tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555476391044424902.post2784900193533535973..comments2013-05-24T21:54:32.286-07:00Comments on The Bitchin' Atheist: CHURCH: Charity or Tax Deductible Country Club?NikkiShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01226899621280662976noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555476391044424902.post-9604443181095057552013-05-06T17:46:20.947-07:002013-05-06T17:46:20.947-07:00The thing is, the vast majority of member's do...The thing is, the vast majority of member's donations go to the church's overhead. I think, at our old church anyway, they designated maybe 10% of givings to outside charities that actually did...you know...charitable work. But the "tithing" goes almost exclusively to pastor and secretary salaries, building maintenance, heating, water, etc. (I've seen the financial statements.) Shortly after we left our church had an enormous building project that cost them somewhere in the neighbourhood of 2 million dollars. That included a beautiful new gym and kitchen. Is that being offered to the community as a free resource? Uh...no. So, yeah, like you say, the church basically functions as an enormous middle man. Just another charity with enormous administrative costs where the true intent of the donation gets lost in the bureaucracy.NikkiShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01226899621280662976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555476391044424902.post-73142265791541711112013-05-06T14:49:23.153-07:002013-05-06T14:49:23.153-07:00I think that there are lots of charitable contribu...I think that there are lots of charitable contributions, but often when they come straight from churches like this it gets embroiled in the social club atmosphere and can get lost a bit. Ski trips, youth group trips to the vatican (not for mennonites I'm sure but you get my point), fund raisers for dances, and the like. Not to say that churches don't donate, or that those things aren't important to the youth, but just that they aren't really placing them on the moral pedestal that they often claim to be on. I often say, there is nothing that can be achieved by religious means that can not be achieved by secular means. And in my opinion, cutting out the middleman of religion often leaves more money for those who need it and under far fewer pretenses.J Burgoynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03283467415635166115noreply@blogger.com