Former President of the Ghana Bar Association and a member of the Council of State, Mr Sam Okudzeto, has lashed out at pastors who demand tithes from their church members.
According to him, he does not believe in the concept of tithe because it was a blackmailing tool for pastors to demand money from their congregants.
He added that the pastors were using an old mathematical concept of the Old Testament to entice innocent congregants to give them money which ends in their personal pockets.
Speaking on Metro TV in Accra, Lawyer Okudzeto lamented the springing up of churches particularly in the capital Accra, as a result of the monetary benefits pastors were making from the church business.
“I have a different concept of tithe and I have argued with pastors about it. They are using the tithe to blackmail people to give money and I say it is wrong. I give but I don’t pay tithe and I help those who are in need.
“They are using the book of Malachi to entice people to give and that money does not go to the needy but to enrich themselves. That is why everyone is opening a church. Every corner you turn to in Accra there is a church,” he lamented.
He further admonished Christians to come out from the illusion that their blessings were tied to payment of tithes.
“God does not bless you because you pay tithe. God blesses you because you worship him. He blesses you because you love your neighbor as yourself and you provide for him when he has need. That is what God wants us to do. We are turning the Bible upside down,” he stated.
By Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu