This topic contains 17 replies, has 13 voices, and was last updated by 
-
Posts
-
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when I heard about this. Many people have left the abusive church I left two years ago. And this is the church that many of them are going to. I went there a couple times but realized it wasn’t for me. Money back guarantee on the tithe isn’t a bad deal, huh? I wonder how many asked for and got their refund?
Keeping your money in your account is cursed???
You’re under a curse if you don’t tithe???You tithe for the rest of this year to Gateway Church and if you are not fully satisfied he’ll give you your money back.
And he wants you to tithe for your own good.
You are loosing your jobs, your income, your kids because you don’t tithe.A pretty good deal for 10%.
-
This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by
David Hayward.
Very much like a Vineyard church I used to attend. The tithe was a huge deal and you had to give even if you were in dire financial need because “they wanted you to experience the blessings tithing would bring.”
It makes me angry to think about it. So glad I was able to leave the church.
AnonymousAng – thanks for sharing that video. I saw that same pastor about a year ago on James Robison’s TV program. He was telling this “true story” of how God told him to give his car away, so he did. Then within just a day or two God gave him an even better car. What a bunch of manipulative bullshit! I can’t believe how gullible I used to be to believe crap like that!
Happy – I’m glad I left the church too!!!
I feel very sad for my mom, because she is very very financially deficient…yet she still thinks she has to “give money to god”. I’m happy that at least she isn’t giving it to any churches or church organizations..but she NEEDS that money. She’s so convinced that God will bless her more for using part of her money to give to charity or help others. I know her heart is very good behind it, but it makes me sad when she tells me how she cannot afford the gas to get to work..and I think to myself that she would if she kept that money to herself, and only gave when she actually has extra at the end of the month. *sigh* And so far, she just keeps getting more and more and more in dire financial straits, and she’s wondering why she doesn’t “feel more blessed”…
AnonymousThat is so sad about your mom’s tithing/financial situation Mox. Just attach the word “God” to any concept and people are guilted into believing it. Been there done that myself!
One time I was watching TBN (GAG!) and Jan Crouch (Gag Again!) was asking people to contribute to her “Smile of a Child” campaign, which gives dolls to little children in foreign countries. (Who can resist a cause like that???) She actually had the audacity to beg “little mothers” to send in some of the grocery money they had scrimped and saved! I just about fell out of my chair!!! Talk about wolves in sheep’s clothing!
I just said to my husband a few minutes ago, that I would NEVER give if it’s taking bare NECESSITIES away from my children. I believe in sharing what I can, but I can’t see making my children have less food to eat so a kid who also needs food to eat can have a frickin DOLL! Yikes…
We played this game at the church I was on staff at as well. The senior pastor would always share the story about how tithing had worked for him. None of us had the stones to challenge him on it and bring up the numerous people in the congregation who had faithfully tithed and yet faced financial ruin.
Hey Moxie, suggest to your mom that she convert her tithe into cash and toss it up in the air towards Heaven. Tell her that God will grab all that he needs from her and will drop the rest back to her for her to use as her needs and her heart desires.
Chad
Chad, I like this. I think I’ll try it.
My pastor once quipped that disasters were pay dirt. And it still took years to leave.
AnonymousOmg, you guys, I forgot about Jan Crouch. Then I see all of these articles about the scandals. where I grew up in the orange hills in orange county Jan and Paul lived a few neighborhoods over. In a much larger house than ours. This was when her hair consistently had a pink or lavender tone to it. One night my brother and I where we were in 9th and 7th grade ran into Jan at the local Longs Drugstore. She was in line in front of us. I (being the sardonic bitch I am) told her that my brother wanted to dye his hair pink and asked her what she used. She was in the front of the line, and paying the cashier when she told the lady to hold on a second, and walk Ryan and I to the hair dye aisle and showed us which one. We thanked her profusely. And laughed the whole way home. I like to think of that as my payback for all of the people she cheated out of money.
Just doing my part.
AnonymousAsh – I can’t believe the Crouches only lived a couple blocks away from you when you were a kid! The hair dye story is too funny!
I have read some pretty disturbing accusations about the entire Crouch family – that Matt has flashed his genitals at staff members, and that one of Jan & Paul’s granddaughters (early teens) was raped by a thirty-something fellow staff member and Jan and Paul swept the whole incident under the carpet! They not only FAILED to comfort their traumatized granddaughter but they chose NOT to hold the abuser accountable AT ALL! (It was far more important that they protect “TBN’s image” at all costs – so those $$$ would keep pouring in!) That just makes me want to PUKE!
AnonymousTwo different thoughts here–
1. My husband and I decided never to tithe directly to a church again. We do believe in giving out of our abundance, so we set aside a certain amount of money each paycheck and decide as a family how to use it for charity. The kids are becoming responsible, loving children who think deeply about the causes and people they want to help. Our son always wants to help kids, especially those who are battling cancer. Our daughter is a budding environmentalist who wants to help save endangered species. We’ve taught both of them how to save and how to give out of their own allowances. Part of this came from the irresponsible way we saw our last church spend money. One time, they payed $25,000 (yes, you read that right) to have glossy, full-color brochures made up describing all their “charitable” work in the community/world–then had church members walk the neighborhoods putting them on people’s porches. I said at the time, “If they were doing anything worth mentioning, they wouldn’t need to advertise it.”
2. Re: churches covering up sex abuse. Oh, that is soooo common. I truly believe that church culture contributes directly to the abuse itself, particularly in regard to “modesty/purity culture” and the idea that men’s sexuality is tied directly to women’s behavior or dress. If we don’t dress sexy enough, we’re to blame when our husbands stray (including same-sex affairs–see Mark Driscoll’s opinion about Ted Haggard–and child rape). On the other hand, if we dress too sexy, then it’s license for men to take what they want without our consent because we were “asking for it.” Ugh. And when it all goes wrong, to save face (because everyone knows that the not sexy/too sexy thing is utter bullshit), they have to cover it up and lie about it.
AnonymousAmy – I know what you mean about giving out of your abundance to help others financially. And it’s really great that you are encouraging your kids to also give to others! I will never give money to another church again either, but since leaving the church, I continue to give the same amount I used to give to the church to people I run across who are in need. I find it so much more meaningful than putting a check in the offering plate to help pay the church’s rent or light bill!
i can’t even watch it. seen it live so many times
AnonymousWait, I didn’t hear anything about getting some Miracle Spring Water or a little special Prayer Cloth in return for the tithe. Guy needs to work on his routine and offer some shards from the Last Supper Dishware Collection or s o m e t h i n g, sheesh!
-
This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.