Tithe
From RationalWiki
A tithe is a fee of 10% of a person's income, paid to their church.
Some view tithes as a regressive flat tax on well-meaning people, funneling money towards corrupt churchmen (e.g. Pat Robertson and his cable television channel, Ted Haggard and his meth and prostitutes), lavish church materials (e.g. expensive churches), and to teach the missionary position send missionaries out to convert unsaved heathens.
The average tither may wind up giving *pulls number out of hat* $100,000 to their church over the course of a lifetime. This number is, of course, used to bolster the argument that churchgoers give more to charity (the church being considered a charity in this case) than non-churchgoers.
However, tithes also pay for many thousands of good works in society, including innumerable soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and poverty relief programs. And those low-cost, high-quality hospitals and retirement homes run by churches — how do you think they can afford to charge so little?
Tithing is compulsory in some European countries (although most allow a formal opt-out) where it is state administered.[1]
Judaism has something similar called tzedakah, though in their case it is strictly for charity purposes and does not go towards the synagogue or religious leaders (they have separate fees for that!).
Islam has Zakat, a 10% form of social security and system of wealth distribution, that redirects money towards the poor and towards the upkeep of religious institutions. The system is so complex, however, that you really need a university degree [2] to do it properly.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ↑ "Tithe - Government collection of religious offerings and taxes." Wikipedia. 2 Apr 2008. Wikimedia Foundation. 3 Apr 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tithe&oldid=202923016#Governmental_collection_of_religious_offerings_and_taxes>.
- ↑ "University of Jordan." Directory of Graduate & Undergraduate Programs & Courses in Middle East Studies in the U.S., Canada, & Abroad. 8 Dec 2004. Middle East Studies Association. 3 Apr 2008 <http://fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc/Directory/Jordan.htm>.
