I came across a video a few minutes ago on YouTube. It was posted by username NotYourTypicalNegro. The video was about Ed Young Jr.'s push to make everyone tithe 10% of their earnings, or else God was not going to bless people's families, and that the family would continue to be cursed. Here is the link to it:
What's really interesting is that in the description box of the video, there's also a link provided from an article in the Wall Street Journal about the backlash against tithing. Interestingly enough, one of the other "pastors" mentioned in that piece (besides Ed Young) is John Hagee, who has been known to have an obscenely high compensation package. When an administrative assistant is living on less than $30,000 a year but your pastor is earning well over a million dollars a year, something is grossly wrong with that picture.
Sadly, there have been pastors who seem to preach on nothing but tithing. If anyone has paid close attention, sometimes these churches get themselves into a financial pickle and the senior pastors will do anything possible to get their congregants to "cough it up" in order to meet their budget. Frankly, that can be a huge turn off to anyone who might be thinking to visit or place membership at that church because of the guilt trip that gets played on them. Plus, with that kind of attitude, it gives the heathen plenty of reason to criticize the Church as a whole - and that's tragic.
Fortunately, there are some pastors who don't play the guilt trip. As mentioned in the article, they make it voluntary. If they can't meet certain expenses for the ministry, so be it. They are learning to be content with what they have.
I only pray that all the other pastors would adopt the mindset of the "voluntary tithing" pastors.
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