Christians: Would you donate more to your church if you didnt have to pay income tax?

[pikerz]

How much more would you donate to your church if you didnt have to pay income taxes?

I'd like to see somebody run with this idea. A lot of churches could be converted very quickly if they had any sort of empirical evidence that people would donate more if they were free from income taxes.

A professionally done poll, done by somebody like Zogby (I know he has church goer data because I've taken his interactive polls), would self-replicate and spread very quickly amongst church leaders if the results were positive.

[pikerz]

is there a better thread for this poll?

[pikerz]

blimp

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

I'm no longer a Christian, but when I was, I tithed 10% of my income. If there was no income tax, then, yes, obviously, I'd have given more money. It probably still would have been 10%, but that 10% would have been greater if I had gotten bigger paychecks.

[hawkeyenick]

if you give more than 10% away to a charitable cause, it's an automatic tax deduction

the churches lobbied for this decades ago

[TwiLeXia]

I don't think this forum is the best place to put this poll. Perhaps simply ask the church themselves, if the income tax wasn't there, don't you think you'd get more donations? Leave it up to them to decide.

[TechnoGuyRob]

Even my strongly devout Catholic parents know it's insane and a waste of money to donate to a church. If you want to make a difference, instead of aiding pointless administrative costs or unneeded construction, I would highly suggest donating directly to one of the tens of thousands of charities out there. That way, you're not donating to a business (because a church is a business, the Vatican is rich for a reason), but to a cause. Some churches also let you specify that your funds will only be used for specific purposes you choose (and not administrative and other costs).

[pikerz]

always depends on the church.

some are prudent with their money, some spend it on flash to get new people in the doors.

[pikerz]

I don't think this forum is the best place to put this poll. Perhaps simply ask the church themselves, if the income tax wasn't there, don't you think you'd get more donations? Leave it up to them to decide.

Thats kinda not the point.

The point is to have empirical data-points that will 1) self-replicate rapidly and 2) sway influential people towards supporting Ron Paul.

There are over 450,000 churches, it would be some kind of herculean feat for me to talk to, and survey all of them.

[pikerz]

if you give more than 10% away to a charitable cause, it's an automatic tax deduction

the churches lobbied for this decades ago

Yes, thats money you dont have to pay taxes on.

However, no matter what youre paying taxes, thus reducing your buying power to provide for your own needs, and your ability to donate to worthy causes.

[pikerz]

blimp

[pikerz]

blimp

[JaylieWoW]

I do not go to church but if we were not taxed I could stay home with my children and pursue other worthy causes I've always wanted to pursue. Imagine the amount of charitable energy that would be unleashed by a Paul Presidency. Simply WOW!

[pikerz]

Yea, just think how much more efficient NGO's are overseas, compared to direct foreign aid.

They get about 10-20 times the bang for the buck, sometimes even more, depending on how corrupt the country leaders are.

Its the bottom up approach of the NGO that is important. Bottom up approach allows aid to reach the people first. With direct foreign aid, its top down, and most falls into the hands of corrupt powerbrokers.

[Benaiah]

I give 10% of my money as a tithe. Anything above that I consider an offering. I also give offerings. If Paul got rid of the income tax, I would give more in offerings than I do now. First off, I'd find some group that supports Israel and donate to them on a regular basis.

[Mark]

I'm the Founder of a Christian Denomination: Melchizedekian

I've never received tithes or asked for them.
It seems many Churches tend to build expensive buildings with them.
Tithes can be given by an individual to other worthy causes too other than a Church.

e.g.
If you make $100 a day, and donate $10 a day to a "soup kitchen", I don't think Jesus would have a problem with it.

He'd probably prefer it rather than supporting some Churches.
The "fancy" kind with big expensive buildings ect.

Remember: The Father's Will for us includes to take care of the widows and orphans. The poor who need assistance.

Of course, having no IRS would free up a lot of funds to do just that, if people actually used their "No IRS" windfall for charity.

Good idea as a"selling point" for churches and other charities too. Might help the blind see the RP light.

Somewhat un-Christian to me though, for money to be the reason someone decided to support Ron. Especially a Minister.

[2orb]

Related to me by my grandmother:

My grandmother was born in 1905 in a small coal mining town and her family struggled at times. She explained to me and my brothers how people took care of each other back then and if there was hunger, sickness or homelessness, people would turn to the churches for support. When you got back on your feet you would donate to the church to help support others.

There was no government entitlement. You gave what you could when you could. Everything was taken care of in the local communities.

She was always against taxes and welfare. She said the loss of community when government assistance started was the worst effect.

[Marshall]

I always assumed all you good god fearing folk always gave the proper 10% tithe. Although, is that 10% before or after taxes?

[pikerz]

Related to me by my grandmother:

My grandmother was born in 1905 in a small coal mining town and her family struggled at times. She explained to me and my brothers how people took care of each other back then and if there was hunger, sickness or homelessness, people would turn to the churches for support. When you got back on your feet you would donate to the church to help support others.

There was no government entitlement. You gave what you could when you could. Everything was taken care of in the local communities.

She was always against taxes and welfare. She said the loss of community when government assistance started was the worst effect.

yes, my feelings exactly.

[susano]

I only give to animal causes (the smallest and most radical = not corrupt). People have enough money.