Intellectual dishonesty of Tithe teachers and their (some of their) tactics!

• Misleading definitions and terminology.

Existed before the law

Eternal moral principle

Tithing is the 11th commandment

God's insurance policy

God’s plan for your financial security

God's best kept secret

Your tithe testifies that he's alive!

DEBT is an acronym = D-oing E-verything B-ut T-ithing

Local Church is modern day storehouse

Describing first fruits as tithes ...

• Lack of context

Abram's tithe was from the spoils of a battle and tithe teachers present it as if Abram were tithing on a monthly basis. Jacob made a conditional wow if God brings him back to the promised land. There is no option to make vows on what already belonged to God. Leviticus 27 is about vow making and proves what can be vowed and what cannot be wowed. Only agricultural products and livestock were titheable items in the Old Testament and money was never used in tithing! Misuse and abuse of Malachi 3. The context is God addressing dishonest Priests and not the general public, Matthew 23:23/Luke 11:42 - Jesus was talking to the Pharisees living the law and not to Christians

• Selective omission

Bluntly saying that Church Fathers taught tithing by quoting Augustine, Jerome and Chrysostom. The truth is Augustine, Jerome and Chrysostom were NOT EARLY church fathers, Augustine sold everything he had and became a monk, Jerome wanted Christians to celebrate the year of Jubilee and Chrysostom mentioned all 3 tithes.

The EARLY church fathers, Ireneous, Justin Martyr, Tertulian and others did not support tithing.

• Presenting description as prescription:

This is nothing but using true facts to draw false conclusions. Abraham tithing and Jacob tithing were simply description of events and they are prescriptions for neither Jews nor Christians. Abraham had concubines and lied.

Jacob deceived his father and showed partiality among his sons.

Can we follow those examples too?

• Using anecdotal evidence to establish a doctrine:

"Hey I started tithing and my debts disappear and now I am prosperous" - we hear this often. But the prosperity gospel is not working for MANY who DO TITHE.

What about atheists, people belonging to other religions and ungodly people becoming rich, buying mansions, flying private jets and becoming prosperous after donating to ungodly causes.

• Logical fallacy:

Tithing existed before the law, therefore Christians should also continue to tithe. Well, the custom of a widow marrying her deceased husband's nearest male relative, (the Levirate law, Yibbum, Halitzah), slavery, animal sacrifice and polygamy - all existed before the law, codified into the law and discussed in the New Testament.

If the tithe teachers follow consistent logic, shouldn't they follow other practices that existed before the law as well?

• Outbursts of anger and rage:

Calling Christians who question them about tithing as "Heresy hunters, unwilling to submit, rebellious, disrespecting spiritual authority, independent spirit, divisive, subversive, mere head knowledge, lack of revelation, ungrateful etc.," Calling for clandestine meetings, power plays and taking control of the whole situation, yelling and screaming are some of the intimidation methods used by tithe teachers.

• Ad hominem attacks on Biblical Scholars who oppose tithing:

One example is attacking theologian Russell Earl Kelly's credentials. According to Wikipedia: "Critics say that because his education is from unaccredited schools his Ph.D. is fraudulent. Others will challenge Russell's sincerely and his motives. In response, Russell provides a webpage regarding his education and abilities, including having graduated "cum laude". from the Yale University Institutes of Far Eastern languages while in the U.S. Air Force, earning 22 semester hours and received a B.A. from Southern University Of Seventh Day Adventist, which is fully accredited. He notes that there are hundreds of religious schools that do not want the government telling them how or what to teach.

Having been legally blind since 1989 and not able to drive, his choices of education were severely limited"

Tithe teachers look for opportunities to poke into the personal lives of anti-tithers and try launch a smear campaign.