Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Payment of tithe is our responsibility


PAYMENT OF TITHE IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY

I have taken off time first to read people's opinions a few days back about the Archbishop Cyprian Lwanga's proposal for government to help collect tithe. Secondly I have also chatted with several religious leaders and have come up with this writing in reply. Yes, it is true that payment of tithe is not mandatory in the secular world but backed with scripture it makes it mandatory for anyone who is religious to pay tithe. The role of the church is more of social to rehabilitate the sick, elderly name it. Provide services like education, treatment to the sick name it. It is also true that Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, proposed that the central government if possible should start deducting 10 percent tithe from monthly salaries of Catholic believers because they are not tithing as they should  have done therefore, slowing down the church works.

Many are getting this out of context to think that actually churches are more concerned about income flow to their baskets and pockets rather than the things that matter in this country. Should the Catholic Church stop running Rehabilitation homes like the Bakateyamba Home found in Nalukolongo? Should the church stop providing education through the catholic founded schools? Should the Church stop sending funds to catholic founded hospitals? Should the church stop doing corporate work through Centenary Bank, turn political and get on the streets? The tithe that comes from the catholic community has done a lot of activities that mere getting on the street can ever do. In fact if the well established religions/religious men were managing this economy it would be far better. Take a look at Vatican, in fact the Archbishop is just reminding us of how better this economy would have been if we were all paying tithe in our respective churches.

Collection of tithe through the Central government has been tried though in those countries it is actually church tax. In Denmark there is the Evangelical Lutheran Church which receives funding through a specific church tax. In Sweden and Finland 1% to 2% is deducted by government from Citizen’s monthly earnings and it is sent to the church. In Germany there is an Income tax that is deducted from Christians and is given to the church to fund its activities. In Italy where the Catholic faith has deep routes 0.8% tax is deducted and the tax payers express their preference to the church where they want that tax to be spent and mainly this money goes to the needy.

Furthermore in Spain it is law for tax payers to allocate a percentage of their income tax to the Catholic Church.

Now, in the Ugandan context where there is no such Church tax law and yet all Catholics know that the Church does not get funding from any other source save for the faithful. In my opinion it is accurate for the Archbishop to suggest that government collects tithe from our monthly earnings because Church is in a way constrained.

I am not a preacher but Leviticus 27:30-32, Numbers 18:21-26, Deuteronomy 14:22-23 and Chapter 26 verse 12, Nehemiah 10:37 and Chapter 13 verse 5, Amos 4:4, Malachi 3:8-10, Hebrews 7:5. All is scripture talking about tithe. Be responsible and pay tithe to your God.

Nkugwa John Michael
jmnkugwa@gmail.com
Lawyer/Associate at Baruga Associated Advocates

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