Bringing this down to a personal level, if I ask myself the question: "Can I count part of my taxes toward my tithe?", the answer is NO!
Even though a big part of my taxes goes toward transferring money to the poor, government transfers do not help the poor. If I give to private charity, or even better through a church, the money distributed is not given out willy-nilly, but has conditions attached. Even if they are implicit rather than explicit. You must listen to a sermon before you get a free meal, that kind of stuff.
In many instances, there is significant mentoring associated with charity.
This mentoring is anathema to the liberals who think that every poor person has a "right" to help. My belief is that accepting charity means you have failed to make you own way in our world, and in addition to money, food, or rent, you need instruction in how to make you own way.
The left at its core is about “indiscriminateness” -
to attach conditions to help would be to “judge” the behavior or lifestyle of those requesting the help.
No strings, as well, keeps them coming back, forever, dependent on gov’t and the left.
Can you honestly say that you have always reported all of your income?
The problem boils down to this... if you fail to assist the poor, you will pay in other ways... you will pay in increase in crime, and money spent in jails and prisons...
there are people who need help... the mentally handicapped, ill, or seniors who outlived their money, people who have faced unexpected hardships
unexpected deaths, divorce etc...
Why should somebody have to go through a church to get money? What if a church contradicts their religion, beliefs or values?
I had a tenant once who expected to pay me via the multiple churches she had requested income from, and out of a 900 a month rent, she went to four churches to get money. Each wanted to meet with me, and verify her rent. Each month she tried to pay me this way, through a different church... this was highly convoluted and impractical approach to helping this person.( and she didn’t even need the help- this was her scam- get it from the church)
Section 8 would have been more effective.
And tell me why I should be given a tax break for buying rental property? I am glad to take it, but why should I get thousands of dollars a year benefits for depreciation when my homes appreciate, don’t depreciate? ( the exception being the last couple of years)
Far more money is given each year in tax benefits for the rich
Far more of our money goes for tax expenditures than budget expenditures. Why do you think Bill Gates and Warren Buffet believe the rich pay too little in tax proportionate to the poor?
They understand that they pay less percentage of tax than does the clerical help they employ.
The last place I want regulating money is the church
There are many people who have worked hard their entire life, and were met with some unexpected event that all of their wealth was wiped out... it is naive to believe that all people who have accepted charity are scamming or are not needing it. The last thing we need to do is return to people on the streets...
and if you think the church is the solution, think again...
how quickly we forget the churches from the 1980’s...