Tithing Re-examined by Dwight Pryor
Thanks to a reader for sending this to me.
Here is an interesting short discussion on tithing and why it is NOT a requirement today for Christians. This goes against all of Armstrongism, because that is the money making engine for the church. Instead of people freely giving because they feel blessed, they are forced to tithe, the antithesis of everything in Scripture.
A few comments from the 17 minute piece.
- Tithing not about accumulating material goods. Tell that to Dave Pack and Gerald Flurry!
- Not legally bound to tithe but give generously, joyously, periodically and proportionately. Was for the community of Israel and is not relevant to us today.
- The new testament talks about giving generously, not tithing.
- Preachers who put their congregations under enormous guilt and preach a kind of legalism insisting that they give 10% because that church is the storehouse, the right to collect it and use it as they see fit. This describes the broad majority of Armstrongite churches today.
- Those that espouse tithing base it on the Hebrew scriptures and NEVER tell you the whole story. A Jew in the bible is to give between 20-25% of their income.
- Orthodox Jews do not tithe today because the Temple does not exist. However, as an ethnic group, Jews give more proportionately than any other group in America.
- Tithing was not done by the New Testament church,
- Middle ages, 6th century, Tithing imposed by the church under direction of Charlemagne when the church joined forces with the state. It was especially forced upon the Jews. Its was imposed to build the great edifices today. They were built by imposed state taxes called tithing. This sounds exactly like Dave Pack. He has to build his great edifices in Wadsworth to make a name for himself. In order to do that he imposes tithing and demanded offerings. He can't accomplish that in his writings or by his character, so has to intimidate and impose his demands in order to build his large edifices.