One of the biggest con-jobs the church laid upon members was the command for members to tithe upon their second tithe. This money was supposed to go to the church where they used it for Feast site support. This money ended up being used for all kinds things other than the feast.
This is from the Hulmerous Church of God on how the COG justifies stealing an additional 10% from members.
Church of God an International Community The October 2016 issue of Church of God News contains an article (p.13-14) by Tim Anderson, ‘Tithe of the Tithe’, a phrase that is found twice in scripture:
Num.18:26 ‘Moreover thou shalt speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave-offering of it for Jehovah, a tithe of the tithe.’
Neh.10:38 ‘And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure-house. For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the heave-offering of the grain...’
Tim Anderson writes: “In 1964 God’s Church faced a crisis. Over 22,000 people would attend the Feast of Tabernacles that year. The next year there would be more than 29,000 (with 12,000 at a single Feast site). Projecting the Church’s phenomenal growth, they were planning on around 140,000 by 1971 [and 144,000 by January 1972, when Herbert Armstrong would make the long awaited announcement of the place of safety], and they had no idea how to accommodate so many people. After much consideration and prayer, God led Mr. Armstrong to the answer: a ‘tithe of the tithe’.”
The WCG were already receiving and spending 100% of the first tithes, so Herbert Armstrong translated this phrase to mean one tenth of the second tithe.
“Today we use tithe of the tithe to refer to giving 10 percent of our second tithe to the Church, to aid in financing the Feast of Tabernacles. Mr. Armstrong instituted this practice in 1964 based on the biblical principles of the Levites giving a tenth of tithes to the priests. It wasn’t a direct command, but the application of a principle found elsewhere in the Scriptures.”
