Religion Press Release Services

There is mounting opposition to the doctrine of tithing. The opposition is not against supporting churches, but rather against the teaching that all church members (including the poorest) must begin their giving at 10% of their gross income.

Russell Earl Kelly is the author of Should the Church Teach Tithing?, an expansion of his PH. D. thesis. Every day he receives e-mails, letters and calls from around the world thanking him for his free in-depth materials.

Even though money was already a necessity, Kelly insists that biblical tithing was always only food from farmers and herdsmen in Israel under the Old Covenant. It was never commanded as an eternal moral principle of the New Covenant to the Church. He says that churches which teach mandatory tithing ignore the context and take money from the disadvantaged which they need for medicine and basic necessities. Salvation is not “By Grace Plus 10%.”

“This is a growing scandal,” Kelly says, “and it is being treated like a taboo subject. The most bold preachers suddenly run or get angry when asked to discuss tithing. Sincere members are often accused of being trouble-makers. We simply request a close re-examination of God’s Word concerning tithing.”

“While many members should give more, it is wrong to threaten good loving (but poor and sick) church members with a curse from God if they cannot give the first 10% to the church. These often either leave church or keep attending while feeling unwelcome and incapable of being accepted by God. Today the very lowest income class pays the largest percentage to charity and most remain in poverty. Neither the lottery nor the tithe is a magic get-rich-quick answer to replace education, determination and hard work. Yet if Malachi 3:10 really worked for New Covenant Christians, then millions of poor tithing Christians would have escaped poverty and would have become the wealthiest group of people in the world instead of remaining the poorest. There is no evidence that the vast majority of poor “tithe-payers” are ever blessed financially merely because they tithe. Neither the Old Covenant blessings nor curses apply to Christians who were never under that covenant.”

“The Internet reflects increasing opposition from thousands of web sites, books, essays and bloggers.” Kelly’s writings and free download book can be found at www.ShouldtheChurchTeachTithing.com. Over 10,000 copies of his book have been downloaded.

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