The term tithe comes from the Latin "decimus" which means tenth. It is a word that has been used since ancient times to refer to a kind of tax that had to be paid to kings, feudal lords or Christian churches. In the case of the monarchy, the king demanded that he be paid 10% on the value of the merchandise that entered his kingdom.
For Christianity, tithing dates back to biblical times; The payment of tithe according to the bible originates in the times of the patriarch Abraham, who made this contribution to the priest Melchizedek as a sign of gratitude. As time passed, the tithe was issued to all the priests, and it was even established as a law.
According to biblical records, those who had to pay the tithe were the landowners, who gave a part of the profits obtained from the activity they carried out. Which means that the peasants and laborers were not obliged to tithe.
Currently the tithe is something optional within the religion; However, there are some religions such as the evangelical, which are in favor of paying tithes by their faithful, since for them it is very important that their followers share a part of their income, to collaborate with the church. In this way it is fulfilled with God, helping to spread his word throughout the world.
The payment of tithe in some churches has been the subject of many debates, since for some, this payment should not be required, rather each one should contribute what they can; since these payments represent a suspicious practice, which only serves to promote the enrichment of some religious leaders.
For the Jewish religion this payment is not obligatory and for the Catholic Church, only voluntary offering is promoted. And as previously stated, tithing is not officially required today, it is only done in certain evangelical Christian churches as a tradition.
In any case, many of the people who attend the churches continue to collaborate either through alms or donations. For those who are in favor of these practices, it is reasonable to make these payments, since the churches in order to maintain their activities and offices must have the financial help of their faithful.
