When I tithe, how much of that money actually gets to God?

Question

And who decided it should be 10%?

If you don't know the definition of the word "tithe" then perhaps you shouldn't "answer" the question, maybe?

I never said I believed in tithing, did I? I'm trying to understand why other people are motivated to tithe.

Answer 1

The supreme being really has no use for money.

Reminds me of an old joke (and no I'm not being anti-Semitic, I'm Jewish):

A priest, a minister, and a rabbi are talking about how they divide their weekly contributions between their church or temple and God.

The priest says he draws a 5 foot circle, and throws all the money in the air. Whatever lands in the circle, he keeps, anything outside goes God.

The minister says he draws a 5 foot circle, and throws the money in the air. Anything inside the circle, God gets, everything outside, he keeps.

The rabbi says he doesn't bother with a circle, he just throws the money in the air. Anything that lands, he keeps, anything that stays in the air, God keeps.

Answer 2

God decided that it should be 10%.Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,"(This is the only time the Lord says to test Him and see if its true) says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.Tithing is worship. It has always been more than just a tax. Tithing is recognition and worship of the One Who created and actually owns all. In the Law, the Jews were required to pay a tithe (tax). The Greek and Hebrew words for "tithe" literally mean "tenth". Christians are not required to pay a tithe, but we do have New Testament examples of free will offerings to support the needy saints. We don't have any examples in the New Testament of people taking advantage of Christians to gain wealth. 1 Corinthians 16:1,2 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. Under the conditional covenant of the Old Testament tithing was a necessity. It is not a command in the New Testament, it is a principle -- we give out of love, from the heart because we are under a new unconditional covenant not the Old Testament law.

Answer 3

The 10% figure came from the Bible. Individual churches like the Latter Day Saints choose to hold to the 10% tithe. This money doesn't go to God, but to support the church and members of the congregation who fall on hard times. It pays the salaries of church employees and helps out that woman who is suddenly widowed or the man who loses his job because of ill health. Since the Latter Day Saints take care of their own with that money, it's not a bad deal for those who tithe.

Yes, you get churches who abuse tithing. A congregation of Sunnyside Baptists were asked to donate one complete paycheck and not a 10% tithe one time. Some did it, but a lot left the church. They couldn't see a reason for such greed on the part of their church or why God would want them to put up with such a hardship.

Tithing is supposed to be voluntary and a gift to God. When it becomes involuntary, time to find a new church.

Before you think this is restricted to Christianity, keep in mind that the priests of the Temple who sacrificed the lambs at Passover got to keep a portion of the lambs in payment.

Oh, and villagers in Buddhist countries regularly bring offerings of food and goods to the monasteries. In return, they are prayed for, sometimes their children are educated, and their illnesses cared for.

In order to have organized religion, there must be a system in place to pay for it.

Answer 4

A tithe is a 10th.
You can actually give as much as you want, or as much as you feel you need to. but a 10th is the norm.

When you are a member of a church, you aren't just a member, you ARE the church. The building is just a building, and it requires maintenance, and the staff needs to be paid just as you are paid in your job. Most churches are set up so that your tithe can be designated by yourself as to where it goes. Envelopes are given to members of the congregation, which are used weekly (or monthly) to tithe. You place your tithe in the envelope and designate on the envelope where you wish the money to be used. Local church ministries is usually the maintenance and upkeep of the church and staff. Mission field can also be designated to where ever the church supports it's missionaries.... etc.

there are plenty of churches who are just struggling to make ends meet - but there are also plenty of large churches and ministries who are wealthy. Some misuse their tithes and some don't. Please do not lump all churches into the "misuse" category.

Answer 5

If you look closely at stewardship, all of the money you have belongs to God; we are merely stewards of that money. Look into what could make you a better steward of God's money rather than worrying about percentages.

A tithe (from Old English "teogoþa" meaning "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something. For the history of tithing, see the Wiki entry linked below.

HTH

Answer 6

I don't believe in some churches forcing members to tithe. I feel like it should be completely voluntary.

Obviously the money does not go directly to God, but helps through good works to others.

And the 10% figure came from the bible.

Hope this helps!

Answer 7

true Christian are not under the law of tithing that was an arragement in the old covenant in Leviticus to give 10 percent of everything and if you want to give the equivalent in money 12 percent (Lev 27:30-32; Númbers 18:21, 24).
but that laws was finish after Jesus death because he finish the old covenant (Ephessians 2:15).
If we are under the old covenant then Jesus death is worthless I am Jehovah Witness and we do not give tithing yes we give contributions but with free will, and we have more than 100 years without doing that.

Answer 8

That's a good question. GOD never sees a penny of it, of course. When I donate, I think about the Vatican and all the gold dripping off the walls and the land that they own. The church is always crying for money and saying they need more, but why does the clergy have so many material things?

I also see the TV and Radio evangelists pocketing huge sums of money, like Jim and Tammy Baker. They even had their dog house air-conditioned. They had a multi-million home. How come they went donating, instead of taking?

The older I get, the more cynical I get. Usually, it's because I see things that aren't right and realize most people are only thinking about themselves. There are the pious ones, but I feel they are being used by the business of religion to further the church's own goals, not necessarily
God's goals. God bless you anyway.

Answer 9

It says it in the bible you should tithe 10%, but it also says that you can tithe by helping others. Some of the churches today, it's going into the preachers pocket. You ever notice how they build these big beautiful churches and the surrounding area is in poverty. Doesn't make sense, but the church does have expenses. I'll probably get a thumbs down, but it's the truth.

Answer 10

the 10 percent rule comes from the Old Testament, where the people were expected to give the best 10 percent of their crops or animal stock to God. It's not a set rule, you just give what you feel led to give. Sometimes I give more, sometimes less, depending on the situation that week for me. As far as how much of it gets to God, most churches use their tithes and offerings to pay things related to the building such as rent, utilities, or to pay their staff, so in a way, everything you give goes to further the kingdom of God and ensures that the church of your choice can continue in their work.