Dave Ramsey Says Never Borrow Money To Tithe, But He Still Overgives. He Admits He Doesn't Want To Be Wrong When He 'Gets Up There'

Brad from Chicago called into “The Ramsey Show” recently with a question that made personal finance expert and evangelical Christian Dave Ramsey visibly cringe: Should someone ever borrow money to tithe? “No, I would never borrow money,” Ramsey said flatly. “There's a lot of indications in Scripture not to borrow money. And so to borrow money and go against one Scripture in order to keep another Scripture is oxymoronic.” Tithing Isn't About Math, It's About The Heart Brad explained that his business had a strong year, but left him low on cash in December after buying equipment with cash. He wanted to give 10% but wasn't sure how to calculate it or if he should even give it this year. Don't Miss: The ‘ChatGPT of Marketing' Just Opened a $0.85/Share Round — 10,000+ Investors Are Already In Americans With a Financial Plan Can 4X Their Wealth — Get Your Personalized Plan from a CFP Pro Ramsey broke it down. The tithe, he explained, is meant to come from your “net increase,” not your gross revenue or taxable income, but actual profit. “Purchasing equipment lowers your net profit, does it not?” said Ramsey. “If I spend a million dollars on a piece of equipment, I don't have the million dollars anymore,” he said. “Regardless of what the IRS says, they don’t get to enter into the discussion on my spiritual walk. For God's sakes, really.” Ramsey said he personally tithes based on his cash flow before taxes, not what the IRS calls income. He added that depreciation and accounting strategies don't change the spiritual principle. Co-host Ken Coleman jumped in to emphasize the principle of giving first. “The principle of tithing is about the first fruits,” he said. But he also raised concerns about business owners overspending and leaving nothing left to give. “The tithe is on what you pay yourself.” Trending: Have $100k+ to invest? Charlie Munger says that's the toughest milestone — don't stall now. Get matched with a fiduciary advisor and keep building Giving Is A Practice, Not A Scorecard Ramsey said he gives more than required, just to be safe. “When in doubt, I overgive because when I get up there, I don't want to be wrong,” he said. Both Ramsey and Coleman emphasized that giving shouldn't be legalistic. “A tither is not a better Christian than a non-tither,” Ramsey said. “We're all sinners saved by grace.” The discussion ended with praise for Brad's heart. “Good on you for loving your faith walk and your God enough that you even care about the answer to the subject,” Ramsey said. “And good on you for being generous.” Read Next: Forget Flipping Houses—This Fund Lets You Invest in Home Equity Like Wall Street Does 7 Million Gamers Already Trust Gameflip With Their Digital Assets — Now You Can Own a Stake in the Platform Image: Shutterstock