JOHANNESBURG, July 27, 2015 – Aiden Sookdin, the author of The Home Business Tycoon, is well known for his controversial statements related to wealth and building personal fortunes. Two weeks ago he caused quite a stir with his readers when he addressed modern-day religious leaders’ abuse of tithing. The article appeared in his daily e-letter, MoneyClub. It encourages readers to rethink their monthly donations if their religious leaders are not transparent about how they are spending the congregation’s offerings. Although at first glance it seems like a direct attack on Christianity, Sookdin makes his intentions clear, “I’m not telling you to question your faith. I’m telling you to question the people that appear to be the leaders of your faith… Feel free to donate money to your church but make sure that you know where your money is going.” He specifically mentions teachers of the “Prosperity Gospel” including T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar and Billy Graham. These preachers have more money than most South African companies do. They are infamous for peddling the redemption of sinners’ souls in return for money. Sookdin quotes T.D. Jakes as saying, “A tithe is your opportunity to worship God through obedience by setting aside what is holy unto the Lord. This money is exclusively for God’s use. God takes what is His very seriously.” According to Sookdin, “T.D. Jakes is worth $18 million. Where did he get that money? His congregation paid it in tithes and offering. Who tells Jakes what to do with that money? God apparently does. Is there any way to confirm this? No.” Sookdin goes on to highlight that only three groups of people tithed in the Bible: • Abraham tithed from the spoils of war – Not his income • The Pharisees never paid money to the church – Only herbs and spices • The Israelites tithed with livestock and agriculture – No money exchanged hands Using in-depth research and quotes from the Bible, he proves that tithing is not required to enter …

