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byJon Hill
How are we able to give you
The Plain
Truth-without subscription price or advertising revenue?
Because many people have voluntarily become co-workers, giving oftheir financia/ means so that we
may give to you! Many of these volunteer co-workers tithe their income. They find that it pays! We
give you here an explanation ofwhy they tithe.
W
e all establísh a
ense of possession
ry early in life.
M
y
ys are very distinct
from
your
toys. So are my clothes,
my bed, my room, my house, my
mommy and my daddy. We all be–
gín wíth seif-conscíousness and work
outward. Yet as we grow older, we
begín to realize that, even though
we call it my school, my city and my
country, we do not have the same
claim to these things as we do to my
toys, my clothes or my bed .
1
realized rriy toys were mine be–
cause my father, aunt, sister, mother
or friend had given them to me.
Later,
1
learned a more direct sense
of ownership because
1
worked to
earn money which I spent to make
things mine. Then my sense of pos–
session was more mature. The thíng
which wa s mine was mine by.
choice- not just something someone
else might think I would like- and
by ríght of payment.
1
began to
think more consciously about the
day when I would buy a house and
a car like Dad. But what seemed
simple at first became more com-
28
plex.
1
realízed skills were necessary
for a job to earn money in order to
purchase the thíngs
1
needed and
wanted. Therefore,
1
had to look
forward to a great deal more school–
ing before.
1
would be as competent
as my father, in order to possess and
own more thíngs.
Early Disappointment
1
must admit ir was a little dísap–
pointing when
1
learned that Dad
and Mom didn't really own our
house and property. Later
1
learned
about banks and mortgages. Swiftly
on the heels of this knowledge carne
the realization that, even íf banks
and creditors were not involved, we
would still have to pay for the privi–
lege of callíng the house we lived in
"ours" in the form of tax payments !
State, county and even city govern–
ments all held prior claim and right
to demand payment for our right to
say "This is our house!" Then, of
course, carne the shock that the in–
come out of which I could purchase
all these things and rights also had a
tax on it, a prior claim. City, county,
state and especially federal govern-
ments all insisted on a lawful de–
mand and prior right to my money!
Many little disillusionments were
interspersed with these major expe–
riences. AIJ of you are aware of the
seemíngly endless demands on your
income: sales taxes, excise. import
and hidden taxes, license fees and
assessments, tolls and surcharges,
social security, insurance, pension,
health and medical deductions, and
union dues-until total deductions
nearly equal your take-home pay.
With not enough money to make
ends meet, you borrow money.
Then interest and lending fees are
added to the already seemingly in–
superable burdens of ownership.
Sorne additional costs
1
didn't be–
come aware of until much later also
add their weight. One of these is
outright theft from your possessions.
Another is employee theft. lt is esti–
mated that the cost of employee
filching adds about 15% to the cost
of items you buy; government cor–
ruption and ignorance of how to
manage your money further eats up
your take-home pay.
After all these realizations had
The
PLAIN TRUTH February 1978