their so called adherents.
Am not against giving tithes.And remeber giving tithes doesnt give you a place in paradise.Thats delusion,it only links you to your church alone.
Dont give 10% out of discomfort,if you can only afford 5% why not give it out.So many out there can afford to give out more than the 10% of their income,but because of the policy they give 10%.
And lastly, we all know that it's the creator that is the sole owner of whatever we earned only by his grace.So it will be so stupid to now say we should only give 10% of what we claimed all belong to the Father to him.
Think twice.Give only what you can afford. Simple!!!!!>>>>>,

Shine your eyes!!

Trini girl,
Vinci girl here, You know it was just last week My BFF and I had the same conversation. She was saying that it appears as though that part of the old testament is the only section that christians of today took with them. I used to tithe religiously up until a few weeks ago when I scaled back. I have been enquiring as well as praying. The truth is, I am confused as to the true merit behind this act.

Just shine your eyes. Chikena!!

Tithing is not common to all Christian churches.

In the UK I've only heard of African-led churches insisting on the 10% tithe. I'm sure other churches do it as well but it's not common here anyway.

British churches send round a voluntary collection and most people only drop in a couple of £s, nothing like the 10%. Not even half a percent! And you don't have to give, there's no stigma if you don't.

i think insisting on 10% is what is false doctrine. I think the New Testament urges us to give according to our hearts and pockets. thus, for some ppl God may expect more than 10% of their income and for others less. what matters the most tho is that we are giving for the right reasons and with cheerful hearts.

tithing is part of the mosaic law that has now being abolished by the death of Jesus on the cross.If you still you want to tithe then you have to fulfill the other requirement of the law else you place yourself under a curse(Galatians 3:10)