# When did 'passing the plate' in Church become commonplace? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-passing-the-plate-in-church-become-commonplace/455899 "2008-07-09T22:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UncleFred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@UncleFred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleFred)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-passing-the-plate-in-church-become-commonplace/455899/1 "2008-07-09T22:08:40Z")
My experience is with Christian religions here, although maybe it applies elsewhere. It’s now pretty much standard to have a collection of some sort, and increasingly to have two in the same service. But far enough back people simply didn’t have money (I’m thinking ‘commoners’ in Medieval Europe) or at least not the ‘pocket amounts’ that would lend themselves to a weekly contribution. So when did the practice of passing a collection plate or basket around the congregation, to collect cash (or checks), become commonplace? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-passing-the-plate-in-church-become-commonplace/455899/2 "2008-07-09T22:28:16Z")
[QUOTE=UncleFred] But far enough back people simply didn’t have money (I’m thinking ‘commoners’ in Medieval Europe) or at least not the ‘pocket amounts’ that would lend themselves to a weekly contribution. [/QUOTE] Also, back in Medieval Europe, wasn’t the Church supported by taxes and such, rather than voluntary contributions? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-passing-the-plate-in-church-become-commonplace/455899/3 "2008-07-09T23:38:13Z")
Most legitimate church leaders would say, I think, that nobody is obligated to pay anything. You may be inspired to give money, and passing around the plate makes it easy to see who is and who isn’t giving, but the money has to come from somewhere. Most churches don’t have sufficient assets to support themselves forever. ---
**Author:** ![UncleFred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@UncleFred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleFred)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-passing-the-plate-in-church-become-commonplace/455899/4 "2008-07-10T01:52:32Z")
[QUOTE=dolphinboy] Most legitimate church leaders would say, I think, that nobody is obligated to pay anything. You may be inspired to give money, and passing around the plate makes it easy to see who is and who isn’t giving, but the money has to come from somewhere. Most churches don’t have sufficient assets to support themselves forever. [/QUOTE] No disagreement there. But the question remains ; in the distant past there was no such thing as ‘passing the plate’, and now there is ; when did it change? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-passing-the-plate-in-church-become-commonplace/455899/5 "2008-07-10T02:01:14Z")
> [@Gospel according to Mark](#): > > And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.” (Mark 12:41-44, RSV) Doesn’t seem like a particularly recent phenomenon to me. ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-passing-the-plate-in-church-become-commonplace/455899/6 "2008-07-10T02:07:20Z")
[QUOTE=UncleFred] No disagreement there. But the question remains ; in the distant past there was no such thing as ‘passing the plate’, and now there is ; when did it change? [/QUOTE] I’m really not trying to be a smart alec here, but go to wikipedia and look up tithe. I think that will give you a pretty good background as to where passing the plate came from. When money became prevalent, it was the easiest way to donate 10 percent of your earnings to the church. I don’t think it will answer the question directly as to when it became prevalent, though.