Charles Stanley's Advice to Christian Wife Whose Hubby Won't Tithe: Read Him Malachi 3, Assume He is Living in Sin

There is nothing more painful to watch than a TV preacher actually attempt to take one of their false doctrines and try to apply it to an everyday life situation. It is then that often the absurdity of their teaching becomes most visible and real - and you can see their real motives in teaching nonsensical doctrines.

In the video below Charles Stanley takes an email question from "Yvonne", who asks what should be done when a spouse believes the family should tithe, but the other spouse does not.

Stanley starts off by helping Yvonne see she needs to diagnose the deeper spiritual problem that her mate has for not wanting to tithe:

"Here is what I've discovered. If a person is living in sin, they don't want to tithe. If a person is, for example, being unfaithful to them, they don't want to tithe. If a person is just selfish, normally they don't want to tithe. If a person does not really and truly trust God they don't want to tithe. You can just go right down the list of the reasons people do not want to tithe."

Here's what I've discovered: pastors give terrible financial advice, and divorced pastors like Stanley give terrible marital advice involving finances. Charles Stanley puts forth the idea that Yvonne's non-tithing hubby is "living in sin". In fact he puts forth the idea that he might be an unfaithful spouse, maybe he's an adulterer. Or maybe Yvonne's husband might actually just not be a true Christian at all. Nice marital advice there for a Christian wife, Chuck.

In Charles Stanley's world, it is not even remotely possible that a family might not be able to afford to tithe. It is not possible for a family to be generous at some other level of giving or to be giving to some other cause. Maybe a family should give NOTHING to their church, because they need the help of the church!

Until modern day Christians wake up and realize that they have been taught a completely skewed view of what "church" is, charlatans will continue preying on people to get them to fork over large sums of money to support their "ministries". If you haven't already, go to the Wartburg Watch's e-church service for May 6th to listen to Wade Burleson's sermon on what "church" is and what it is not.

You just have to chuckle when Chuck delivers this zinger; it sounds like a line from a Saturday Night Live skit parodying pastors who insist on their followers giving 10% of their income:

"And often times it [not-tithing] is pure unbelief. They just cannot fathom how you can take 1/10th out of their income and still buy as much, purchase as much, do as much, with 9/10ths. But that's the awesome miracle of God."

Perhaps Obama needs to try this. Maybe if Obama would push the idea of a new tithe tax, this would finally convince evangelicals that Obama is indeed a Christian and not a Muslim. Who but a true, bonafide evangelical would dare to preach that God requires a tithe? Obama needs to take a page from the playbook of conservative evangelical storehouse tithing preachers, and start preaching that people are obligated to give just 10% more to the government, that God will bless them, and they will still be able to "buy as much, purchase as much, as with 9/10ths - it is a miracle of God." After all, the tithe in the Old Testament was a tax - so why not institute a new "tithe tax" here in the U.S.?

Finally, if there really was an "Yvonne" who sent this email to Charles Stanley, here is Watchdog's message to you: I am sorry that this man who is one of the most respected Baptist bible teachers in the world, couldn't give you an honest answer to your question. But your mistake was asking Charles Stanley anything about your finances, or anything related to marriage. Here is the answer you needed to hear; it is biblical, and it is honest, and it is obvious:

"Yvonne, a husband and wife should decide between themselves what they are to do with their money. Don't let the doctrine you've been taught in church known as the "storehouse tithe" cause even an ounce, not one single millisecond of friction in your marriage. That a supposed "man of God" would give you advice contrary to scripture that might cause you strife and conflict in your marriage is beyond belief. 

There is no prescribed percentage that your family needs to give to a church or any religious organization in order to receive God's blessing. That idea is pure poppycock. It is legalism. It is greed on the part of the pastor and religious holy men who have taught this idea in order to maximize revenue for their religious organizations.

Listen to what your husband says. His not wanting to give 10% to your church is very likely NOT because he is living in sin or an indication he is not a Christian. To the contrary he is probably trying to be a wise steward of your family's finances - his primary job as a Christian husband is to provide for you and the children and for your futures. It is not to fork over large sums of your family's finances to support a 501(c)3 religious organization. Your husband has wisdom. Listen to him and his reasoning.

The New Testament is clear: every person (and family or couple) should determine in their heart what to give. And this applies to you and your husband. The two of you should decide what to give, and where to give. Put your family first. Meet the needs of your children, put money away for their future and their education. Support your church financially, yes, but don't let anyone guilt you or scare you into thinking it must be a certain percentage else you and your kids are cursed by God. The process used in determining what you and your husband give to your church or to any worthwhile cause that you choose, should be one of joy and thanksgiving. It is preachers like Charles Stanley that are trying to put a burden on you and your husband. Don't let them."