POLITICO: Conservative red states far more charitable than liberal blue states

[The Real]

What are you talking about? How can a religion mandate that its participants donate money when a religion has no coercive powers like a government? People voluntarily choose to join religious groups and voluntarily choose to make chartiable contributions to those groups.

The threat of hell and excommunication are very real forms of coercion for those who are actually religious. That means these things are far from simply voluntary.

Besides, I really don't know too many churches that mandate that its followers donate money. I am Catholic and never once in my life have I heard a priest demand that anyone donate money.... let alone 10% of their income. Most people that I see at church donate nothing. You are reaching as usual.

You're Catholic. The states at the top of the list were Mormon and Protestant-dominated. Those run very differently. In Mormonism, for example, tithing is absolutely mandated on pain of excommunication and the negative afterlife.

Still, that could probably be explained by the fact that conservatives make most of their contributions through their churches.

Yes, I agree with that. That still doesn't get around the point, though- it's no different from taxes. It also doesn't touch the other points I made earlier. In addition:

1. Most churches use tithes for maintenance and upkeep, not for charitable purposes. When people pay tithes, they are ensuring that the church continues to run more than helping any needy people outside the church.

2. In addition, most churches and religious charities have completely separate budgets for charity, for legal reasons, and those budgets are not fed by tithes.

3. Many churches and religious charities don't simply do charity- there is an element of proselytizing, too, and sometimes the aid is contingent on conversion or missionary work. That's not charity.

4. Most churches that actually do charity work for the needy just dabble in it and don't have the professionalism or logistical experience necessary to ensure that they are having any real effect like secular social work/charity organizations that work in specific issue areas.

 

[Brown_Pride]

Government is inherently corrupt and inherently inefficient no matter which party is in control. Conservatives recognize this, and that is why they seek to limit the power and influence of government.

You will never see me riding government officials. I simply choose the lesser of two evils.

under which presidencies has the government grown most?

 

[the cac mamba]

I am still trying to figure out why charitable contributions made to a church shouldn't count as charity. .