Thou Shalt Be Debt FreeWhich is more important: tithing or paying off my $13,000 credit-card debt?
Posted Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, at 9:44 AM ETDo you have a real-life do-gooding dilemma? Please send it to and Sandy will try to answer it.
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StumbleUponDear Sandy,
I'm not a preachy Christian, but I do think it's important to follow the tenets set forth in the Bible. Right up there at the top is tithing. My husband feels that you tithe once you get out of debt and only if you have something left over at the end of the month. This theory is quite self-serving, if you ask me.
We have just decided to streamline our spending for the next six months, cutting out almost all luxuries, big and small, in order to pay down our $13,000 in credit-card debt once and for all. So should I not tithe, keep my hubby happy, and increase the amount we can put toward the credit-card debt, thus making us debt-free sooner and better able to tithe? Or should I follow the 10 percent rule, taking longer to pay off the debt and greatly annoying my hubby, but at least holding to my beliefs and easing my conscience?
—Debbie
Sandy:
Unfortunately, debt isn't a new problem. I'd guess that debt is referred to almost as often in the Bible as tithing. (I know there are vigorous debates about whether giving one-tenth of your income to the church accurately reflects what the Bible means by tithing, but I am not going to wade into any theological and scholarly fights.)
Even facing foreclosure, some devout Christians believe that tithing is non-negotiable. And, by passing the Hatch-Obama bill in 2006, the U.S. government agreed, stating that those in consumer bankruptcy can continue to make reasonable charitable contributions, including tithing. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, explained, "This bill clarifies the law so that those who tithe can continue to live their faith while in bankruptcy." Luckily, your case isn't so dire.
Though tithing may be the best-known religious tradition of giving, all major religions have some version: In Judaism, it's called tzedakah, in Islam, zakat. Regardless of where your sense of obligation comes from, it is wonderful to have a giving plan you're so committed to.
That being said, I think giving is something you should do out of desire, not obligation. And it would seem that the New Testament agrees: "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Personally, I can't imagine a higher being that wouldn't understand your need to alter your giving for six months in order to pay off your debt and strengthen your marriage. In fact, while many may believe that tithing is dictated in the Bible, only five percent of Americans (77 percent of whom identify as Christian) tithed in 2007.
Though some surely disagree, I think that a calculated decision to stop tithing (or any charitable giving, religiously encouraged or otherwise) in order to escape credit-card debt is perfectly acceptable and possibly even recommended, as long as you follow a few basic guidelines: First, have a plan with a clear beginning and end. Otherwise it will be easy to stop giving and never start again. Second, spend some time thinking about what landed you in credit-card debt. Redefine living within your means to a point where tithing is included, since that seems to be a nearly non-negotiable part of your life. Third, consider substituting your monetary tithing with "time tithing," a concept mentioned in The Power of Giving. Tithe your time by volunteering at your church. While 10 percent of your week (16.8 hours) may seem hefty, 10 percent of waking nonworking hours may be more manageable (approximately 7.2 hours).
Finally, remember that 7 percent, or 5 percent, or 2 percent is better than nothing. So decide together what feels right, and congratulate yourselves on taking the first step to get out of debt. Shoring up your own finances will help you help others in the future.
Do you have a real-life do-gooding dilemma? Please send it to and Sandy will try to answer it.
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Years ago, when I was a bit more flush, I used to sit down every December and figure out what I could still give that year, in addition to whatever I had given during the year. It was like the old IRS joke: "How much money did you make last Year? How much is left? Send it in!"
BUT there came a time when I, too, sank into debt. I nevertheless continued my December ritual, using the cash I had on hand to contribute to anywhere from 8 to 15 charitable institutions. (I was not guided by any religious principle: neither tithing nor any other percentage. The IRS was my closest advisor!)
One day, my wife - who also contributed in December - said to me: "We are borrowing money at high interest just to give it away. That's just hypocritical and nuts!"
I thought about that a while: She was right. In order to keep up my image as a good and charitable person, I was giving away money I didn't have. Then I had to borrow more money to pay the rent.
I just stopped most (not all) of my charitable donations, and I won't resume them until my debt is paid off - in 40 or 50 years. And yes, I have done community service, and yes, that's more satisfying than writing a check.
Lesson: Don't give what you don't have. (God will understand.)
-- Lupus62
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The 'first fruits' idea of tithing is to make it non-negotiable and not based on whether you are doing well or poorly. However, the NT seems to set tithing legalistically to the side; it is part of stewardship but not all about the dill and the cumin and the mint. Under this notion, the husband's idea is clearly wrong - it isn't about giving what is left over, it is about giving from the start. At the same time, you can't give what never would reach you at all, anyway - sharecroppers wouldn't tithe out of the entire produce (which could be 10x what they get), only out of their share. As for the debt, credit card debt is poor stewardship. High interest, never forgiven. My advice, then, would be to get out of that debt quickly, continuing to log what you are making during the extrication. Then, start paying the tithe on further earnings and back earnings; I would say, minus anything that comes off at the 'payroll level' - or the equivalent for the self employed - as well as what you would have tithed while you were getting out of debt. And budget to stay out of debt and save a little, despite continued tithes.
-- BenK
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