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Tithing Question


cdowis

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How would you handle tithing on Social Security income, if you already paid tithing on your gross income? You pay part of the social security, and you boss pays part as well.

And then there is the issue of a pension, where you pay part and the employer gives a contribution.

Just pay tithing on the whole thing?

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I would. If you nickle and dime the Lord, can you confidently expect/demand that He not nickle and dime you?

When you paid on your gross, it was income. Years later, SS is your income.

I'll bet that most people get more back than they paid into it, so "nickling and diming" doesn't take that into account, either.

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Having paid my tithing for many years, I am aware of the doctrine and responsibility.

Let me put it another way. From my tithed income, I put some of it in the bank (zero interest to make it simple). Thirty years later I take it out of the bank and use it to pay bills. Clearly that money is not "increase". But I could do it, if I simply did not want to be "cheap" with the Lord, but it really would not be tithing, but some other contribution.

Social Security is pretty much the same thing.

I'm lookiing for some practical suggestions on how to handle this since the SS includes the employer contribution. Just pay on the full amount, half, or.....

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I think what we are trying to tell you is that there is no right or wrong answer, it is between you and the Lord. If you have enough money to live out your retirement comfortably then by all means tithe yourself until you are blue in the face. Remember what the lord said:

"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." 1 Timothy 5:8

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Having paid my tithing for many years, I am aware of the doctrine and responsibility.

Let me put it another way. From my tithed income, I put some of it in the bank (zero interest to make it simple). Thirty years later I take it out of the bank and use it to pay bills. Clearly that money is not "increase". But I could do it, if I simply did not want to be "cheap" with the Lord, but it really would not be tithing, but some other contribution.

Social Security is pretty much the same thing.

I'm lookiing for some practical suggestions on how to handle this since the SS includes the employer contribution. Just pay on the full amount, half, or.....

The easy and probably practical answer would be to just pay tithing on the full amount, since trying to figure out what the employer contribution was could be tricky and, well, impractical.

However, i don't know that God cares one way or the other. If paying on the full amount (and essentially paying tithing twice on part of that money) would be difficult for your finances, then that's also a practical reason not to. If it's not hard to know what your employer paid and simply pay that tithing now, then that's another reason not to overpay.

As long as you sincerely believe you are fulfilling that commandment and that God is good with the way you are doing it, then it's a full tithing, whatever way you do it (at least, that's my opinion on it).

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Having paid my tithing for many years, I am aware of the doctrine and responsibility.

Let me put it another way. From my tithed income, I put some of it in the bank (zero interest to make it simple). Thirty years later I take it out of the bank and use it to pay bills. Clearly that money is not "increase". But I could do it, if I simply did not want to be "cheap" with the Lord, but it really would not be tithing, but some other contribution.

Social Security is pretty much the same thing.

I'm lookiing for some practical suggestions on how to handle this since the SS includes the employer contribution. Just pay on the full amount, half, or.....

What percentage did your employer pay?
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Gee, I've never really thought about it... I'm on a pension and social security, plus funds that have never been tithed on... so I've just always paid on the gross total. Particularly since I've been retired 22 years now, and I'm assuming any amount of soc sec that I had paid ln has now been exceeded by the payments to me.

All I know is that I've had sooo many blessings, temporally as well as spiritually, that I don't intend to change my practice.

GG

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I've learned a new word. Don't yet know what it means. :sorry:

I looked it up. There are 4 entries in google.

I am thinking it is a typo, maybe "definite"...except for the "a" it works for a hand shifting over one key too much for i-u and n-b....but a is on the wrong side completely.

Can you tell I can't sleep?

Edited by calmoriah
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This is why, since I first started working, I've always paid tithing on my gross minus FICA and 401(k) withholdings. I consider the rest of my tax burden to be a bill, just like my house payment or anything else.

When I retire, if and when I ever receive any Social Security, I will pay a full tithe on whatever I receive. The same for what ever money I take out of my retirement accounts. I know that money has not been tithed yet so I will pay a full tithe then.

I don't think that the Lord expects me to pay tithing this year on money I'm going to earn next year. Why would he expect me to pay tithing this year, on money I'm going to receive 20 years from now.

As a real world example, this past year I took some money out of a 401(k) account to pay for my daughters wedding. I paid a full tithing on that disbursement, even though it was not money I had earned this year.

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I would disagree. There is a defubate right and wrong. I just can't tell you what it is.

That is want you believe and that is right for you .

As for me .

Tithing is between me and God . Only I can decide how much tithing to pay .So looking to my conscience seems to be the only way to know . Tithing is 10 percent of your yearly interest . The rule is set , so I follow the rule as my conscience dictates . When in doubt I pay in God's favor to free myself of guilt and have a clear consience .

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Having paid my tithing for many years, I am aware of the doctrine and responsibility.

Let me put it another way. From my tithed income, I put some of it in the bank (zero interest to make it simple). Thirty years later I take it out of the bank and use it to pay bills. Clearly that money is not "increase". But I could do it, if I simply did not want to be "cheap" with the Lord, but it really would not be tithing, but some other contribution.

Social Security is pretty much the same thing.

I'm lookiing for some practical suggestions on how to handle this since the SS includes the employer contribution. Just pay on the full amount, half, or.....

I am not sure the Church or God has ever taught any of his children that they should only give 10% and no more. It is tithing when you pay it as tithing regardless of the percentage paid. I am not sure it is helpful to be so legalistic in an approach to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. The advice given above provides a lot of wisdom; you know the teachings, follow the Spirit when the time comes. You need not wear a hair shirt to demonstrate to the Lord that you are his servant.

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I am not sure the Church or God has ever taught any of his children that they should only give 10% and no more. It is tithing when you pay it as tithing regardless of the percentage paid. I am not sure it is helpful to be so legalistic in an approach to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. The advice given above provides a lot of wisdom; you know the teachings, follow the Spirit when the time comes. You need not wear a hair shirt to demonstrate to the Lord that you are his servant.

Tithing is 10%-that is the definition of the word as used in the scriptures and by our leaders. 15% is not a tenth, so it's not tithing. It's tithing plus a 5% donation. I agree that God has never said that we only need to give 10% to the church (fast offerings wouldn't make any sense if that's how the Lord feels), but He has taught that we only need to give 10% for tithing.

There's nothing wrong with paying more-we do it with our tithing because it's easier and i'd rather pay more than not enough-but it's not being legalistic to acknowledge that tithing is a tenth and no more and it's not being legalistic to only pay 10% and no more.

As an aside to the OP-these kinds of questions always get interesting because everyone has such different ideas and some people feel very strongly about them. Our leaders have refused to define tithing any more than what they have already done, so maybe that's a sign for all of us members to try to follow their lead and not try to define it for others either.

Edited by bluebell
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I would disagree. There is a defubate right and wrong. I just can't tell you what it is.

Just go to your next High Priests Group meeting! :rofl:

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That is what you believe and that is right for you .

As for me .

Tithing is between me and God . Only I can decide how much tithing to pay .So looking to my conscience seems to be the only way to know . Tithing is 10 percent of your yearly interest . The rule is set , so I follow the rule as my conscience dictates . When in doubt I pay in God's favor to free myself of guilt and have a clear conscience .

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What I'm leaning to doing when I get to that point is to not pay tithing on any amount, until the amount that I paid in and my boss paid on on my behalf has been exceeded (this amount is easily available online nowadays). Then I will tithe all the remaining payments. If I had not paid on the gross, then I think I would tithe all of it.

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