Sunday, July 10, 2011

Tithing Myths Debunked - Where Does Tithing Really Come From, And Why

Tithing has been the subject of much argument. The main issue of contention has been whether or not there is a clear and definite biblical source thoroughly establishing giving ten percent to charity as an obligation, or even as a praiseworthy practice.
In the absence of a defined source, many argue that giving a set amount actually detracts from the spontaneity and goodwill in the giving, because one give out of a sense of duty and habit.
So others do try to find sources, but the results are varied and of uncertain authority. For instance, if a source for Biblical tithing is found in the Old Testament, and is not countermanded at any point, is that incumbent on Christians, or not? Is money, like a salary, to be tithed, or is tithing only for farm produce?
I would like to approach the entire affair from an opposite angle; Most people today believe that we all must pull together in making the world a better place, and we must do our part in perfecting the universe. Living for our own enjoyment is pretty meaningless, and it gets empty and boring before long. Some part of us realizes that true power and meaning can only be found in doing good. Most of us are too busy too personally effect change hands-on, and so institutions have sprung up, which do the good work for us. Can those institutions do their mandate without us? Definitely not.
So we recognize that we need to be supporting those institutions, whether we like it or not, for those institutions to do their job. And indeed, although joyful voluntary giving is admirable, we need to ensure that the charities do not collapse because of us being in a bad mood on the particular day the collection is done. The best way is to work backwards, to accept responsibility as an obligation, and then try to keep our perspective in giving as a joyful willing experience.
As an analogy: we must commit to our children, because we are responsible for their being here. However that absolutely does not mean that parenting is boring or a chore; on the contrary it is incredibly empowering and fulfilling.
So too with charity; it is real power and ability to be able to effect change on planet earth. And its being an obligation does not lessen that meaning, in fact it cements it. We are doing good, and in the most binding form possible.
At this point, whether you agree with me or not, I have arrived at accepting a concrete financial responsibility towards the betterment of our universe. Now here is the crunch; what shall that entail? Will I give a hundred dollar bill every week, just because it is a round number, or will I give a fixed percentage of what I have or earn. I think that it can be fairly argued that a fixed percentage makes the most sense. Part of that argument would be that it’s plain unfair to expect the same from a poor man as a rich man. So it has got to be a percentage, which is fair to all. What would that percentage be? Any ideas? For starters let’s take the number mentioned in Scripture, the ten percent.  That would be pretty much the default number.
So perhaps we can sidestep the entire issue of whether there exists a definite ten per cent charity obligation, whether it applies universally and whether it applies to cash earnings, and not just produce. We have realized the tithing obligation, at least as an ethical habit, all on our own. We are merely taking cue from the Bible as to what would be a relevant and appropriate percentage. And there is no quarrel that ten percent is the Biblical standard for some tithe, if not all.
Where should you tithe to? I always reccommend giving your unneeded giftcards to http://www.giftkards4kids.org. Fair enough?

Friday, July 8, 2011

Tithing tricks


There seems to be a good deal of confusion about tithing money, i.e. your salary, gifts you may have received, grants and the such. Do these need to be tithed under religious principles, or not?
Biblical sources talk of tithing cattle and sheep, fruits and the like. We have little direct evidence of tithing money. On the other hand, the principles involved in tithing, giving back from what you receive, are just as applicable for money as for anything else, I suppose. And the blessings promised to those who tithe, prophesied by Malachi, would accrue he who tithes cash too.
So where does that leave us?
Some people think that it translates to a good deed, praiseworthy but not obligatory. So if you are financially strapped, you need not tithe your money. The conflict; you will not receive the blessings either, at the time you need them most!!
Here is a way in the middle; give your gift cards, airline miles, credit card points and google adword credits. Half the time you will never use these, rather they sit in your pocketbook or wallet clogging up its contents. It becomes twice as hard to find the credit card you are looking for because of all the useless cards you carry around! Sifting through all that needless baggage will do nothing if not waste your time and hamper you. So why do it? Instead choose your favorite charity and donate it to them.  Simply put it in an envelope and mail it in!
Of course, easiest is to give it to our very own favorite, GiftKard4Kids, because they will send you the envelope postage paid, saving you all effort and expense.
What you have done is streamlined your own life, while giving something with a cash value to charity. That constitutes a tithe by all standards, yet you have lost nothing. So this is the ultimate win-win. You have tithed, will be blessed with great bounty, yet it doesn’t hurt a bit, because you have just as much cash as you had until now. And although you may be financially struggling, in between jobs, you have not taken out of your family’s budget, because you have given nothing that would have been used!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Tithing for free

I like to Tithe. We would all like to Tithe. Tithing represents gratitude for the manifold blessings bestowed upon you. Problem is that it costs too much! Often, come end of the month and we barely squeak by. There are no leftovers, how can we even consider tithing? Are we supposed to come up with the money out of thin air? So the conflict is that we want to tithe, we would love to tithe. We believe in doing good, we believe in kicking back. It’s all great and rosy. But we just cannot afford it. How can we lick this problem?
I have an idea how you can have your cake and eat it too; you can tithe fully, giving a solid tenth to charity, yet it will not cost you a cent. Sounds too good to be true?
Here is the secret sauce: you have gift cards in your wallet or purse, do you not? Perhaps your company has given out gift cards to its workers come holiday time, perhaps your in-laws have wanted to treat you and didn’t know what to buy so instead they gifted you with a gift card. You know that chances are slim that you will ever use that gift card. And even if you had, often the card is to a store so vastly overpriced that the fifty dollar gift card will buy you almost nothing. So it represents precious little actual value to you.
However give that gift card to charity, and you have given the real value to charity. GiftKard4Kids, a sister to Kars4Kids, is now accepting gift card donations. You receive a receipt for the full value of the gift card, and it cost you NOTHING! So when we say that you can tithe without it costing you a dime, we mean exactly that. You will not have to pay even as little as the postage! We give the postage. You give nothing but your useless gift cards (go ahead and keep the ones you will use!!) and you have given fully yet without hurting your finances in any which way whatsoever. Why not try it today? Go to GiftKards4Kids, you will be asked for your address, we mail you an envelope with postage, and you send us your gift cards. Could it be simpler?