Tithing as an independent entity


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My parents.... forward thinking people

that they were- taught me to give to others 

regularly.

 

If we made middle class we were on the low end of the cut-off to be sure.   I know we qualified for aid some years.   My father refused it- but I know we qualified.

 

My parents insisted we give to others no matter what.    If I worked all day for dollar as a kid... only 80 cents of it was mine.

 

Ten cents went in the " sharing bowl" and ten cents went into a non- opening piggy bank 

 

Recently I was told giving money to a neighboring family on hard times was not " tithing".... tithing must be done through a Church

 

At home tithing was the sharing bowl.

 

So if it is done thru a church it is tithing... but if you just help someone on your own it is charity?

 

Is there a third option?

 

When I look at the tax codes helping someone directly isn't charity...

 

von

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3 hours ago, VonNoble said:

My parents.... forward thinking people

that they were- taught me to give to others 

regularly.

 

If we made middle class we were on the low end of the cut-off to be sure.   I know we qualified for aid some years.   My father refused it- but I know we qualified.

 

My parents insisted we give to others no matter what.    If I worked all day for dollar as a kid... only 80 cents of it was mine.

 

Ten cents went in the " sharing bowl" and ten cents went into a non- opening piggy bank 

 

Recently I was told giving money to a neighboring family on hard times was not " tithing".... tithing must be done through a Church

 

At home tithing was the sharing bowl.

 

So if it is done thru a church it is tithing... but if you just help someone on your own it is charity?

 

Is there a third option?

 

When I look at the tax codes helping someone directly isn't charity...

 

von

 

 

Who gets to make these rules and definitions?  If your church has authority over you; they make the rules.  If not, you get to make your own rules.  So, question number one.  Do you care what the rules are?  Or who made them?  

 

A brief observation:  "Rules?  We don't need no stinking rules!"           :D 

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13 minutes ago, mererdog said:

Technically speaking, tithes are the money given by the congregation to support the church.

 

I happened to be on the phone with my sister when I saw this response. 

 

I may be able to shed some light on the confusion. 

According to my sister,  who is my go to person for all things of a Jewish nature.

 - prior to Christianity the Jewish use of the word tithe was giving to the 

congregation.... (or simply to give charity. )

 

Wikipedia notes, as you said - it is currently used to denote donations to a church

however... it adds it is a fixed amount collected in tax as well to the government. 

 

So both cleared and muddied the water a bit for me. 

 

My sister said that our family used the word as it originated in the Jewish sense

 - tithe means to give charity (cash) not to be confused with giving stuff - (different

word.)  Since we didn't have a "church" per se (and since half our family is Jewish) 

it came to us as an interchangeable word tithe/charity. 

 

So that clears up that mystery.   thx 

von

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23 hours ago, VonNoble said:

According to my sister,  who is my go to person for all things of a Jewish nature.

 - prior to Christianity the Jewish use of the word tithe was giving to the 

congregation.... (or simply to give charity. )

Your sister's take on the subject seems to be innaccurate (as was mine, and thank you for pointing that out to me)

 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tithes_in_Judaism

Edited by mererdog
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16 hours ago, mererdog said:

Your sister's take on the subject seems to be innaccurate (as was mine, and thank you for pointing that out to me)

 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tithes_in_Judaism

 

That was an interesting read.   And it twi a  side benefits I thank you for

 

1). It flummoxed my sister ( which gave 

me a tickle as it is RARE)

2). It gave her something to work on 

other than constant worry about our

eldest brother.... we have tried

 everything ( and every contact we)

have... still no word following

Hurricane Maria....giving her a mental diversion gave me a break :)

 

von

 

 

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Greetings to you my brother,

 

For myself, tithing is the 10% of what I make that I give every year to the community in General.  While I give a significant amount to my church, I also give freely to the United Way here in the Southeast Wisconsin area, and to other charities.  I also freely give of my time to my church and other groups.  I believe that what I have been blessed with in life I hold in trust for God and that as a good Steward at least a portion of these things needs to be given back to help those with less.  Jesus taught us to care for the poor, the outcast, the sick and the needy.  I try deliberately to give to those organizations that help those who Christ loved so dearly.  

 

In solidarity,

Rev. Calli

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9 hours ago, Rev. Calli said:

Greetings to you my brother,

 

For myself, tithing is the 10% of what I make that I give every year to the community in General.  While I give a significant amount to my church, I also give freely to the United Way here in the Southeast Wisconsin area, and to other charities.  I also freely give of my time to my church and other groups.  I believe that what I have been blessed with in life I hold in trust for God and that as a good Steward at least a portion of these things needs to be given back to help those with less.  Jesus taught us to care for the poor, the outcast, the sick and the needy.  I try deliberately to give to those organizations that help those who Christ loved so dearly.  

 

In solidarity,

Rev. Calli

 

 

If you keep that up, people might suspect that you're a Christian.             :thumbu:

 

 

 

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In Hellenic polytheism, dekatai are voluntary thank-offerings of a tenth of an acquired enterprise or fortuitous windfall (either in goods or its value in cash), made to a god and given to a temple.  It’s the closest thing I can think of to the typical 10% tithe of Christianity, though a dekate wouldn’t normally be given as part of regular religious practice.

 

Personal acts of charity really aren’t considered part of the general Hellenic public cult.  Philanthropia is an Hellenic virtue, but it isn’t tied to temples or any specific religious practice.

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3 hours ago, LeopardBoy said:

In Hellenic polytheism, dekatai are voluntary thank-offerings of a tenth of an acquired enterprise or fortuitous windfall (either in goods or its value in cash), made to a god and given to a temple.  It’s the closest thing I can think of to the typical 10% tithe of Christianity, though a dekate wouldn’t normally be given as part of regular religious practice.

 

Personal acts of charity really aren’t considered part of the general Hellenic public cult.  Philanthropia is an Hellenic virtue, but it isn’t tied to temples or any specific religious practice.

 

 

Philanthropia sounds like a personification of Philanthropy.  Am I missing something?  

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Pondering a thought...

isn't the effort by strangers to

help victims in Las Vegas... tearing up their clothing to make temp bandages.... 

....driving water in their own vehicle ...

water puchased by their own wallet ....

... should that not be counted as tithe?

 

should not the local church note that they gave that aid some way so they get credit?

von

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44 minutes ago, VonNoble said:

Pondering a thought...

isn't the effort by strangers to

help victims in Las Vegas... tearing up their clothing to make temp bandages.... 

....driving water in their own vehicle ...

water puchased by their own wallet ....

... should that not be counted as tithe?

 

should not the local church note that they gave that aid some way so they get credit?

von

What one does for another is just being kind and responsive to another's needs. What one gives to the church is a tithe and is expected. Least ways that is how I learned it when I professed to be Baptist.

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