Posted on 05/21/2003 2:24:17 PM PDT by Onelifetogive
Church revenues are down in the past 12 months. One reason may well be the decline in the proportion of Christians who tithe. Among the highlights of this week’s report, regarding tithing, are the following:
The proportion of adults who tithe has dropped by 62% in the past year.
Just 6% of born again households tithed to their church in 2002.
Tithing, when it occurs, is generally among Protestants: 5% of adults who attend Protestant churches tithed last year, compared to less than one-tenth of 1% among Catholics.
Among the groups most likely to tithe are people over 55, college graduates, evangelicals, Republicans, conservatives, and residents of the South – but there was no segment among which at least 10% tithed.
(Excerpt) Read more at barna.org ...
I don't see how tithing could drop 62% in one year.
Possibly, it is because of the definition of tithing (Giving 10%.) If a large # of people gave 10% last year and 9.5% this year, then tithing dropped dramatically, although total giving didn't.
I am 5 out of 6! (Only 35 years old.)
1 of 20 Protestants tithe but only 1 of 1000 Catholics do? What gives?
Catholics are cheapskates. They've never been taught that it is a REQUIREMENT of being a responsible member of the Catholic community to support it, according to your means.
We've got professionals making six figures dropping ten bucks into the basket on Sunday. They likley drop more on the lottery.
How can they keep the doors open at that rate. They must have their Church buildings paid for a long time ago. Maybe those bingos are bringing in more money then we expect.
Maybe the "cheapskates",as you call them,just woke up to the fact that their money was going to pay a bunch of dissidents on the chancery and "Social-Justice" staffs to go down to state and national legislatures and lobby for higher taxes for everyone.Or maybe they got sick of paying to have renovators get paid big bucks to rip out the beautiful artworks,altars,stained glass windows and altar rails that their parents and grandparents paid for,and replace them with dreck.Or,it just might be that some people after reporting and questioning the monies spent on new missals and hymnals and textbooks and other eever changing reading material just got fed up with the whole thing. There were probably others who got wind of how much money was going to lawyers and to pay off families and decided the abusers could take it out of their own pockets.
There are many who would be happy to give more when and if the bishops show some evidence of their Catholicity and start telling the truth. Until then,they can just keep dancing as fast as they can.
And stop calling Catholics "cheapskates",unless of course you are soeaking for yourself and your friends but in that case,you should qualify it,on the front end. Or do I have to follow you around and help explain what you mean when you say what you say?
soeaking ='s speaking or squeaking,whatever you choose.
Catholics have always been financial skanks, especially when compared to Protestants. Stewardship means giving according to your means, not dropping in a dollar or two a week.
I assure you, sara, I give more than my share to my Church.
You're going to follow me around and screech at me anyway, sara, no matter what I say. It's what you do.
Does it all require the giving of time and talent as well as treasure?
We just completed a "Stewardship Pledge" drive in our parish, where we were asked to fill out a six page questionnaire, volunteering time, talent and treasure.
Our church started allowing donations through a monthly credit card debit, and the pastor told me nearly 20% of the parish is taking advantage of this option.
Once a year they also put on some big,old nun,who in place of a sermon talks about all the old retired nuns that must be taken care of now that they have no young nuns. The nun talking is usually employed by the government,the one I am thinking of makes about $79,000. I always send a little note to the pastor telling him to tell the nun to give her salary back to the order and give up her apartment or house that she shares with another "worldly" nun. I add that most men in the parish don't make the money they do and have families to support. Finally,three years with me sending the same note back because it was the same nun,whose salary I did know,they brought on a nun from another order.
Salvation, think about all the charities,schools and churches Catholics have supported for all through the years,if the non-Catholics give so much,where does it all go?After all there are many more of them than there are of us.I do believe giving has diminished since the 60's and I think it's for the reasons I cited in my earlier post.
One of my sons gives at least twenty dollars every week,he just throws it in the collection basket. I asked him why he didn't write a check and use it as a deduction,he said "mom,remember what Jesus said about praying in public? Well, I believe what we give should not be for a tax deduction or so that everybody sees and thinks,that guy is very generous, God knows what I give and that's all that matters". BTW,he does not have a whole lot of money at all. Just some thoughts.
An unfounded generalization. You have any facts to back this up?
They've never been taught that it is a REQUIREMENT of being a responsible member of the Catholic community to support it, according to your means.
The simple rule for Christian giving is clearly stated by Saint Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:7
"So let each one give as he proposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."
And this is very clearly taught in every Parish I've ever been in.
We've got professionals making six figures dropping ten bucks into the basket on Sunday. They likley drop more on the lottery.
Sounds to me like they're giving as they propose in their heart. But that's not for you to judge.
Uh, the article that started this thread.
Sounds to me like they're giving as they propose in their heart. But that's not for you to judge.
They're skinflints. Even you can judge that.
Look, it's been known for a hundred years that Catholics don't donate to our Churches the way Protestants donate to theirs. It's a fact, whatever the reasons.
What if your parish council made it clear to you that you were not welcome if you didn't pay your way? There are LOTS of Protestant churches that do this, to their credit.
And just how do you propose that a parish council enforce its will?
Oh, they can't.
How do you feel about wealthy Catholics skating on donating to the Church?
We have an average Sunday Mass attendance of 7,000 on a Sunday. If everybody dropped in a buck, well, you do the math. Instead, we've got, maybe 10% who give 5-10%, when there are at least 50% of the parish who could likely afford the 5% of gross.
And nobody tells them they should.
Tithing is not a requirement for Catholics. Never has been or never will be. The NT teaching refers to almsgiving.
Look, it's been known for a hundred years that Catholics don't donate to our Churches the way Protestants donate to theirs. It's a fact, whatever the reasons.
I don't know this is a fact. Perhaps you can enlighten me. There are poor Parishes and there are wealthy ones. You find the same thing in Protestant Churches.
What if your parish council made it clear to you that you were not welcome if you didn't pay your way?
Since this is a hypothetical question I'll answer the same way. I suppose I would find another Parish.
There are LOTS of Protestant churches that do this, to their credit.
Name one.
First Baptist Church of Euless; the Church of the Rock, Euless; First Baptist Church of Arlington, Tx.
There's three, right off the top of my head.
I'm as disgusted by that as you are.
In my childhood parish, there were several old money families, and a number of prosperous businessmen and professionals.
And I know that my father gave more from a sole breadwinner school principal's salary than the wealthiest members of the parish, who came from one of the richest families in Nova Scotia.
Since I can't give much money to my parish in Ottawa while I'm in law school, I give them time and labour to partially make up for what I was contributing when I was working full-time.
I challenge your "you are not welcome" statement. But even if this is true, these Churches will eventually reap what they sow since this isn't the message of the gospel.
Exactly. As long as you do it with a cheerful heart thats what we're called to do. It isn't always about money.
They can afford to be picky; their churches are packed, every single Sunday.
For now.
Simple. A typical Catholic parish may have over 1,000 members. A typical Protestant congregation may have more like 100 members. They need to give a higher percentage in order to make up the disparity of numbers.
Also, many Catholics give directly to charities rather than running it through the diocesan equivalent of the United Way.
"First Baptist Church of Euless; the Church of the Rock, Euless; First Baptist Church of Arlington, Tx."
I am curious as to how you know this?
People I know (two of them neighbors) who get visits from a representative of the dreaded "Stewardship committee."
What a surprise!
I wholeheartedly agree and used to do this myself. However, down the road it can backfire. Parishes keep logs of who contributes and how much, then at a time when a parishoner needs something, the powers that be look at the notes to see if that person is an "active member". It's always been that way in my diocese.
Bingo is big business. And then there are the raffles, too!
I don't think 10% is a rule anyway.
One way - The organization decides how many churches to build, not individual congregations. They build far fewer buildings than Protestants. A typical Protestant facility with 500 people might house 10,000 Catholics. The Catholics typically attend one Mass per week while many of the same Mass is held (i.e. same readings, same homily.) A typical Protestant (other than in a high-growth mode) has multiple services with the same people at each (i.e. Sunday Morning, Sunday Evening, Wednesday night.)
This one suprises me! My brother-in-law and his wife homeschool 5 children. The are exceedingly faithful in the support of their church. Homeschooling requires strong character, so does giving!
Not trying to start something, but I see it as a practice I am obligated to perform. Why? Based on my private interpretation of scripture.
The word "require" here throws me! My church doesn't (and can't) require anything. Interestingly, my Pastor doesn't even know who gives (money) and who doesn't. Says it would bias him against those who dress nice, drive expensive cars and don't give.
As far as time and talent, highly encouraged and facilitated, but no way to require.
I would bet that 50 - 75% of our congregation is active in some type of ministry. We have a list of active ministries several pages long. We also produce a Christmas drama each year with a cast of approximately 1/2 the church. Financed by the cast (not church funds.) The proceeds of the performances (donations) go to our local Sav-a-Life (Crisis Pregnancy Center) ministry.
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