Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Tithe of the Tithe Con Game



It is Feast of Tabernacles time, did you send in your tithe of the tithe so your respective church could finance its Feast sites?  At least that is the con game they told you they would use it for. 

After Herbert Armstrong dreamed up this 4th tithe, the hundreds of splinter groups continue this nonbiblical tradition to this day.

While many COG families struggle to get to the Feast and stay in the cheapest hotels as possible, or even camp, those above them are staying in the finest hotels and eating extravagant dinners while downing the best alcohol they can afford.

Some of that 4th tithe money goes to pay for these ministers and Feast coordinators hotel rooms and food during the feast.  Or it goes to people like Lil'Jimmy Meredith who was paid to travel cost-free to Hawaii and other areas to check out feast sites.

Many COG members through the decades refused to send it in.  With their churches bragging incessantly on how much money they took in on Holy Days, why would they continue to fund the privileged elite?

Like the old Worldwide Church of God, ministers in many COG groups get Feast bonuses of thousands of dollars for them to spend at the Feast. Add to that the travel vouchers for rental cars and food allowances, and these people are sitting pretty while you send in your hard-earned money to keep them all happy.

Next year, take that tithe of the tithe and take your family out to a nice dinner, take an excursion at feast site,  or overindulge your wife and children, but don't fund these crooks!  They have the money to pay for these sites so don't fall for their lies.

19 comments:

TLA said...

Plus the overpriced hotel rooms.
The special group rate for the hotel room at my final COG feast was 20% higher than booking it at my personal rate.

Anonymous said...

The ministers get travel vouchers, rental cars, food allowances etc, and in return the members get to hear Kenneth Copeland type sermons. Justice would be that the ministers pay the members for having to endure such bland sermons.

What About The Truth said...

Herbert Armstrong instituted the Tithe of Tithe as a monetary version of the first-fruits that were to be given unto the Levitical priests. His reasoning was that we are no longer in an agrarian system, but a monetary system. So the Tithe of Tithe supplanted the requirement of the first-fruit offering except for the fact that many in the day didn't know this and were faithfully practicing giving their first-fruits from their farm or large garden unto the ministry or headquarters in addition to the TOT.

It was always known as 1:59AM stated that the special rate the members got was not the cheapest rate available. In this modern age, I think the burden upon the member is far greater, for a resort is booked and the church guarantees the resort will have a fixed amount of rooms at the going resort rate in exchange for the use of the conference room.

This burden upon the member came to a head in the RCG one year when about 25% of the registered members at one Feast site made housing arrangements elsewhere. Dave Pack found out and opened a sermon with the demand that that hotel had better be filled because YOU are going to cost the church money and YOU are going to take funds away from the ordained work of God.

I guess there actually shouldn't be any complaint to the obeisance of TOT. Herbert Armstrong reason that it should go to the Levitical priests as a first fruit, which he translated into the WCG minsitry. That the lay member got anything from TOT should have made those persons much appreciative to the generosity of the church and ministry for sharing what was determined to be rightfully and solely theirs.

Anonymous said...

7.43 AM
Can you please quote scripture/s to back up your point. BTW, monetary systems have historically always being in place. Even in biblical times. The only exception I'm aware of are the Spartans. Now there's egalitarianism for you.
You failed to mention that the ministers have also raided the third tithe fund. They use it to pay ministers pensions. I recall Bob Thiel writing on this while in the LCG. He wrote on his blog that social security is 'broken' and that HWA had forbidden ministers to save for their retirement. How childish is that reasoning?
The ministers are like the Mafia. They always want more of everything.

Anonymous said...

All:

Excuse me, but last I learned math:
10% of 10% = 1% (.10 X .10)

But twice you called it
After Herbert Armstrong dreamed up this 4th tithe
Some of that 4th tithe money

Disagree with the practice is your right, but a least keep the math straight

4th tithe would be another 10$ not 1%

Hatred can blind us to facts

At least keep your facts right

Anonymous said...

I find it interesting I have to agree with most of the comments. There is one group who by comparison is the biggest shyster group yet, COGWA. They want all the money the others do plus more and do nothing with it but line their pockets. The ministry stays in the finest hotels and they don't eat at Mcdonalds plus they don't tithe on anything. Also, most have never had a real job a day in their lives. Isaiah 56:10 to the of the chapter sums up their lifestyle and to hell with the poorest of the people. The ministry hobnobs with the money people and to hell with the little guy who can't further them in some way is snubbed. One soon all will stand before our maker to give an accounting.

Anonymous said...

9.29 AM
Tithe of the second tithe is still a tithe. Your post is typical Herbie marketing.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:29
It is not 10% of 10% = 1%
If you save $100 and your asked to send in 10% or $10.00 that is 10%. A tithe = 10%. The post was about members being asked to tithe on their festival tithe.
Now if anything would take the time to read Leviticus on tithing they would realize 1. The tithe was on the increase of the land. 2. It was taken to Jerusalem. 3. It was given to the Levites. 4. It was placed in the storehouse. Also they were to tithe for 6 years and on the 7th year let it (the land) lie fallow. And after 7 cycles of 7 years was the Jubilee year.
Historians do not agree on how many tithes there was. Was it one divided up between Levite’s and the widows, orphans and the poor. Why would the Levites get a portion of the 3rd tithe if they were already getting the first? Was there a tithe for the feast of tabernacles also. And how did those going up to Jerusalem in the spring (DUB) take care of their journey since the harvest was not till the fall.
The whole subject of tithing revolves around how God provided for Israel. How the jubilee years allowed some people to be free from their debt and start over.
Has any COG taught that you don’t tithe in your 7th year.
Herbert concocted his own ideas about tithing. In one place he said he was from the line of David. Then he turns around and says he is part of the Levitical priesthood. It was always about the money. How much could Herbert GET. I have not even gone into offerings. Suffice it to say the offering were sacrificed on the alter to God. It was never money. If it was an animal, it’s throat was slit and the blood poured out and then placed on the alter. Would not go over to well today at one of the hotel meeting rooms.
Jim-AZ

Byker Bob said...

What part of tithe of tithe do you not understand, 9:29? A tithe is a tenth. A tenth of a tenth is still 10%, you are just starting with a smaller amount to which the tithe applies. So it is a fourth tithe.

BB

What About The Truth said...


9:14 AM, I was referencing from the official WCG church pamplet put out concerning this subject from back in the early 1980's. I would have to go and find that booklet to get the specific scriptures quoted concerning first-fruits and the levitical priesthood.

I was not trying to make a point in my comment. Three statements of fact with a sarcastic last paragraph to loosen up the subject a little bit.

The reasoning behind it all whether labeled childish or misguided or sincere becomes moot to the fact that the subject of tithing(s) entails a square peg and a round hole and a hammer. The end result will be most agreeable with some, and very distasteful to many who can't believe a round hole could become such a convoluted mess.

You shall not come before the Lord empty handed has probably been spoken or will be spoken a thousand times this week. What is not spoken but is implied, is that you had better not come before the Lord empty handed and empty pocketed and it is then determined, whether by church decree or scripture or how inspiring the offertory message is, just how much the church will empty your hand or pockets.

Anonymous said...

1.45 PM
Most ministers did not save for their retirement, giving a "the dog ate my homework" type excuse. They then solve this problem by raiding third tithe. This is beyond childish.

Anonymous said...

Back in the '70s I was appointed to be a 'whatever' it was to monitor a particular hotel in St. Pete at the FOT. It was there I discovered, while doing my duties, that the housing units at that time were required to give 10% of what they collected to wcg, or else they would not be on the rental 'list'. At the time, I thought this is wonderful because more money was going into the "work". We were promised that the church had negotiated special rates and we were not to seek housing outside that, else it was rebelling against the gov't of god. Years later I realized those rates could have been 10% cheaper for the people, but then that might keep extra money from flowing into god's coffers. LOL OOPS! HAHA …. I just didn't know then and even liked it! Grow in grace and knowledge!!

Anonymous said...

David Pack ask the members of RCG to calculate the amount of the tithe of tithe in advance and send it in. Another burden. They don’t even know if they will have work during the year but anyway you have to faithfully send it in. David Pack is always hungry for money. It is just never enough. Be careful, he will take everything.

Anonymous said...

The form pictured is one from the UCG. You would think that org. wouldn't ask for t. of t. seeing that it is supposedly a less extreme version of Armstrongism!

Anonymous said...

7.32 PM
To tolerate all this garbage from Dave and similar, members must be secretly worshipping these leaders and/or the church culture. When I attended services, there were those who constantly went to their minister with every petty complaint. Unleashing violence against others via a attack dog minister, is the antithesis of self responsibility and adulthood. These minister lapdogs have turned their backs on the real world,

Byker Bob said...

The problem, 6:42, is that Dave is a collector of people whom he can persuade to agree with him. His council or board of elders is not unlike the paid "scientists" that advise the president on climate change and environmental issues. Both groups have continuing employment for only so long as they stick to the predetermined conclusions regardless of the actual facts.

BB

Anonymous said...

Anon Oct 18 9:45
COGWA are no different from the main stream of UCG and LCG in regards to tithing. So why single out COGWA ?

Anonymous said...

They should have a box to check, that says-
I will not be contributing to the 2019 Festival Fund. Instead, I will buy FULL SIZE Snickers bars for all the children I can for Halloween.

Mr. Armstrong taught us that God loves quality.
Those "fun-size" candy bars lack the "Kingdom-style" quality of the full sized bars.

Jim said...

Fast cars and police fines. Check up on your Ministers . Our Minister loves his Cars and speedy wheels Jesus has wheels . It's sad to see our / God's Money go into the pockets of a Few devils acting like God.