Principle of Tithing

For Some Reason Tithing Is A Old Testament Law Pastors Like! While I do not intend to get too deep on the issue of the festivals and tithing, it is necessary to understand how the festival system worked in ancient Israel as a first step to understand the financial aspects of festival observance. 

The first problem is that no one really knows how the tithing system worked. (I have found it humorous to hear people speak on tithing who do not understand this fact.) It is not certain if there were one, two, or three tithes. The common view is that there was one tithe with three functions. The Talmudic view is that there were three tithes. The "correct" view, going back at least to Maimonides in the 12th century, is that there were two tithes, one with two functions.  

The reason for the confusion is that the tithe is described in somewhat contradictory ways.  It is said to belong to the Levites because they had no land to pay them for the work they did.  

Numbers 18:21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting. 

(Another interesting fact is that we do not know exactly what that work was. It was not the sacrificial system, as a tithe of the tithe was allocated to the priests for that purpose. It must have included more than singing at the tabernacle.) 

Another section tells us that about the tithe being given every three years to help the poor—and no doubt troubling to us Tea Party types that included illegal aliens! (Of course there was no distinction between legal and illegal immigrants at that time.) 

Deuteronomy 14:28-29 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

Yet another section tells us that the tithe is to be used for festival celebration. 

Deuteronomy 14:22-23 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.

The common explanation is that there was one tithe with three functions. Anyone who has actually observed these festivals would immediately realize that this was wrong. Pilgrimage festival observance is expensive—for  the ancient Israelite, it was also time consuming. Remember that there were three festival observances and most people walked. 

2 days travel

8 days for Passover

2 days travel

2 days travel

2 days Pentecost and the Sabbath before it.

2 days travel 

2 days travel

8 days of Tabernacles

2 days travel

This is about 30 days of food consumption for these days. Since most people were subsistence farmers who only grew enough food for themselves, there was very little surplus. So there was 36 days of food for 30 days. The tithe was pretty fine-tuned for this exact purpose. Thus the amount left over for any other purpose was small to nonexistent. In fact the Principle of Celebration would lead to the whole 10% spent on those days. There must have been more than one tithe.

The reason it seems unlikely that there were three tithes is that the economic cost of three tithes was quite high. It is likely that a portion of the Levitical tithe ended up paying for what we would perceive as government. 

So I will proceed with the assumption that there were two tithes in ancient Israel with three functions. (I say assumption because there is really no clear consensus on this.) On Friday I will attempt to apply what we have learned to modern festival observance. 

Doubling Down On Debt

France, Germany and the EU Look For SolutionsThe central irony of financial crisis is that while it is caused by too much confidence, too much borrowing and lending and too much spending, it can only be resolved with more confidence, more borrowing and lending, and more spending. Most policy failures in the United States stem from a failure to appreciate this truism.

This Larry Summners quote seems to be in agreement with the philosophy of the current European Economic Community. This video explains some of the odd details of the bailout just announced. 

I think that this deal is doomed to collapse, but I doubt that one very interesting article is right and that it will collapse in two weeks: 

The eurocrats, of course, lack the guts to trim back monetary union to a more manageable size. Too much face would be lost. So "euroquake" fears, once viewed as outlandish, are gaining pace. Despite Thursday's deal, and all the reassurances of a "durable solution", the Italian government on Friday paid 6.06pc for 10-year money, up from just 5.86pc a month ago and a euro-era high. Such borrowing costs are disastrous, given that Rome must roll-over €300bn of its €1,900bn debt in 2012 alone. A default by Italy, the eurozone's third-biggest economy, and the eighth-largest on earth, would make Lehman look like a picnic.

I think the crisis will come and the longer it is postponed the worse it will be. I hope she is wrong and that we have some time to deal with the issue of excessive debt. 

Occupy Oakland

While I am not sure what the proper responce to the minority of protestors that threw rocks and bottles should be, I doubt it is this. It is clear by this video that the police are targeting non violent protestors, in this case one who was injured. 

Form the video it is not clear that the injured Iraq Vet was targeted in the initial incident where the tear gas cannister struck him, but it is clear that he and those who were trying to help him were targeted by a flash grenade. It would not be too difficult to determine who tossed the flash grenade, but I doubt we will ever know because of the "Blue Wall of Silence."

Of course the Police were totally honest about thier use of flash grenades and rubber bullets-well, maybe not. To be totally fair, the acting chief in Oakland denied the use of these items, at the same time saying they may have beed used by other departments beside his. In the modern era of 50% of the protesters carring cell phones with video cameras they should know better. 

Here is another example of the Police targeting non violent protesters. 

I think most of us have an assumption-we assume the Police tell the truth. This assumption, what I have been calling on this blog a template, is in need of some reconsideration. 

Branson Landing: Seduced By The Dark Side

I am sitting on a hard metal bench wondering what Jesus would think. The episode where he drove the moneychangers from the temple comes to mind. This is our modern religion—shopping. Branson Landing is an open-air mall along Lake Taneycomo in Branson, Missouri. 

Being an on-again, off-again local, I know the story of Branson Landing's construction. The huge government sponsored bond issue, the special sales taxes, and the promise of increased business for local businessmen. Of course, they lied. Most of the stores are big chains. Business dropped when the mall was completed—there are only so many tourists. 

There is just so much money in a tourist’s pocket, and whatever falls out in the Mall is not available for country music shows. Attendance at those is down 20% I am told. Yakov Smirnov actually had to come out of retirement and star in a show in his own theater. Poor man. 

My guess is that eventually it did provide more of a “destination” like they promised, but not for the locals. Unless you are Paris Hilton or a Marriott heir. 

While it is pretty to sit and look at the lake, building the Mall in the flood plain without the proper permit might not have been the smartest thing for the City Fathers to do.

The choo-choo train is running down the middle of the street, but I doubt most of us shoppers, myself included, could fit inside the cars—not with all the funnel cakes we just ate. 

My wife complained that she could not find me in the crowds doing our religious duty. People are actually buying custom Teddy bears, and buying gourmet olive oil at Devo Olive Oil Co, fighting the crowds all the way.

I know I sound like an old curmudgeon, but don’t misunderstand what I am saying. There is nothing wrong with shopping. Stacy bought a fun hat and her first perfume! It is the whole system that is corrupt. From our shopping intensity to the profit mania that depopulated our industrial areas, from the top to the bottom it is corrupt. 

Again I wonder what Jesus ...

Oh wait, the musical dancing fountain show with the lights and fireworks and the igniting of propane is starting—never mind. 

Both Parties Owed By Wall Street

I thought this cartoon illustrates our political situation. 

Ultimately, I am not convinced it matters who you vote for.