Faithful Christians Facing Foreclosure
Posted on November 4, 2008
Filed Under Foreclosures | Leave a Comment
Even in the midst of what may be the worst housing crisis since the great depression, many conservative devout Christians refuse to miss a month of tithe—even if it means losing their home. The Christian tithe refers to the practice of giving ten percent of your gross income to the church on a voluntary basis. The practice stems from the Old Testament, where Israelites were said to give from the fruits of their land to support their priests, the poor and other interests of the church.
A recent study by the Barna Group said that 5% of Americans tithed in 2007. This is not a highly significant percentage of people, but many of those people are now losing their homes while refusing to give up this practice. Evangelical Christians are the most likely to cling to the tithe, ranking in the study at 24% who tithed in 2007.
Evangelicals often believe that worldly governments are not ordained by God and do not necessarily have the powers to provide solutions for all their problems. Tithing is seen as a payback to God for the blessing of being saved, and therefore must come before all other expenses. They trust God to provide for them and are more committed to honoring their contract with God than that of their mortgage lender.
For many homeowners facing foreclosure, it can come down to tithing or paying their mortgage, and in many cases the tithe is winning out. It is more than just contributing to the church for these extremely devout Christians. It is a commitment to God that they consider a duty, not an option. It is not uncommon for many of these highly religious owners to go through foreclosure counseling, only to walk away when it is suggested they give up the tithe.
Many foreclosure and financial counselors know better than to bring up tithing while going over a homeowner’s monthly expenses. It is a very touchy that often meets with harsh response from the client and must be immediately dropped. Many evangelicals believe their tithing is between them and God and will not discuss it with anyone else. These same people are often the ones who believe their tithe is an absolute necessity, not an extra expense that can be cut.
The common unwillingness to talk about finances often gets in the way of churches helping troubled homeowners with their problems as well. Devout believers leave it in God’s hands, even if it means their home goes into foreclosure.
The number of houses going into foreclosure because of the owner’s unwillingness to stop giving hundreds of dollars a month to their local church is likely small, but it is still a phenomenon that baffles many people as the economy and housing markets decline more and more. As more and more people struggle to meet their mortgage payments, many are debating whether the tithe or a home is more important.
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