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The Tithing Fraud

Discussion in 'Other Christian Denominations' started by The Word, Aug 4, 2010.

  1. The Word

    The Word Guest

    Everyone claims to have the true church but has anyone truly looked at it from the perspective of Christ who started it. This thread was to open your eyes to some things that is wrong with the churches throughout the world.

    I used this tithing and offerings topic to point out something that is wrong in the churches today. Now I've been by the Mormon Tabarnacle several times and I know that building wasn't cheap to build. I was involved in construction for 25 years and the labor on that church cost a lot of people their hard earned money. There are many multi-million dollar churches in America today.

    I'm living in Barcelona where it's mainly Catholic Cathedrals but I do know there are Protestant churches here too. It's a big city so it can handle a lot. What I'm getting at is that Jesus would be shaking his head right now to see how many poor people througth the years had to fork out money they really didn't have to get these churches and cathedrals built.

    Can you imagine how much money it took to buy the land, build the churches and fill them with all the churchy things men like and then the cost of maintaining all this. Then of course, you have the missionaries who need support and many other workers that go about their religious activities.

    Jesus operated his church on a very low budget such as nothing. Everything he needed came from the Lord. He even fed his congregations through God's donations. He taught his disciples to depend on God and not the world. They were to depend on him for food, clothes and a place to sleep. That's all God promises to us anyway. He didn't say we were going to drive Mercedes cars, live in expensive homes, go to the best universities, or build cathedrals and churches all over the world.

    God commanded us to not worship any other gods before him and to not worship man-made idols. Are we obeying him by all the churches we build and forcing the poor people to divy up money to build them with? How about worshipping the money itself? This seems to be the most important issue in many churches today.

    The saints of the true church of Jesus Christ took care of each other. If someone needed food, it was given to them. If someone needed clothes, they were clothed. If someone needed a bed to sleep in, they slept well. Not one nickel was spent on buying land or building churches in their time, which was during the three hundred years before the Romans killed them all off and started Christianity.

    The true church of Christ was in the hearts of the saints. They didn't need buildings to worship their God because he was with them at all times. They slept wherever they could sleep and ate food off the trees and from that of the ground. They were never without food, clothes and sleep because God always provided for them. They never had to worry about a thing.

    The only purpose a saint had was to preach the gospel so that's all they did when they had people to listen to them. They didn't have a one hour sermon on Sunday mornings. They probably preached for six hours on Sundays before our pastors and preachers even got out of bed. God gives a saint a very powerful desire to preach the gospel so that's all they want to do. He doesn't care where all the listeners will stay or if they follow him around the country. All they preach for is that one listener who comes to know the true God.

    They might preach for a whole year to find one listener of the truth that finds faith in God. Then God will take over this listener's heart and start working on cleansing him of all sins so he can fill him with his spirit. Then this listener becomes a new saint.

    This is what the true church of Jesus Christ was like in those days until the Romans turned it into a circus of religion. This is when the tithes and offerings became a very important part of church building. The spirit didn't exist in this new Roman Catholic church because all the saints were killed by this time. The Vatican was set up and the tithe and offerings were pushed on the new congregation made up of deceived followers of the dead saints. The Bible was changed drastically to keep these followers from the truth of the spirit of Christ.

    Money started to roll in with these tithes and offerings and eventually they were able to use this money to go out and conquer land and wealth. This Roman church became the richest entity known to mankind and they built cathedrals everywhere and filled them with idols.

    This church set the example of all other churches in the world. No matter how much the churches try not to be unGodly, they are still a far cry from being like the true church of Jesus Christ. After they were all killed and most of their writings were destroyed, we didn't have much to go by. Now you know what it was like and what it should be like today. If it wasn't for those tithes and offerings, we wouldn't have church buildings today and no one would have known the difference. The true church would still be operating and meeting in the parks, back alleys, people's homes, coffee shops, and maybe a rally out on someone's farm.

    Tithes and offerings are useless in the true church of Jesus Christ. Not one penny of it can buy sainthood. Sainthood costs much more than money can ever buy.

    God bless you,
    Brad
     
  2. Zenas

    Zenas Active Member

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    And your point is . . . ? Perhaps,

    1. That churches should not take up offerings? What about "You shall not muzzle the ox?"

    2. That we shouldn't build beautiful places in which to worship? Heaven is a beautiful place, and expensive too if we are to beleive Revelation 21. Don't you want to put your very finest in the place where we go to worship the very Greatest?

    And where did you get the idea that the RCC demands a tithe? In years past, a high price for indulgences perhaps but never a tithe.
     
  3. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Well, there's just too much to go point to point with you. I for one fully disagree with much of what you have typed and thank God that in our culture, we have a church building where we can minister to our congregation and the community. Our VBS just finished last week with almost 500 children in attendance - more than half of those were not from our congregation and many were not even churched! We hear over and over again from adults that they first came to know God at our VBS or because of our VBS, year later when they felt God's hand in their lives, they knew where they could go to find out more. I thank God for the blessing of a meeting place for our new church and pray that in His time, we will be able to have a "home" that will be a light in the community.

    As for the RC Church and the tithe, I don't think the dollar we always put in the plate was a tithe. I don't know of any RC who tithes or even knows of the practice. A tithe is Biblical. It's not commanded to the New Testament church but it is a God-given command for His people in the Old Testament. So how can it be so evil as what you say? Have you read the OT and seen what God had to say about His buildings? If anyone had a big fancy building, it is God. :)
     
  4. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    I thought Spain had an extradition treaty with the US. <G>
     
  5. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    I do agree that Spain is very Catholic. I was talking with our missionaries from Spain (Murcia) today and they were telling me about it.
     
  6. Steadfast Fred

    Steadfast Fred Active Member

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    What man calls tithes today is not the Biblical tithe that belongs to the Lord. Man has added his own guidelines to the regulations concerning the tithe and it is no longer God's tithe. (though most preachers claim it is)

    There were many restrictions concerning God's tithe. The alleged "tithe" of today follows none of those guidelines and restrictions set forth by God.
    God's tithe was given to the Levites because they were not allowed to own property of their own. Today, those who receive the tithe own houses, cars, land, etc..

    God instructed that His chosen people that the third year tithe was to be given to the orphans, widows, Levites living on ones land and to the foreigner living in the city limits. Today, all tithes are taken to the building where the sermons are heard.


    God instructed that His chosen people were not to tithe at all the seventh year. There is no seventh year rest from the tithe for the congregation today.

    God's tithe consisted of a tenth of that which was harvested from crops and a tenth of one's herds. Today, it has changed from crops and herds to cash and checks.

    God's instructed His people that only those who were Levites were authorized to receive the tithe that was put into the storehouse. Today, one no longer need be a Levite to receive the tithe, he only needs to be a church leader.

    God's tithe was only to be received of those living within the boundaries of National Israel. Today, Churches all over the world collect tithes.

    Today's tithe is much different from the tithe that God established for His chosen people. Not one of the changes to God's tithe can be found in the pages of His Holy Word... not one!

    Today's tithe is very unbiblical.
     
    #6 Steadfast Fred, Aug 10, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 10, 2010
  7. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    The word, "tithe," is less important than the attitude. If a person gives more than 10% of gross income to his church or other charity, good for him. If a person wants to freeload and let other people pay his share . . . what goes around comes around.
     
  8. Steadfast Fred

    Steadfast Fred Active Member

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    It is unfair to say one is freeloading if one is not able to give 10% of one's income to the Church or other charity.

    Not all Israelites were required to tithe, were they freeloaders? God never called them such.

    The fact is, many such as myself could not give 10% of their income even if they wanted to.

    But all that aside, had God wanted the New Testament Church to give 10% of their income, He would have had the Apostles instruct the Church to do so. They did not.

    As a matter of fact, Peter told the Jerusalem Council not to put the yoke of the Mosaic Law upon the Gentile Believers. God's tithe was part of the Mosaic Law and was never meant for the Gentile Believers.
     
  9. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    I'm curious. The OP author, The Word, is listed as a guest, yet has posting privileges, and we have no other information about him (or her). I looked through the FAQ and found nothing about guest posters.

    If he administrators allow this, fine with me.

    I'm just wondering about it.
     
  10. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    Well, thats a long post. I agree with much of it, and I disagree with some as well.


    I'll just make a couple of comments.

    1) I believe that these extravagent multi-million dollar "church/family life/entertainment/ recreational complexes" are a stench in Gods nostrils.

    2) I believe that it is a horrendous error to teach tithing to New Covenant believers. And regarding pastors who heavy-handedly HAMMER their victims into submission regarding tithing...may God have mercy on them.
     
    #10 Alive in Christ, Aug 11, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 12, 2010
  11. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    Tom,

    That is kind of odd. I dont recall ever seeing "guest" before. I thought one had to register and take a username to post.
     
  12. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    He was a registered user...claimed to BE the Word of God, and was promptly shown the cyber door. It was such blasphemy I guess the admin's deleted him completely out of the database.
     
  13. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    Oh yeah, now I remember him. Thanks for jogging the memory, web.

    Tell you what. I'll alert the moderator the my interest in this and maybe he can post an explanation. I'm not upset about it, just curious.
     
  14. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

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    I am also baffled at "The Word" registered as "guest" with no profile, and so is the administration. They are currently looking into this glitch in their system.
     
  15. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Hmmmm....maybe he does have superpowers... :eek: :D
     
  16. quantumfaith

    quantumfaith Active Member

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    Annsni

    As I type this, I have a RC friend in my office who in fact both knows of the practice and incorporates it as part of his faith.
     
  17. quantumfaith

    quantumfaith Active Member

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    :thumbs: Excellent point.
     
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