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WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
P.O. BOX 202, BURLEIGH HEADS, QLD., 4220, AUSTRALIA
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
ROBERT G. MORTON
PRESIDENT and PASTOR
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
September 10, 1985
Dear Brethren in God's Church,
Greetings from the regional office of God's Work in
Australia. This letter is to communicate to you recent
decisions that have been made based on principles given by
God's Apostle.
Mr. Armstrong takes a personal interest in every facet
and area of God's Church and has for some time been concerned
about the extreme financial hardship being experienced by
members as a result of excessive taxation on their incomes.
He has taught us that this is Satan's world and it is in
a terrible mess! Australia has been a nation blessed by the
promises given to our father Abraham, yet it is under a curse
due to disobedience to God's Law. The fruit of the "get" way
of life can be seen in excessive taxation, increasing
inflation, tragic unemployment, poverty and unsolvable
economic problems. In spite of man's best efforts, these
problems are getting worse and not better.
Unfortunately, we must live in Satan's world and we
cannot totally avoid suffering along with it. The hardships
caused by heavy taxes and wrong economic policies are things
we all have to live with.
Brethren, we are about to keep the Feast of Tabernacles
which pictures the glorious World Tomorrow in which we will
not have these problems. Nor will we have the myriad of rules
and regulations concerning taxation and the economic ideas of
men that place such a great burden on people. Instead, God's
Law will bring abundant blessings to mankind. God's way will
be demonstrated to be the only way for mankind to follow if he
wants to experience happiness, security and prosperity. God's
Law if properly followed with a right attitude will always
bring blessings -- it never brings unhappiness, suffering or
poverty. Man's ways, contrary to God's Law, bring these
penalties.
The doctrine of tithing is based upon God's Law and is
therefore unchangeable. As we're told in Leviticus 27:30-33
and Deuteronomy 14:22, we are to tithe on the increase we
receive as a result of our productive effort. Under normal
circumstances, this would mean that a person working for wages
would tithe one-tenth of the total amount of his pay, before
income tax and other deductions are removed. Where
circumstances are not normal the Church does have the
authority to make certain decisions regarding the administration