quote:
Originally posted by cannon_fodder
It is a well documented trend that liberals give less to "charity" than conservatives. It is also true that gifts to churches count as charitable giving. Even if said church uses the money for new facilities, social events, or fancy cars for certain members.
I'm going to start a charity that uses most of our donations on booze filled parties, and I'm not talking about the Shriners.
Honestly, I'm willing to bet the church giving is the difference. And IMHO, most of that is in support of a social club since most churches consume most of their resources internally.
Also worth giving Drew Curtis a shout out on the lazy reporting thing. Soon to be in the news: Santa Stories. Consumer spending trends. Gym membership stories and other failed resolutions. And the cycle continues...
Bingo! That's it exactly. Church tithing should not be considered 'charity'. It only takes one short drive around Tulsa to see that the 'mega' churches, the Southern Baptists and many others are hardly hurting for money, as their constantly expanding and gentrifying facilities (and pastor salaries) are a testament to that 'charitable' giving.
Tithing should be classified as a membership fee. If tithing was taken out of the equation, I guarantee this story would read a whole lot differently.