Tithe vs taxes

[GodLovesTheSpek]

What do we do then with Bishops who favor rendering unto Caesar over giving to God?

Contact the Bishops and let them know. Trust in Jesus. God knows exactly what is happening and why. If the Bishops are part of the problem there will be an accounting. Be charitable to the extent you can.

This situation is really no more different than it was 2000 years ago. Jesus taught us what to do then and His teaching still applies today.

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

Earlier this week, Warren Buffett was awarded the Medal of Freedom at the White House. The rationale for the honor was his work in convincing the richest people to leave 50 percent or more of their holdings to charity, a campaign called The Giving Pledge. In theory this sounds like a lovely idea, and in practice it sometimes comes close to that level. But more often the flaws in this notion overwhelm its virtues and the money is squandered – at best wasted, at worst utilized for evil purpose.

spectator.org/archives/2011/02/18/tithing-that-works

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

Here is a great example of what the Catholic Church should be doing in the area of education:

What is the single most frustrating issue in American politics? The deficit? Nah. Entitlement reform? A cakewalk. The Republican Party’s presidential nominee? A day in the park. It’s this: Reforming the nation’s failing inner-city schools.

When in 1999 Ted Forstmann started the Children’s Scholarship Fund with John Walton, he thought it was a good idea that might last about four years. The short version of the good idea was that CSF would raise private funds to give scholarships to inner-city students, whose parents also would contribute money toward tuition at a private school of their choice. The notion was that CSF would offer a helping hand until larger reforms emerged to repair an obviously failing public education system.

The fund attracted a lot of attention then because Ted Forstmann, a founder of the Forstmann, Little & Co. leveraged-buyout firm, and John Walton, whose father was Sam Walton, between them put $100 million behind the effort and raised another $100 million. For those who’ve been in the trenches of education reform, what happened next has entered the realm of legend.

An almost incomprehensible 1.25 million families from some 22,000 U.S. cities and towns applied for the four-year scholarships. In New York City, 168,000 applied (about 30% of those eligible) for 2,500 scholarships. Nor were they seeking a free ride. The scholarships were typically for less than $2,000 a year, with the parents expected to pitch in perhaps half of that.

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204358004577028050352513254.html

 

[Swiss_Guy]

Tithing means, literally, giving 10% (the Church and/or charity) or, more generally, giving a regular amount.

jimmyakin.org/2006/02/tithing_giving_.html

While giving is generally encouraged, the amount requested is usually much less than 10%.

By contrast, modern taxes range well above 10%, in some cases up to 90%. And unlike the tithe, it is not voluntary.

And long gone are the days that taxes principally represented payment for government services. Today the bulk of taxes fund social programs of one form or another.

What’s interesting to me here is that many Bishops, and Catholics generally, seem to view high taxes favorably. And many Catholic organizations and charities, in turn, contract to provide services in whole or part funded by such taxes.

The net result is that Catholic teaching is downplaying charity in favor of welfare.

One solution to this situation would be to make charitable donations tax deductions instead of tax credits.

But I wonder if there is a reluctance on the part of the Church to perform the functions that it did before the advent of the welfare state.

What do you think?

I’d disagree with the claim that Bishops and Catholics in general favor high taxes. Most Catholics I know and all of the Catholic political parties in Europe (according to wiki and stuff like that) general favor lower taxes. I wouldn’t mind paying higher taxes that much if most of the money went to the Church like it used to in European countries. I can’t imagine many Catholics supporting higher taxes when they go and fund abortions. And it’s hard for the Church to help all citizens without some government help. We are supposed to want the best for society and individuals, and if that means (some) welfare, then welfare is good. And As long as subsidiarity is practiced, then it’s pretty hard for a social assistence state to thrive.