When was the last time you saw a fellow Christian being portrayed as happy in the media? When was the last time you thought of church as being a “fun” or a place where lots of laughing could be heard?

Just the other day I had a conversation with a fellow Christian and he remarked that we’ve done a very poor job of showing the world that we know how to enjoy life and laugh. I thought for a moment and then had to agree.

I realized that especially in the media, Christians are virtually never shown as having any fun at all; rather we are shown as being sour-faced, judgmental and intolerant. We all basically look like the couple from the American Gothic painting.

This struck me where I live because I’m a comedian by profession. I make a living making (or at least “trying” to make) people laugh. I wondered why was it that so many of my friends who have a deep relationship with God are very happy and most laugh far more than my other acquaintances, yet that type of behavior is rarely shown in movies, on TV, or in books.

I think you and I already know the answer; Christians are the scapegoats. We should all know this, after all, Jesus said it was going to be this way:

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me (Matt 24:9).

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My small group was recently discussing religion and how so many rules and regulations keep people from truly becoming followers of Jesus Christ.

A new member was discussing her experience as a young girl in the church. She had to memorize various lengthy scriptures and was told if she didn’t have them memorized word for word, she could not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. As she continued to tell the story, I was biting my lip, picturing myself blacking that pastor’s eye.

Because of those words spoken to her, she gave up on Christianity. She believed she was a failure. She cried herself to sleep at night with the belief that she could never go to Heaven. My friend carried that lie with her for many years.

After she finished her story, I said, “Christianity would be great if it wasn’t for people.” Isn’t it so true? People get in the way. Religion and rules take the place of relationships. False doctrine takes center stage and Jesus gets put behind the curtain.

Have we forgotten the two most important commandments? We’re to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind. Then we’re to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39).

How can someone claim to love God with all their heart while filling an innocent girl’s mind with lies about her eternity? How can someone say they love God with all their heart while labeling a teenager “bound for hell” because of a made up rule?

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You’re sitting in church enjoying the music, minding your own business when suddenly you notice it. Out of the corner of your eye you can see the offering plate coming towards you, and you hastily reach for your wallet. “How much did I give last week?” you think to yourself. “Twenty, yea it was twenty, that was a lot, this week I think ten should suffice.”

For the average church goer this is probably close to the experience they have with giving financially to their church. They know the bible says talks about tithing (and their radical Christian friends do it) but they may not be sure what tithing is, or if it is for today.

However, a close look at the biblical precepts for giving in the context of the New Testament church will yield a clear answer. Let’s see what God’s word says.

What is tithing?

First things first, what exactly is tithing? Biblically tithing was an Old Testament command that God gave to ethnic Israel. Leviticus 27:32 says “The entire tithe of the herd and flock–every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod–will be holy to the LORD.”

In fact, God even rebuked Israel for not paying their tithes to God. Malachi 3:8 says “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings.” As you can see, God took tithing very seriously when it came to his dealings with Israel. But what about his covenant with the church?

Does God command the church to tithe?

Is tithing a New Testament Command?

You might find it interesting to know that neither Jesus, nor Paul, nor any of the New Testament writers ever commanded the church to tithe. In fact the only time tithing is ever mentioned in the New Testament is in the context of Israel, or in dealing with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and just as a reminder, the Pharisees were still practicing Judaism.

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A non-traditional worshipper is not alienated from traditional faith-based societies

The continued use of alternative faith-based social networks does not require me to estrange myself from traditional religion. Like many other committed adherents, I engage Christianity actively, but years ago I stopped attending a “traditional” religious organization.

Instead, I’ve discovered church in alternative environments. Small home gatherings. Coffee shops. Everyday life. These unorthodox religious settings offer the advantages of autonomy and satisfaction. And, they come without the awkward dogmatic pressures and rituals which are prevalent in many conventional churches.

For 30 years I was a member of a Christian church. For almost 20 of those years I held positions and served at church religiously. When I altered my church habits, I was not a college student. I was not lost. I was not having a mid-life crisis. The shift to using nontraditional church more resembled the spirit of Abram when he said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company” (Genesis 13:8, NIV).

For those of us who relate to God, we do take measures to participate in cultivating spiritual faith, power, and understanding. The obvious participants are observed at church facilities, temples, and synagogues. However, I’ve discovered a high number of participants who are not so conspicuous but yet are fine-tuning their faith through alternative networks.

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Vote for my political party. Support the following politicians. Change these laws. Do not change those laws. Put this person in charge. Then the economy will be better, our families will be protected, and people will behave as they should. We can straighten out this country if we work together.

In ancient Israel, Samuel the prophet, who had led God’s people most of his life, grew old. The nation wanted a king to rule over them, a king like the other nations had, a king to lead them into battle. Samuel was displeased, but God told Samuel that the people were not rejecting Samuel, but God. They were asking for an earthly king and kingdom, and in doing so were rejecting their true king, God.

God told Samuel to give them a king, and he did. He anointed Saul, the Lord’s chosen, to be their king. Saul, rather than God, became their king.

As Samuel warned Israel, Saul not only led them, but also introduced a system of government that included conscription, land confiscation, and taxes. Yet, the people chose that system rather than a system with no earthly king.

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