question about gay marriage

[Broken Glass Can]

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Tax breaks, if at all, should have an economic function and not a social function.


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Tax breaks to non-profits have an economic function.

Good citizenship (not commiting crimes, helping the less fortunate, etc.) is generally promoted by churches. It is a lot cheaper to have churches promote these values than for the government to do so.

Look at the school programs the government forces on students - terrible failures and a waste of money.

Church charities to the poor are more effective than government programs as well. People volunteer their time (which you couldn't tax anyway) and there is so much less waste from bureaucracy.

Social functions have an economic function. How much money we spend on our criminal justice system should tell you that any help we can get from churches to encourage people not to commit crimes will save us a ton of government spending in the alternative.

The charitable deduction is one of the best economic functions contained in the tax code.

[Daithi]

The Catholic Church wouldn't have to perform the marriage.

I wanted to marry an ex-prostitute and when I consulted with my priest he was 100% against it, and flat-out said he wouldn't perform the ceremony. So I asked him about Jesus forgiving Mary Magdelaine. It was at this point the priest said "Oh, you said prostitute. I thought you protestant. Of course I'll marry you."

[EarlCat]

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Churches are pseudo private in that they get support from the govt in the form of tax breaks (including property taxes and corp income taxes and tax breaks given to the congregation in the form of deductions for charitable contributions).

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Tax breaks and direct government support are not the same thing. Me deciding not to steal from you (a tax break) is not the same as me stealing from someone else and sending you the spoils (govt. assistance).

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I would like to see all these tax breaks removed as they serve no economic purpose...

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Allowing money donated for charitable work to actually be used for charitable work does indeed serve an economic purpose. Helping the poor and downtrodden get back on their feet is a very important function of charities within our economy. Beyond that, ALL tax cuts serve an economic purpose because they keep more money actually in the economy.

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...and are a form of govt intervention in religion (which should be between a person and his god).

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Isn't the taxing of church contributions even more of an intervention in religion? If I were to donate my (already taxed) money to be used for religious purposes, and that money was instead seized by government, that would not only be intervention, it would be interference. I'd even venture to call it a case of the government restricting the free exercise of my religion and thus a blatant violation of the First Amendment.

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But these days we are seeing even more govt involvement in Religion as put forth by the Bush admin.

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And just where specifically would that involvement be?

[zaxx19]

Tax breaks, if at all, should have an economic function and not a social function. The only objective most tax break actually meet is helping with fund raising for the govt officials' elections.


WHAT THE HELL IS THIS NONSENSE?? HOW DO YOU PROPOSE WE PAY FOR EDUCATION??

[lastchance]

Education allows people to get into more skilled, and therefore higher-paying jobs. Higher paying jobs increase the wealth (economic situation) of the country of the people who get higher-paying jobs.

But I agree, tax breaks shouldn't be all about economics. (though there's something wrong with the system we have right now)

[ACPlayer]

Using the tax code or federal dollars for social engineering is most generally a bad idea. Social engineering is best left to local communities to tailor programs that fit local needs.

The exact same social engineering arguments are used for midnoght basket ball programs, medicare/medicaid and even social security programs and other liberal ideals.

Government support of religious institutions is a bad idea as it starts us down the path of religion and politics mixing together.
Look at the school programs the government forces on students - terrible failures and a waste of money.

I certainly would agree that the schools system needs help and should not be funded out of local tax revenues. If the parents pay tution out of pocket they are far more likely to be involved in the childs education than when they think that this is a societal entitlement.

How much money we spend on our criminal justice system should tell you that any help we can get from churches to encourage people not to commit crimes will save us a ton of government spending in the alternative.

What are you smoking? The people who are going to church regularly are not the ones committing the crimes.

[ACPlayer]

Tax breaks and direct government support are not the same thing

They are very similar. They are both a transfer of money from the government to a citizen for a decision the citizen makes. You decide to give $100 to the Tsunami relief and in return the rest of the citizens give you $30 in tax relief. It would be far more economically efficient if you just gave $70.

Allowing money donated for charitable work to actually be used for charitable work does indeed serve an economic purpose. Helping the poor and downtrodden get back on their feet is a very important function of charities within our economy

I am not arguing against donations. I am arguing against the US tax code providing a tax break for the same. See the earlier example.

Isn't the taxing of church contributions even more of an intervention in religion? If I were to donate my (already taxed) money to be used for religious purposes, and that money was instead seized by government, that would not only be intervention, it would be interference. I'd even venture to call it a case of the government restricting the free exercise of my religion and thus a blatant violation of the First Amendment.

I am strongly in favor of limited taxation and true tax cuts not tax breaks for social engineering. Perhaps I dont see the point of your paragraph here.

And just where specifically would that involvement be?

I am specifically referring to the faith based initiatives.

[ACPlayer]

wtf are you shouting about this time?

[elwoodblues]

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The exact same social engineering arguments are used for midnoght basket ball programs...and other liberal ideals

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The statistics that I've seen suggest that midnight basketball works. We woudln't want the government spending money on programs that both decrease crime and increase community relations...that would be a horrible liberal idea.

[zaxx19]

Education allows people to get into more skilled, and therefore higher-paying jobs. Higher paying jobs increase the wealth (economic situation) of the country of the people who get higher-paying jobs.


Thanks for proving social conditions affect the economy and vice versa...Im glad you agree with me.