evangelism and tithing?

Question

does anyone here find it suspect that manytelevangilists expect you to give 10% of your income to them in the name of "God's works"? why so much? why do they give the answer that "god will provide" when theres a possibilty that whatever happens to you as a result is pure dumb luck? I see evangelists walking around in custom suits, driving expensive cars and living in mansions and it makes me sick! you want to know where the majority of your 10 % goes? look at these bastards! aren't the "treasures in heaven", not on earth? how does someone like this moralize and regurgitate these lines to someone when they are wearing a rolex and gucci? how can they take advantage of those who are truly desperate, look them in the eye and say these things?

Answer 1

I watch numerous televangelists and I've never seen a single one ask me to tythe to them. Tythes go to the church (aka the storehouse). They ask for offerings which are above tythes and I doubt many if any expect us to them a 2nd 10%. If God gives them nice cars and mansions, great, I won't cry if he gives me the same. But if their hearts are worshipping the nice things God gave them (he knows that, you and I don't), then they'll have to answer for it.

Answer 2

I'm very against evangelists that do the whole "send me money" thing and then have mansions, rolex's etc, etc. To me, that just shows where the money is going. Why should the organization that they head even pay them so much? It shouldn't matter how much is sent in by people, the evangelist should still get a normal paycheck. When they start giving them millions of dollars just because the organization brings in many millions, then it's like paying them to be an 'advertisement' in a sense.. (the more you bring in, the more we will pay you).. Absolutely wrong.

I don't believe ALL evangelists are like this.. however, there are an abundance of them on television.

I would be very careful about where I put my money if I was going to donate to any kind of organization like that. While they do say "don't judge a book by it's cover" and things like that, I would have to say that if the televangelist had the appearance that your money was going more to his lifestyle than to the promotion of the word of God or to help others, etc.. then it would be pretty obvious he's not doing right.

Answer 3

You know what? Your right! These Christians are taking advantage of what the Bible says. I always wondered the same thing.

A while ago, my parents and I became Christians and started going to church. At first my parents would tithe 10% of our household income. As we grew in the Lord, my dad got more involved in church. Soon he became a leader in the church and had to deal with the finances of the church. It was then that he realized that the church needs people to tith if its going to stay open and function. Now he tiths more because he sees where the $ is going. Typically, there is no other source of income for the church, other than tiths. What the church does with the money, however, should not be for "wants" but for "needs." Those people who are using church $ to live luxuriously are sinning. They are wrong. They give good-hearted true christians a very bad name. I apologize that these people are doing this. God will deal with them. When I see this I get very disappointed and sad.

Answer 4

I agree w/ you that these televangelists are ridiculous!! I think that some of them started out alright. But, as we know, power corrupts. Human flesh dictates the drive for our love of money. Greediness enters in, and if they're not close to God, this is what they become. It IS stupid to give $ to an organization like that! But, I am a Christian. God does say in the Bible to tithe 10%, and I do. But I would not give it to some preacher driving a Ferrari.

Answer 5

CERTAIN religious organizations, as, for example, the Adventists, Mormons, etc., insist on taxing their members one-tenth (or tithe) of their annual income for support of their respective church systems. It is said that such demands are in accord with the tithing laws given to ancient Israel.

Actually, in the expansion of the Law given at Mount Sinai, tithing taxes on the land, the fruit trees, and the herds and flocks, were taken for the support of the Levites, since they had no common inheritance in the land with the other tribes. (Lev. 27:30-33; Num. 18:21-32) Out of this fund certain provisions were also taken for the comfort of strangers and orphans and widows. It seems that aid to the poor was to come especially from the third-year tithes. For two years the tithes must be taken to the tabernacle or temple at Jerusalem, but the third year the tithes for that year were to be paid in the villages locally and made available to not only Levites but also “the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow”.—Deut. 12:5-7, 11, 12, 17-19; 14:22-29; 26:12-14.

HOWEVER, under the oppressive rule of Israel’s selfish and wicked kings tithing was either neglected or was misappropriated, and as a result the nation did not have God’s blessing. (Mal. 3:8-11; 1 Sam. 8:10-18) Good King Hezekiah during his reign restored the tithes for the sanctuary service. And again, after the Jews returned from Babylonish captivity, Nehemiah also set this matter in order.—2 Chron. 31:4-6; Neh. 10:34-39; 12:44; 13:5, 12.

Then came Jesus and the time for the ending of the old Law covenant. Born under that Law, while it was still in force, Jesus upheld and fulfilled every part of it, including its tithing provisions. However, his only commendation of tithing was a sort of left-handed one aimed at the formalistic and hypocritical tithe-paying religionists.—Matt. 23:23, NW.

So in actuality the LAW WITH TITHING ORDINANCE was REMOVED.
Search as you may you will not find Jesus recommending or commending tithing for his followers. When Jesus sent out his apostles and disciples to do missionary work from house to house and city to city, even unto the ends of the world, he made no provisions for their support through tithing. (Matt. 10:1-42; 28:19, 20; Luke 9:1-10; 10:1-17; Acts 1:8)

After Jesus ascended on high do we find the apostles recommending tithing among Christians? Not at all! Paul, who was given the care of all the congregations (2 Cor. 11:28), declared that the provisions and ordinances of the Mosaic law were only a “shadow of the heavenly things”, of “good things to come”, and hence were not the very substance of spiritual things. “Let no man judge you” in connection with the invalidated Law. Christians are concerned about the substance, not the shadow.—Heb. 8:5; 10:1; Col. 2:12-17, NW.

As you said, "why do they give the answer that "god will provide" when theres a possibilty that whatever happens to you as a result is pure dumb luck?"

An example of this is the Adventists try to justify their “take” in tithing with a barrage of misapplied scriptures. They cite Proverbs 3:9: “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.” But this says nothing about honoring God with only ten per cent. Christians must consecrate all, and putting the Lord’s interests first in their lives, they give him the best, the “firstfruits”. Citing Psalms 24:1 and 50:10, 11, and Haggai 2:8, etc., as the Adventists do, in no way sustains their flimsy tithing argument. Deceitfully they quote 1 Corinthians 9:11, 13, 14 in their book Bible Readings for the Home Circle, 1921 edition, pp. 657, 658.
But read the verse they leave out, verse 12, and you will see that Paul was not arguing for congregational support for himself, but was showing it was better to be self-supporting.

Answer 6

Cheap price for being allowed to hold your hand up to the TV screen and pray with Pastor Luvsit for your salvation.

.

Answer 7

because they are crooks.. give to your own church and you will see where the money goes. Unfortunately most of the people that watch the TV are shut ins with no church to go to. It is sad