Quote:If a pastor or church leader has ever told you that the Bible commands Christians to tithe or give 10% of their income; hit you up for multiple offerings during one service; made you march up front to give; asked you to donate to a mysterious "building fund" or give a "first-fruit" offering; or even given special recognition to big givers in your congregation, Lee and other pastors have a message for you:
You are getting played
There is nothing in the New Testament about giving ten percent.
When we became members of our church in Iowa, the pastor came to our house and said that god wanted everyone to give ten percent of their income BEFORE taxes. He said he wouldn't badger anyone but he brought speakers to the church who discussed how god had blessed them because of their tithe. One woman said that her father gave even when his children needed clothing and one day someone just gave them a bag of used shoes. I couldn't help but wonder why they couldn't have taken that money and bought their own shoes instead of waiting for god to go through a middleman.
