Jesus Christ vs the Evangelical Tithe

Jesus Christ vs the Evangelical Tithe

# 33: We are all good at what we do, and this truism includes the practiced preacher intent on convincing his audience that God demands ten percent of their income. A (imprecise) quotation: “Some say christians are not bound by the Mosaic law, but tithing came before the law; the New Testament declares that Abraham tithed to Melchizedek before Moses.” This is trickery.

Most of his trusting listeners would assume by the statement – “Abraham tithed to Melchizedek” – that Abraham tithed regularly to Melchizedek, not just one occasion. Consider….

An (imaginary) old evangelical who had been chintzy all his life was now on his deathbed. A few weeks previous, knowing his end was imminent, he – on one occasion! – surrendered his tenth to his church. Wanting his offspring to dutifully tithe, he tells them, “I tithed and you should also.” The children assumed the old man tithed not once but regularly. The sly, old man, like the sly preacher, did not lie, not technically, but was nonetheless misleading.

Such trickery (treachery?) is not uncommon within evangelicalism. The end (the financing of his religion and his salary) justifies the means. Evangelicals are easily duped because acceptance and approval of Pastor Whoever are more cherished than approval of Jesus Christ.