Re: Questions on the tithe

Hi Ralph - welcome to CUrezone - glad you joined this discussion and thanks for your opinion.

I think that we all agree that a pastor's needs are to be met, and no one disputes that. I guess many of us though, have seen excesses beyond just needs that disturb us. What I and some others propose is that the tithe belongs to God, and what we give should be motivated by doing the work of the body of Christ on earth. That means giving where the needs are and always keeping God as our focus. In Biblical times, farmers had to apportion a corner of their farmlands for passing strangers who could be hungry. Of course, the levite priests also were cared for. So we have our model there in the Scriptures, but I don't personally think that we are obligated to always give all of our tithes to the same organization/curch/pastor, whatever. Rather, there should be a balance without compulsion.
I agree that if a pastor's heart is in the right place, then concerns about money melt away. Then again, when a heart is in the right place, money is not misused in any way. Many of us are just fed up with the abuses and misuses.