Comments on: Part II: Family Financial History

By: Megan

Megan — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:17:56 +0000

I was also raised Catholic, and I give to the church occasionally, but not regularly. I used to attend a church that had a 70 bed homeless shelter in the basement. You could place money in the collection basket designated for the homeless shelter. I did that a lot. I also donated my time to the church as much as I could. But I prefer to give to hand picked charities as well. Sure, at some point, that hand picked charity might be my church. Just not always.

By: LivingAlmostLarge

LivingAlmostLarge — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:42:33 +0000

Oh and the Catholic Church in the early 80s made my mom feel bad for not being able to tithe while she was a single parent. That and getting “divorced” but fortunately she didn’t marry in the church. She was just looking for more support at the time.

By: LivingAlmostLarge

LivingAlmostLarge — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:41:34 +0000

I think that giving money without learning what it means to give means very little.

I read NeedtobeDebtFree blog who tithes consistently. And yet I haven’t seen that his children have learned much from it.

They have no chores around the house, they don’t volunteer at the church or any other volunteer program. So what does tithing give them?

By: What is your view on giving, tithing, etc.? - Page 4 - Personal Finance Forums

What is your view on giving, tithing, etc.? - Page 4 - Personal Finance Forums — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:36:28 +0000

[...] didn’t. I still don’t think she’s going to hell and neither am I. Here’s my post on what she did here. She stopped going to church and she began giving back. I do too. So it’s not about the giving. [...]

By: Spend Less - Live More « Persistent Illusion

Spend Less - Live More « Persistent Illusion — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:28:34 +0000

[...] Living Almost Large’s reasoning for not tithing. Scandalous! [...]

By: Jim ~ mydebtblog.com

Jim ~ mydebtblog.com — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:08:37 +0000

The tithe or 10% of one’s income has always been an issue. Churches used to be the origins of tax collection purposes. Government now uses this idea and no longer taxes a church (although I think they should). We have the option to not tithe on our income, yet are required by law to pay our taxes. How much of your tax dollars go to help other people? I’d rather choose where I would like to give my money or time. Tithing is a personal choice in that we choose to follow it or not.

By: fitwallet

fitwallet — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:44:53 +0000

I don’t belong to any organized religion and don’t consider myself a spiritual/religious person. I do, however, believe in being a good person and a productive member of society. I’m a social worker and spend another 20+ hours per week working in animal rescue. This tends to surprise some very religious folks who can’t reconcile the fact that I am “going to hell” for not believing in Jesus, yet spend most of my waking life helping those less fortunate. I really confused a cab driver who tried to convert me on the way to the airport last year! Heh.

By: squawkfox » Carnival of Personal Finance: City Slickers Edition

squawkfox » Carnival of Personal Finance: City Slickers Edition — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:31:33 +0000

[...] discusses the church and tithing in Part II: Family Financial History, and says, “I don’t tithe because my mom never did. And now that I’ve grown up I [...]

By: Angie

Angie — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:03:58 +0000

I am a protestant Christian and I do tithe. We did not always give a full 10%, but it was our goal, because it is scriptural. In the churches I have gone to, we are encouraged to tithe (a word that literally means one-tenth), but no one knows how much we do or do not give. It has certainly never been a “command” by the pastors or board of elders. I worked on staff at our last church, and the giving numbers were so private that not even the pastors knew who was donating, only our accountant. As a church we knew how much had been given total, but knowing that we took in $3000 is different than knowing that the Smiths gave 200, the Jones gave 25, etc.
I give my time (what little I have with two small children) and my money because I have been blessed with an abundance and this is my way of thanking God for his gifts. It is an act of worship for my husband and I, not an act of fear.
The churches I have attended over the years have been involved in supporting women’s shelters, food banks, created community centers for latch-key kids, taught ESL to non-members (and non-Christians) and been involved in groups like World Vision helping to create sustainable farm communities in Africa. And yes, part of the money I give goes to pay the salaries of the men and women on staff. If that is not a good use of my money, I don’t know what is.

By: A.M.B.A.

A.M.B.A. — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:12:46 +0000

I’m also Catholic and have never really understood the 10% tithing that other Christian denominations “command”. Ten percent is serious money. We have always only given about five percent or less to our church, along with other modest donations to our favorite causes.

If people are in debt, I truly believe one needs to clean up that first before donating money.