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[[File:Tithe Pig Group of Derby Porcelain c 1770.jpg|thumb|''The Tithe Pig'', group in [[Derby Porcelain]], c. 1770]]
[[File:Paneum_-_Porzellanfigur_2_Priester.jpg|thumb|[[Porcelain]] figure of a priest collecting the tithe ([[Austria]])]]
A '''tithe''' ({{IPAc-en|t|aɪ|ð}}; from [[Old English]]: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory [[tax]] to government.<ref name=burg>{{cite book |title=A World History of Tax Rebellions |author=David F. Burg |year=2004 |page=viii |publisher=Taylor & Francis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T91k6HAODzAC&pg=PP1 |isbn=9780203500897}}</ref> Today,Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in [[money|cash]] or, [[cheque]]s or more recently via online giving, whereas historically tithes were required and paid [[in kind]], such as agricultural produce. After the [[separation of church and state]], [[church tax]] linked to the tax system are instead used in many countries to support their national church. Donations to the church beyond what is owed in the tithe, or by those attending a congregation who are not members or adherents, are known as [[offering (Christianity)|offerings]], and often are designated for specific purposes such as a building program, debt retirement, or mission work.
 
Many Christian denominations hold [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus]] taught that tithing must be done in conjunction with a deep concern for "justice, mercy and faithfulness" (cf. Matthew 23:23).<ref name="SmithEmerson2008"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Five Views on Law and Gospel |author1=Greg L. Bahnsen |author2=Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. |author3=Douglas J. Moo |author4=Wayne G. Strickland |author5=Willem A. VanGemeren |publisher=[[Zondervan]] |date=21 September 2010 |page=354}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Empire in the New Testament |author1=Stanley E. Porter |author2=Cynthia Long Westfall |publisher=Wipf and Stock |date=Jan 2011 |page=116}}</ref> Tithing was taught at early Christian [[Church Council|church councils]], including the [[Council of Tours 567|Council of Tours in 567]], as well as the [[Third Council of Mâcon]] in 585. Tithing remains an important doctrine in many [[Christian denomination]]s, such as the [[Congregational church]]es, [[Methodist Church]]es and [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]].<ref name="SmithEmerson2008"/> Some Christian Churches, such as those in the Methodist tradition, teach the concept of ''Storehouse Tithing'', which emphasizes that tithes must be prioritized and given to the local church, before offerings can be made to apostolates or charities.<ref name="Black1960">{{cite book |last1=Black |first1=E. W. |title=The Storehouse Plan |date=1960 |publisher=[[Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection]] |location=West Asheville, North Carolina}}</ref><ref name="CON2019">{{cite web |title=Recognizing the importance of storehouse tithing |url=https://www.nazarene.org/article/recognizing-importance-storehouse-tithing |publisher=[[Church of the Nazarene]] |access-date=18 July 2019 |language=en |date=18 April 2019}}</ref>
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===The ''esretu'' – "ešretū" the Ugarit and Babylonian one-tenth tax===
Listed below are someSome specific instances of the [[Mesopotamian]] tithe, taken from ''The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago'', :<ref>Vol. 4 "E" p.&nbsp;369:<ref> {{cite web|url=https://oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/shared/docs/cad_e.pdf|title=The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago|date=1958|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312032447/https://oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/shared/docs/cad_e.pdf |access-date=29 June 2022|archive-date=12 March 2017 }}</ref>
:[Referring to a ten percent tax levied on garments by the local ruler:] "the palace has taken eight garments as your tithe (on 85 garments)"
:"...eleven garments as tithe (on 112 garments)"..
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The [[Torah]] commands the giving of various agricultural tithes in various situations, specifically [[terumah]], [[terumat hamaaser]], the [[first tithe]], [[second tithe]], [[poor tithe]], and [[animal tithe]]. Not all these "tithes" actually had the proportion of {{frac|10}}. These tithes are mentioned in the Books of [[Book of Leviticus|Leviticus]], [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] and [[Book of Deuteronomy|Deuteronomy]].
 
Every year, ''terumah'', first tithe and ''terumat ma'aser'' were separated from the grain, wine and oil.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|14:23|HE}}</ref> (As regards other fruit and produce, the Biblical requirement to tithe is a source of debate.) Terumah did not have a set amount, but the rabbis suggested it be {{frac|50}} of the crop. First tithe was {{frac|10}} of the crop. ''Terumah'' and ''terumat maaser'' were given to priests ([[kohanim]]); the first tithe was given to [[Levites]]. As priests and Levites did not own or inherit a territorial [[Property|patrimony]]<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|18:21-28|HE}}</ref> these tithes were their means of support. The Levites, in turn, separated ''terumat ma'aser'' from their tithe ({{frac|10}} of the tithe, or {{frac|100}} of the crop).
 
The second tithe and poor tithe, both {{frac|10}} of the crop, were taken in an alternating basis according to the seven-year ''[[shmita]]'' cycle. In years 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the cycle, second tithe was taken. In years 3 and 6, poor tithe was taken. (In year 7, private agriculture was prohibited, all crops that grew were deemed ownerless, and no tithes taken.) The [[second tithe]] was kept by the owner, but had to be eaten at the site of the [[Temple in Jerusalem|Temple]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|14:23|HE}}< name="ReferenceA"/ref> (If this was difficult, the second could be redeemed for money which would be used to buy food at the Temple site.<ref>{{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|14:24–26|HE}}</ref>) The [[poor tithe]] was given to the strangers, orphans, and widows, and distributed locally "within thy gates"<ref>{{Bibleverse|Deuteronomy|14:28|HE}}</ref> to support the Levites and assist the poor.
 
An additional tithe, mentioned in {{bibleverse||Leviticus|27:32–33|HE}} is the [[cattle tithe]], which is to be sacrificed as a ''[[korban]]'' at the [[Temple in Jerusalem]].
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* In {{bibleverse|Genesis|28:16–22|HE}}, [[Jacob]], after his [[Vision (spirituality)|visionary]] [[Dream#Abrahamic|dream]] of [[Jacob's Ladder]] and receiving a blessing from God, promises God a tenth of his possessions.
 
Tithing is mentioned several times in the [[Book of Nehemiah]], believedwhich to chroniclechronicles events in the latter half of the 5th century BC. {{bibleverse|Nehemiah|10|HE}} outlines the customs regarding tithing. The Levites were to receive one tenth (the tithe) "in all our farming communities" and a tithe of the tithe were to be brought by them to the temple for storage.<ref name="Quiggle2009">{{cite book|author=James D. Quiggle|title=Why Christians Should Not Tithe: A History of Tithing and a Biblical Paradigm for Christian Giving|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o0ZMAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA52|date=1 August 2009|publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers|isbn=978-1-60608-926-2|pages=52–3}}</ref> {{bibleverse|Nehemiah|13:4-19|HE}} recounts how [[Eliashib (High Priest)|Eliashib]] gave [[Tobiah (Ammonite)|Tobiah]] office space in the temple in a room that had previously been used to store tithes while Nehemaiah was away.<ref name="Quiggle2009"/> When Nehemiah returned he called it an evil thing, threw out all Tobiah's household items and had his rooms purified so that they could once more be used for tithes.<ref name="Seminary1985">{{cite book|author=Dallas Theological Seminary|title=The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tSJWE-sR5HkC&pg=PA695|year=1985|publisher=David C Cook|isbn=978-0-88207-813-7|pages=695–}}</ref>
 
The [[Book of Malachi]] has one of the most quoted Biblical passages about tithing. God (according to Malachi) promises that ofif the Jews begin to keep the laws of tithing, God will "open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need".<ref>{{Bibleverse|Malachi|3:6–12|HE}}</ref>
 
==Deuterocanonical==
{{further|Deuterocanonical books|Biblical apocrypha}}
The [[Deuterocanonical books|deuterocanonical]] [[Book of Tobit]] provides an example of all three classes of tithes practiced during the [[Babylonian captivity]]:
{{blockquote|"I would often go by myself to Jerusalem on religious holidays, as the Law commanded for every Israelite for all time. I would hurry off to Jerusalem and take with me the early produce of my crops, a tenth of my flocks, and the first portion of the wool cut from my sheep. I would present these things at the altar to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. I would give the first tenth of my grain, wine, olive oil, pomegranates, figs, and other fruit to the Levites who served in Jerusalem. For six out of seven years, I also brought the cash equivalent of the second tenth of these crops to Jerusalem where I would spend it every year. I gave this to orphans and widows, and to Gentiles who had joined Israel. In the third year, when I brought and gave it to them, we would eat together according to the instruction recorded in Moses' Law, as Deborah my grandmother had taught me..."|{{bibleref2bibleverse |Tobit |1:6–8 |CEB}}}}
 
==Judaism==
{{Main|Tithes in Judaism}}
[[Orthodox Jews]] continue to follow the biblical laws of tithes (see [[Tithe#Hebrew Bible|above]]) to a limited extent. As understood by the rabbis, these laws never applied and do not apply outside the [[Land of Israel]]. For produce grown in Israelmodern nowadaysIsrael, the tithes are separated but not given, as currently no Jew can prove they are a priest or Levite and thus entitled to the produce. Instead, a custom has arisen to tithe 10% of one's earnings to charity (''ma'aser kesafim'').<ref>Norman Solomon, ''Historical Dictionary of Judaism'', Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2015, p. 459</ref><ref>Sara E. Karesh, Mitchell M. Hurvitz, ''Encyclopedia of Judaism'', Infobase Publishing, USA, 2005, p. 521</ref>
 
The [[Mishnah]] and [[Talmud]] contain analysis of the [[Maaser Rishon|first tithe]], [[Maaser Sheni|second tithe]] and [[Maaser Ani|poor tithe]].<ref>See {{Cite Jewish Encyclopedia |noicon=1|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10232-ma-aserot |title=MA'ASEROT}}</ref>
 
Animals are not tithed in the presentmodern era when the Temple is not standing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1062899/jewish/Perek-6.htm |title=Mishneh Torah, Sefer Korbanot: Bechorot, Perek 6, Halacha 2 |author=Maimonides |author-link=Maimonides|website=Chabad.org}}</ref>
 
==Christianity==
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Many churches practiced tithing, as it was taught by the [[Second Council of Tours|Council of Tours in 567]], and in the [[Third Council of Mâcon]] in AD 585, a penalty of [[excommunication]] was prescribed for those who did not adhere to this ecclesiastical law.<ref name="Babbs1912">{{cite book |last=Babbs |first=Arthur Vergil |title=The Law of the Tithe as Set Forth in the Old Testament |url=https://archive.org/details/lawoftitheassetf00babb |year=1912 |publisher=Fleming H. Revell Company |page=[https://archive.org/details/lawoftitheassetf00babb/page/140 140] |quote=Tithes were recommended by the Second Council of Tours, AD 567; and excommunication was added to the command to observe the tithing law, by the Third Council of Mâcon, which met in 585.}}</ref> Tithes can be given to the Church at once (as is the custom in many Christian countries with a [[church tax]]), or distributed throughout the year; during the part of [[Western Christian]] liturgies known as the [[offertory]], people often place a portion of their tithes (sometimes along with additional offerings) in the collection plate.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2009/march/passing-plate.html |title=Passing the Plate |last=Rogers |first=Mark |year=2009 |magazine=[[Christianity Today]] |access-date=20 April 2018 |quote=After America ended state support of churches in the early 19th century, the collection of "tithes and offerings" became a standard feature of Sunday morning worship.}}</ref>
 
{{bibleref2bibleverse |2Corinthians |9:7||2 Corinthians 9:7}} talks about giving cheerfully, {{bibleref2bibleverse |2Corinthians |8:12||2 Corinthians 8:12}} encourages giving what youone can afford, {{bibleref2bibleverse |1Corinthians |16:1–2||1 Corinthians 16:1–2}} discusses giving weekly (although this is a saved amount for [[First Christian church|Jerusalem]]), {{bibleref2bibleverse |1Timothy |5:17–18| |1 Timothy 5:17–18}} exhorts supporting the financial needs of Christian workers, {{bibleref2bibleverse |Acts |11:29}} promotes feeding the hungry wherever they may be and {{bibleref2bibleverse |James |1:27}} states that pure religion is to help widows and orphans.<ref name="SmithEmerson2008"/>
 
According to a 2018 study by LifeWay Research that interviewed 1,010 Americans, 86% of people with [[Evangelical]] beliefs say that tithe is still a biblical commandment today.<ref>Bob Smietana, [https://lifewayresearch.com/2018/05/10/churchgoers-say-they-tithe-but-not-always-to-the-church/ Churchgoers Say They Tithe, But Not Always to the Church], lifewayresearch.com, USA, 10 May 2018</ref> InOf thisthose numbersurveyed, 87% of [[Baptist]] believers, 86% of [[Pentecostal]] believers, 81% of [[Non-denominational]] believers share this position.
 
===Denominational positions===
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====Anabaptist Churches====
The [[Mennonite Church USA|Mennonite Church]] teaches that "tithing as a minimum baseline is one of the principles on which financial giving in this '[[first fruits]]' system is based":<ref name="SmithEmerson2008"/>
{{blockquote|We depend on God's gracious gifts for food and clothing, for our salvation, and for life itself. We do not need to hold on tightly to money and possessions, but can share what God has given us. The practice of mutual aid is a part of sharing God's gifts so that no one in the family of faith will be without the necessities of life. Whether through community of goods or other forms of financial sharing, mutual aid continues the practice of Israel in giving special care to widows, orphans, aliens, and others in economic need (Deut. 24:17–22). Tithes and first-fruit offerings were also a part of this economic sharing (Deut. 26; compare Matt. 23:23).<ref name="SmithEmerson2008"/>}}
 
====Baptist Churches====
The [[Southern Baptist Convention]] resolved in 2013 to "exhort all Southern Baptists to tithe cheerfully and give sacrificially as good stewards of God’s blessings to their local churches."<ref>{{Cite web |title=On Tithing, Stewardship, And The Cooperative Program |url=https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/resolutions/on-tithing-stewardship-and-the-cooperative-program/ |access-date=2024-03-09 |website=www.sbc.net/ |language=en-US}}</ref> Article XIII the [[Baptist Faith and Message]] recognizes a Christian obligation to contribute without specifically mention a tithe.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Baptist Faith and Message |url=https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/#xiii |website=Sbc.net |at=XIII. Stewardship}}</ref> Other Southern Baptists do not observe a tithe, only an offering. Representing [[Southern Baptist Theological Seminary|Southern Seminary]], Professor Tom Schreiner states, "Is a tithe required? ... I would say no, because a tithe is part of the Mosaic covenant."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schreiner |first=Thomas R. |date=2017-09-06 |title=Is tithing required today? |url=https://equip.sbts.edu/video/tithing-required-today/ |access-date=2024-03-09 |website=Southern Equip |language=en-US}}</ref>
The [[National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.|National Baptist Convention of America]] teaches that "Baptists believe that a proper sense of stewardship begins with the 'tithe'; a presentation of which belongs to Him. 'The tithe is the Lord's.' We have not given as a result of presenting the tithe. Our giving begins with the offering {after we have tithed}."<ref name="SmithEmerson2008"/>▼
 
▲The [[National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.|National Baptist Convention of America]] teaches that "Baptists believe that a proper sense of stewardship begins with the 'tithe'; a presentation of which belongs to Him. 'The tithe is the Lord's.' We have not given as a result of presenting the tithe. Our giving begins with the offering {after we have tithed}."<ref name="SmithEmerson2008" />
The Treatise of the [[National Association of Free Will Baptists]], Chapter XVI, specifically states that both the Old and New Testaments "teach tithing as God's financial plan for the support of His work."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nafwb.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2016-FWB-Treatise.pdf |title=A TREATISE of the Faith and Practices of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc.|website=Nafwb.org|access-date=29 June 2022}}</ref>▼
 
▲The Treatise of the [[National Association of Free Will Baptists]], Chapter XVI, specifically states that both the Old and New Testaments "teach tithing as God's financial plan for the support of His work."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nafwb.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2016-FWB-Treatise.pdf |title=A TREATISE of the Faith and Practices of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc.|website=Nafwb.org|access-date=29 June 2022}}</ref>
The [[Southern Baptist Convention]], in Article XIII of its [[Baptist Faith and Message]], states that "God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others. According to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer's cause on earth."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sbc.net/bfm2000/bfm2000.asp|title = The Baptist Faith and Message|website=Sbc.net}}</ref> The tithe is not specifically mentioned, but traditionally it is taught and practiced in Southern Baptist churches.
 
====Catholic Church====
The [[Council of Trent]], which was held after the [[Reformation]], taught that "tithes are due to God or to religion, and that it is sacrilegious to withhold them",<ref name="Croly1834">{{cite book |last=Croly |first=David O. |title=An Essay Religious and Political on Ecclesiastical Finance, as regards the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, etc |year=1834 |publisher=John Bolster |language=en |page=72 |quote=The Council of Trent – the last general Council – declares that "tithes are due to God or to religion, and that it is sacrilegious to withold them." And one of the six precepts of the Church commands the faithful "to pay tithes to their pastors."}}</ref> but the Catholic Church no longer requires anyone to give ten percent of income.<ref name=":0" /> The Church now simply asks Catholics to support the mission of their parish.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grondin |first1=Charles |title=What Did Trent Mean By "Tithes"? |url=https://www.catholic.com/qa/what-did-trent-mean-by-tithes|website=Catholic.com}}</ref> According to the [[Catechism of the Catholic Church]] "The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his own abilities"<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c3a3.htm|title=Catechism of the Catholic Church #2043|website=Vatican.ca|access-date=29 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/cic_index_en.html|title=Code of Canon Law: Table of Contents|website=Vatican.va|access-date=29 June 2022}}</ref>
 
====Lutheran Churches====
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====Methodist Churches====
''[[Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection|The Discipline of The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection]]'', which teaches the doctrine of the Storehouse Tithing, holds:<ref name="Black1960"/><ref name="AWMC2014">{{cite book |title=The Discipline of the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection (Original Allegheny Conference) |year=2014 |publisher=[[Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection]]|location=Salem |language=en |pages=133–166}}</ref> {{quotationblockquote |That all our people pay to God at least one-tenth of all their increase as a minimum financial obligation, and freewill offerings in addition as God has prospered them. The tenth is figured upon the tither's gross income in salary or net increase when operating a business.<ref name="AWMC2014"/>}}
 
The [[Book of Discipline (United Methodist)|Book of Discipline]] of the [[United Methodist Church]] states that it is the responsibility of ecclesiastics to "educate the local church that tithing is the minimum goal of giving in The United Methodist Church."<ref name="SmithEmerson2008">{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Christian |last2=Emerson |first2=Michael O|last3=Snell |first3=Patricia |title=Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don't Give Away More Money |date=29 September 2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |isbn=9780199714117 |pages=215–227}}</ref>
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The [[International Pentecostal Holiness Church]] likewise instructs the faithful that:<ref name="SmithEmerson2008"/>
{{quotationblockquote|Our commitment to Jesus Christ includes stewardship. According to the Bible everything belongs to God. We are stewards of His resources. Our stewardship of possessions begins with the tithe. All our members are expected to return a tenth of all their income to the Lord.<ref name="SmithEmerson2008"/>}}
 
====Reformed Churches====
The [[Book of Order]] of the [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]] states, with respect to the obligation to tithe:<ref name="PMA1997"/>
{{quotationblockquote|"Giving has always been a mark of Christian commitment and discipleship. The ways in which a believer uses God's gifts of material goods, personal abilities, and time should reflect a faithful response to God's self-giving in Jesus Christ and Christ's call to minister to and share with others in the world. Tithing is a primary expression of the Christian discipline of stewardship".<ref name="PMA1997">{{cite web |url=https://www.presbyterianmission.org/what-we-believe/stewardship/ |title=Presbyterian Mission Agency Stewardship |year=1997 |publisher=Presbyterian Mission Agency |language=en |access-date=20 April 2018}}</ref>}}
 
The [[United Church of Christ]], a denomination in the [[Congregationalist]] tradition, teaches that:<ref name="SmithEmerson2008"/>
{{quotationblockquote|When we tithe we place God as our first priority. We trust in God's abundance instead of worrying about not having enough. Tithing churches live out a vision of abundance rather than a mentality of scarcity.<ref name="SmithEmerson2008"/>}}
 
====The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints====
{{Main|Tithing in Mormonism}}
[[File:Tithing_forms_and_envelopes.jpg|thumb|Tithing forms and envelopes in an LDS meetinghouse.]]
[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) bases its tithing on the following additional scriptures:<ref>{{citation |url= http://www.lds.org/manual/primary-6-old-testament/lesson-44-malachi-teaches-about-tithes-and-offerings |contribution= Lesson 44: Malachi Teaches about Tithes and Offerings |title= Primary 6: Old Testament |publisher= LDS Church |year= 1996 |pages= 196–201 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150224044120/https://www.lds.org/manual/primary-6-old-testament/lesson-44-malachi-teaches-about-tithes-and-offerings |archive-date= 24 February 2015 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>
 
{{blockquote|And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.|[[Doctrine and Covenants]] {{LDS| |dc |119 |3 |4}} (see also {{LDS |Doctrine and Covenants |dc |64 |23 |24}})}}
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[[Image:tithe redemption map.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Tithe map for the property]]
[[File:Elmsett tithe memorial, Suffolk.jpg|thumb|180px|[[Elmsett]] tithe memorial in Suffolk, England, opposite the parish church, protesting against a tithe seizure]]
Tithing is currently defined by the church as payment of one-tenth of one's annual income. Many church leaders have made statements in support of tithing.<ref>
{{cite web |url= http://www.lds.org/topics/tithing/what-the-church-teaches |title=Gospel Topics – What the Church Teaches about Tithing |work=lds.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224051325/https://www.lds.org/topics/tithing/what-the-church-teaches |archive-date=24 February 2015 |df= dmy-all}}
</ref> Every [[Latter-day Saint]] has an opportunity once a year to meet with their [[bishop (Latter Day Saints)|bishop]] for [[tithing declaration]]. The payment of tithes is mandatory for members to receive the [[priesthood (LDS Church)|priesthood]] or obtain a temple recommend for admission to [[temple (LDS Church)|temples]].
 
The LDS Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a [[lay ministry]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1993/10/combatting-spiritual-drift-our-global-pandemic?lang=eng&query=lay+ministry|title=Combatting Spiritual Drift – Our Global Pandemic|author=Russell M. Nelson |work=lds.org}}</ref> The money that is given is used to construct and maintain its buildings as well as to further the work of the church.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mormon.org/faq/topic/tithing|title=FAQ – Mormon.org|author=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints |work=mormon.org}}</ref> None of the funds collected from tithing is paid to local church officials or those who serve in the church. Those serving in full-time church leadership do receive stipends for living expenses, but they are paid from non-tithing resources, such as investments.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} [[Brigham Young University]], a church-sponsored institution, also receives "a significant portion"{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} of its maintenance and operating costs from tithes of the church's members.
 
===Church collection of religious offerings and taxes===
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====End of the tithing system====
The system gradually ended with the [[Tithe Commutation Act 1836]], whose long-lasting Tithe Commission replaced them with a commutation payment, land award and/or rentcharges to those paying the commutation payment and took the opportunity to map out (apportion) residual [[chancel repair liability]] where the rectory had been appropriated during the medieval period by a religious house or college. Its records givegiving a snapshot of land ownership in most parishes, the Tithe Files, are a socio-economic history resource. The rolled-up payment of several years' tithe would be divided between the tithe-owners as at the date of their extinction.<ref name=na>[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/tithes/ How to look for records of Tithes – The History of Tithes] The National Archives</ref>
 
This commutation reduced problems to the ultimate payers by effectively folding tithes in with rents however, it could cause transitional money supply problems by raising the transaction demand for money. Later the decline of large landowners led [[leasehold estate|tenants]] to become [[freehold (English law)|freeholders]] and again have to pay directly; this also led to renewed objections of principle by non-[[Anglican]]s.<ref>One account of the objections in the 1920s and 1930s appears in the book ''The Tithe War'' by [[Doreen Wallace]] (London: Gollancz, 1934).</ref> It also kept intact a system of chancel repair liability affecting the minority of parishes where the rectory had been lay-appropriated. The precise land affected in such places hinged on the content of documents such as the content of deeds of merger and apportionment maps.<ref name=na/>
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Rent charges in lieu of abolished English tithes paid by landowners were converted by a public outlay of money under the '''Tithe Act 1936''' ([[26 Geo. 5. & 1 Edw. 8]]. c. 43) into [[annuity (financial contracts)|annuities]] paid to the state through the Tithe Redemption Commission. Such payments were transferred in 1960 to the Board of [[Inland Revenue]], and those remaining were terminated by the [[Finance Act 1977]].
 
The '''Tithe Act 1951''' ([[14 & 15 Geo. 6]]. c. 62) established the compulsory redemption of English tithes by landowners where the annual amounts payable were less than £1, so abolishing the bureaucracy and costs of collecting small sums of money.
 
====Greece====
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Germany levies a [[church tax]], on all persons declaring themselves to be Christians, of roughly 8–9% of their income tax, which is effectively (very much depending on the social and financial situation) typically between 0.2% and 1.5% of the total income. The proceeds are shared among Catholic, Lutheran, and other Protestant Churches.<ref name=times/>
 
The church tax (''[[Kirchensteuer]]'') traces its roots back as far as the ''[[Reichsdeputationshauptschluss]]'' of 1803. It was reaffirmed in the [[Reichskonkordat|Concordat of 1933]] between Nazi Germany and the Catholic Church. Today itsIts legal basis is article 140 of the ''[[Grundgesetz]]'' (the German constitution) in connection with article 137 of the [[Weimar Constitution]]. These laws originally merely allowed the churches themselves to tax their members, but in Nazi Germany, collection of church taxes was transferred to the German government. As a result, both the German government and the employer are notified of the religious affiliation of every taxpayer. This system is still in effect today. Mandatory disclosure of religious affiliation to government agencies or employers constituted a violation of the original European data protection directives but is now permitted after the German government obtained an exemption.<ref name=times/>
 
Church tax (''Kirchensteuer'') is compulsory in Germany for those confessing members of a particular religious group. It is deducted at the [[PAYE]] level. The duty to pay this tax theoretically starts on the day one is christened. Anyone who wants to stop paying it has to declare in writing, at their local court of law (''Amtsgericht'') or registry office, that they are leaving the Church. They are then crossed off the Church registers and can no longer receive the sacraments, confession and certain services; a Roman Catholic church may deny such a person a burial plot.<ref name=times>{{cite news |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/faith/article3544885.ece |newspaper=The Times |title=Excommunication for German Catholics who refuse church tax |date=21 September 2012}}</ref> In addition to the government, the taxpayer also must notify his employer of his religious affiliation (or lack thereof) in order to ensure proper tax withholding.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19699581 |title=BBC News ''German Catholics lose church rights for unpaid tax'' 2012-09-24 |newspaper=BBC News|date=24 September 2012 }}</ref>
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==Islam==
{{main|Zakāt}}
[[Zakāt]] ({{lang-ar|زكاة}} {{IPA-|ar|zækæːh|}}) or "alms giving", one of the [[Five Pillars of Islam]], is the giving of a small percentage of one's assets to [[charity (practice)|charity]]. It serves principally as the [[Welfare (financial aid)|welfare]] contribution to poor and deprived Muslims, although others may have a rightful share. It is the duty of an Islamic state not just to collect zakat but to distribute it fairly as well.
 
Zakat is payable on three kinds of assets: wealth, production, and animals. The more well-known zakat on wealth is 2.5 per cent of accumulated wealth, beyond one's personal needs. Production (agricultural, industrial, renting, etc.), is subject to a 10 per cent or 5 per cent zakat (also known as Ushur (عُشر), or "one-tenth"), using the rule that if both labor and capital are involved, 5% rate is applied, if only one of the two are used for production, then the rate is 10 per cent. For any earnings, that require neither labor nor capital, like finding underground treasure, the rate is 20 per cent. The rules for zakat on animal holdings are specified by the type of animal group and tend to be fairly detailed.<ref name=ghamidi>The book ''Meezan'', by Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, published by Al-Mawrid, 2002, Lahore, Pakistan</ref>
 
Muslims fulfill this religious obligation by giving a fixed percentage of their surplus wealth. Zakat has been paired with such a high sense of righteousness that it is often placed on the same level of importance as performing the five-daily repetitive ritualised prayer ([[salat]]).<ref name=zysow>{{citation |last= Zysow |first= A. Zakāt |title= Encyclopaedia of Islam |edition= Second |editor1= P. Bearman |editor2= Th. Bianquis |editor3= C.E. Bosworth |editor4= E. van Donzel |editor5= W.P. Heinrichs |publisher= Brill |year= 2009}}.{{page needed|date=October 2014}} Available from [http://www.brillonline.nl/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_COM-1377 Brill Online] (subscription).</ref> Muslims see this process also as a way of purifying themselves from their greed and selfishness and also safeguarding future business.<ref name=zysow/> In addition, Zakat purifies the person who receives it because it saves him from the humiliation of begging and prevents him from envying the rich.<ref>Robinson, Neal. Islam; A Concise Introduction. Richmond; Curzon Press. 1999</ref> Because it holds such a high level of importance the "punishment" for not paying when able is very severe. In the 2nd edition of the ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'' it states, "...the prayers of those who do not pay zakat will not be accepted".<ref name=zysow/> This is because without Zakat a tremendous hardship is placed on the poor which otherwise would not be there. Besides the fear of their prayers not getting heard, those who are able should be practicing this third pillar of Islam because the Quran states that this is what believers should do.<ref>Chapter 2 verse 155, "be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss on goods, lives, and fruits. But give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere."</ref>
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[[Giving What We Can]] promotes a public commitment to donate at least 10% of one's income to the most [[effective altruism|effective]] [[charities]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://medium.com/@RhysLindmark/we-should-tithe-more-and-where-im-personally-giving-20-of-my-income-8772541c2685 | title = We Should Tithe More! (and where I'm personally giving 20% of my income) | date = 7 March 2019 | access-date =17 March 2021 | publisher = medium.com}}</ref>
 
== Criticism ==
The offerings and the tithe occupies a lot of time in some worship services.<ref>Serge Alain Koffi, [https://www.connectionivoirienne.net/2021/04/04/proliferation-des-eglises-evangeliques-en-cote-divoire-le-reveil-du-business-spirituel-enquete/ Prolifération des églises évangéliques en Côte d’Ivoire: Le réveil du business spirituel (ENQUÊTE)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121160547/https://www.connectionivoirienne.net/2021/04/04/proliferation-des-eglises-evangeliques-en-cote-divoire-le-reveil-du-business-spirituel-enquete/ |date=21 November 2022 }}, connectionivoirienne.net, Ivory Coast, 4 April 2021</ref> The collections of offerings are multiple or separated in various baskets or envelopes to stimulate the contributions of the faithful.<ref>Yannick Fer, [http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/55/31/93/PDF/YF_session_30-43.pdf Le système pentecôtiste de gestion de l'argent : Entre illusion subjective et rationalité institutionnelle] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006133644/http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/55/31/93/PDF/YF_session_30-43.pdf |date=6 October 2014 }}, Congrès de l'association française de sociologie (AFS), France, 2011, p. 7-8</ref> <ref> AFP,
[https://www.lexpress.fr/styles/rwanda-les-eglises-pentecotistes-en-plein-essor-depuis-le-genocide_1507145.html Rwanda: les Eglises pentecôtistes en plein essor depuis le génocide], lexpress.fr, France, 8 April 2014</ref>
 
Some pastors threaten those who do not tithe with curses, attacks from the devil and poverty.<ref> Eniola Akinkuotu, [https://punchng.com/youre-under-financial-curse-if-you-dont-pay-tithe-oyedepo-2/ You’re under financial curse if you don’t pay tithe – Oyedepo], punchng.com, Nigeria, 18 July 2020 </ref><ref> Robert Nussbaum, [https://www.arcinfo.ch/neuchatel-canton/montagnes/la-chaux-de-fonds/un-pasteur-des-montagnes-neuchateloises-a-t-il-abuse-de-la-dime-729563 Un pasteur des Montagnes neuchâteloises a-t-il abusé de la dîme?], arcinfo.ch, Switzerland, 17 January 2018</ref><ref>Raoul Mbog, [https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2015/12/25/le-juteux-business-du-pasteur-evangelique-dieunedort-kamdem_4838146_3212.html Le juteux business du pasteur évangélique Dieunedort Kamdem] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216010750/https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2015/12/25/le-juteux-business-du-pasteur-evangelique-dieunedort-kamdem_4838146_3212.html |date=16 February 2020 }}, lemonde.fr, France, 25 December 2015</ref> From 2019 to 2022, various American pastors apologized for their teachings on tithing obligation and [[prosperity gospel]], recalling that the threats of curses for non-payment of tithing in [[Malachi]] were not about not Christians, since quoting the [[Epistle to the Galatians]], [[Jesus Christ]] brought the curse on him.<ref> Modern Ghana, [https://www.modernghana.com/news/1172335/tithing-teachings-false-fear-based-dont-be-pres.html Tithing teachings false, fear-based; don't be pressured to give – Creflo Dollar], modernghana.com, Ghana, 20 July 2022</ref><ref> Milton Quintanilla, [https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/milton-quintanilla/prosperity-preacher-creflo-dollar-admits-his-teachings-on-tithing-were-not-correct.html Prosperity Preacher Creflo Dollar Admits His Teachings on Tithing Were 'Not Correct'], christianheadlines.com, USA, 6 July 2022</ref> Evangelical churches that make tithing a mandatory and monitored practice, were sued for psychological pressure tactics. <ref> Robert Nussbaum, [https://www.arcinfo.ch/neuchatel-canton/montagnes/la-chaux-de-fonds/un-pasteur-des-montagnes-neuchateloises-a-t-il-abuse-de-la-dime-729563 Un pasteur des Montagnes neuchâteloises a-t-il abusé de la dîme?], arcinfo.ch, Switzerland, 17 January 2018</ref><ref> Leonardo Blair, [https://www.christianpost.com/news/church-families-pressured-to-tithe-to-point-of-suicide.html International Churches of Christ abused, pressured members financially to the point of suicide: lawsuit], christianpost.com, USA, 4 January 2023</ref><ref> Paige Cornwell, [https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/eastside/churchome-accused-of-forcing-employees-to-tithe-10-of-wages/ Churchome accused of forcing employees to give 10% of wages], seattletimes.com, USA, 29 March 2023 </ref>
 
==See also==
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{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.tithing-russkelly.com/ Theologian Russell Kelly on tithing]
*[httphttps://www.angelfire.com/nt/baptist/HerbEvans/HE_StorehouseTithing.htm Storehouse Tithing by Herb Evans]
*{{Curlie|Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Christianity/Bible/Bible_Study/By_Topic/Tithing|Tithing}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100820101335/http://prayershack.freeservers.com/tithing/rek_tithingFAQ.html Q & A On Tithing By Russ Kelly]
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