They also had many of the 10 commandments on the Rosetta Stone which predated Moses. Do we assume those were completely pagan before Moses wrote them in the law? Would it be right to assume the early cultures were totally uninfluenced by God and motivated only by ulterior human motives or do we see many of their practices as evidence that God and His people did influence their lives even before the law?

The early cultures also offered sacrifices. Did they just decide to do this one day or was this practice influenced by Noah and his descendants? Do we assume Abraham, following the example of the locals, offered a tithe as a tax to Melchizedek, who wasn’t the head of any government and certainly had nothing to do with Sodom?

It is absurd to assume that Abraham, chosen to be the father of faith, was in the habit of mimicking the local cultures. Polygamy was the understood marriage arrangement in his day and for very good reasons (enlarging the family = security) but it was a long time before he gave it a try and he was very sorry for it when he did.

BTW, do you have a text which clearly establishes monogamy? Even the law of Moses regulated polygamy. I don’t know of anyone who would suggest monogamy wasn’t “commanded” by God before Abraham.

That’s your problem, not a Biblical problem. I don’t share your reservations, and I’ve seen and been involved in plenty of churches that operate just fine without a compelled amount. Do you have any relevant Scripture to back up your position here.

“Personally, I think 10% represents enough of a stretch for anyone (even the wealthy) to require faith and when done by the group as a whole provides enough substance to get the job done apart from unusual, out of the ordinary, situations in which more is needed.”

Then do what you personally think is appropriate but don’t twist Scripture to fit your personal opinions. Don’t pretend that Scripture teaches something it doesn’t. Don’t tell people that God commands them to do something which He doesn’t just because personally you think its a good idea.

“And you think they required 10% because it was easy to calculate??? Come on. These are the people who built the pyramids.”

I’m just telling you what the consensus is about the historical record. Plenty of Babylonian documents from the patriarchal period show how common the idea of a tenth was. Are you now going to argue that the ANE people gave 10% because God told them to as well. And yes, the common man needed an easily calculable amount to know how much to give. Their architects and astronomers may have been effective mathematicians, but the common man still needed an easy percentage. Even if that’s not the reason for it, the historical record still shows that a tenth was a common percentage for ANE individuals. There is still no reason to think that God commanded Abraham to give a tenth to Mel and no reason to think that it was a normal practice for Abe to give a tenth of increase to God.
And you still have no Scriptural command from God for general tithing. Just personal opinion which empirical and Biblical evidence easily refutes.

And my problem with a giving program with no specified amount is not only that some will give less then 10% but I also think some will feel compelled to give more and that is equally unfair.

Personally, I think 10% represents enough of a stretch for anyone (even the wealthy) to require faith and when done by the group as a whole provides enough substance to get the job done apart from unusual, out of the ordinary, situations in which more is needed.

And you think they required 10% because it was easy to calculate??? Come on. These are the people who built the pyramids.

I hope you respond but unfortunately it is late here and time for bed. Will answer tomorrow.