Excerpt, the Catholic Encyclopedia
"As the Church expanded and various institutions arose, it became necessary to make laws which would insure the proper and permanent support of the clergy. The payment of tithes was adopted from the Old Law... The earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the letter of the bishops assembled at Tours in 567 and the [canons] of the Council of Macon in 585."
567 AD? Well, that's 500 years after the birth of the New Testament Church. Catholics know their own history, and they were the early church. Trust them when they tell you, tithing is NOT an early Christian teaching. It was born out of either practicality or greed, depending upon your view of the matter. It forced unbelievers to contribute by law, whether they wanted to or not - would our God honor a heart that unwillingly gave, OR a heart that forcefully took?
Excerpt Encyclopedia Brittanica On-line
"Despite serious resistance, tithing became obligatory as Christianity spread across Europe. It was enjoined by ecclesiastical law from the 6th
century and enforced in Europe by secular law from the 8th century. In
England in the 10th century, payment was made obligatory under ecclesiastical penalties by
Edmund I and under temporal penalties by Edgar. In the 14th century Pope
Gregory VII, in an effort to control abuses, outlawed lay ownership of tithes.
During the 16th-century
Protestant Reformation,
Martin Luther approved in general of paying tithes to the temporal sovereign, and the imposition of tithes continued for the benefit of Protestant as well as
Roman Catholic churches. Gradually, however, opposition grew. Tithes were repealed in France during the
Revolution (1789), without compensation to tithe holders. Other countries abolished certain kinds of tithes and indemnified the holders. By 1887 the tithe had been brought to an end in Italy. It was abolished in Ireland at the disestablishment of the
Anglican church in 1871, and it gradually died out in the
Church of Scotland. In
England in 1836, the tithe was commuted for a rent
charge depending on the price of grain, and in 1936 the tithe rent
charges were abolished. New
methods of taxation were developed in those countries that provided financial support of the church out of government funds. Remnants of the tithing system do exist, however, in certain Protestant European countries. In
Germany, for example, citizens must pay a church tax unless they formally renounce
membership in a church.
Tithe was never a legal requirement in the
United States. Members of certain churches, however, including the
Latter-day Saints and
Seventh-day Adventists, are required to tithe, and some Christians in other churches do so voluntarily.
The Eastern Orthodox churches never accepted the idea of tithes, and Orthodox church members have never paid them."
Again, I say if we have a right relationship with our Lord, then we will be as He was... our heart will soften, and we will be free to give as He leads.
The sister who attacked my position on tithing has forced her own views in her household - taking the lead and getting her husband to submit to her position, although she herself does not earn the pay cheque and they are a financially struggling family of nine. She believes she must tithe 10% of their GROSS income, before taxes (which are substantially higher here in Canada than they are in the USA). She believes her tithe must come first, and if she can't pay other bills, too bad 'God comes first'. They have a lot of credit issues, and have declared bankruptcy before. They are really struggling.
I don't want to say these things about this family to expose them, but if anyone else out there is in this same position then I want them to hear this: How you handle your debts is part of your testimony to the unbelieving world. If you don't pay your debts, then you are robbing from your creditors.
I asked this sister why she felt she needed to pay this kind of money, she asked "well how else is the church in blankety-blank going to pay for the chairs and the heat and the lights and the carpeting?!" How else? Well, if you can't trust God to provide for His people what they truly
need, then maybe you need to ask if God really believes He has an interest vested in those things.
I think the mightiest movements for God are actually quite financially poor. That's why we see the power in the growth of the Church in the third world, and often see such a lack here in the wealth of the West. Why? Because where your mind is, there will your heart be also. Give of your money - that is fine - but far less important than giving of your time and of yourself. Is there a need? Then fill it. A family in need of help, then go and help them... don't just write them a cheque and write them off; actually visit them, minister to them, and
care for them in a real and practical way. Build up the Body of Christ with the love of Christ which is in you! For the Body to grow, it must be nourished. For the Kingdom to flourish, it must gain new citizens. Do we want people to flock to hear the Word of God because the buildings we erect are attractive and comfortable, or because they see something in us that they realize they also need: A real love for God the Father and a relationship with God the Son; a relationship that transforms us from the inside out - and really does make us like Him in life and in nature... and how many times did we read of Him slipping some coins into the hands of someone who came to Him for help?
To those who would lead the Church in this age, not I but our Lord Jesus Christ does say:
Luke 16:13-15 "
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed Him.And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God."
In Christ,
NeitherFirstnorLast