The Tablet PC and Tithing

LPH · #1 (**permalink**) 12-08-2004, 09:46 PM

My friends and I were talking about tithing several years ago and all of us came to the conclusion that tithing can be an explosive topic. After a single heated debate, we avoided the topic after that evening.

The more religious were convinced that the secular-heads in our circle were hell-bound for not understanding the significance of a tithe. In turn, the less religious couldn’t understand the devotion to a tradition steeped in the Old Testament and not modernized to match our current financial system.

Regardless of how loud we yelled our position, we couldn’t convince the others that we had the correct answer. The arguing was so bad that none of us could even agree on a simple definition of the word tithe.

Some of my friends considered tithing to be a financial obligation while others considered the spiritual aspect of giving your finances to the church. To many, tithing was a law about finances that was demanded by God. Others saw tithing as a spiritual commitment in which control over ones finances shows respect and commitment to Christ. Still others argued that tithing was not about giving ten percent of your money but about giving ten percent of yourself.

One of my friends argued that he only gave ten percent of his after tax income to the church because he couldn’t possibly afford to give the greater amount representing ten percent of his gross income. He claimed the ten percent of his gross income was just too much. Once more, he argued that it would be too painful to give the greater amount and he shouldn’t have to suffer. Besides, he didn’t like how the church was spending his money.

Another friend refused to tithe. He didn’t think modern churches deserved his money. In his eyes, the church was an outdated reflection of individuals who were insecure in searching for their own meaning in life.

A third friend was even more brutal. He suggested that tithing was an evil ritual that supported the greed of the clergy. According to his ideas, a tithe was nothing more than throwing away your money.

One of my more quiet friends offered another opinion. His philosophy centered on the needs of others and not the quantity of the tithing. He gave directly to anyone who was in need. If they needed his time, his energy, his thoughts, his compassion, his prayers, then he was available. His tithing was in spirit and did not center on money.

No conclusion came of the discussion except that our friendliness turned ugly as we each crafted our excuses and justifications for our actions of tithing or not.

I was reminded of this passionate discussion after seeing Lora's post about the Redmond Magazine article describing Microsoft’s commitment to the Tablet PC. My mind wandered from extreme thought to extreme thought until I reached a devilish question as to what percent of Bill Gates income has gone to the Tablet PC project. If he was truly committed to the form factor then shouldn’t he put in at least ten percent of his money? Is Bill Gates all talk and no action or a true believer? Is he a Tablet PC evangelist?

I’ve read that Bill Gates is worth approximately 90 billion dollars, give or take a few billion. This would suggest a proper tithe to the Church of the Tablet PC would amount to 9 billion dollars. I bet the Tablet PC Team would love to see that type of money roll into their budget.

This led me to calculate my own commitment. Last year I invested a little more than 14% of my income to Tablet PC websites. This translates to roughly 10,000 dollars last year. Because of a pay raise, this year saw an overall decrease in percentage but a greater dollar amount invested in the technology. Not too bad for someone who isn’t a Tablet PC MVP nor considered a Tablet PC evangelist, right?

In comparison, my brother and sister put me to shame. They have committed the past two years of their lives promoting the form factor. They’ve given more than ten percent of their finances and their lives. Between the two of them, my commitment looks like a tear drop in an ocean.

Just how committed are you? Have you tithed today?