Opinion: Non-believers as generous as people of faith
By Richard Dawkins, Washington Post
Freethinkers, atheists, agnostics, secular humanists – whatever name non-believers go under, are not America’s most popular minority. They are also, not a small minority. According to Gallup, in 2011, and Pew in 2012, they comfortably outnumber Mormons, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists all put together. One reason for our unpopularity is the widespread belief that you need God in order to be good. Going along with that misconception is further belief that atheists are less generous than religious people, less philanthropic, less likely to donate to charity. Even if that were the case it would, of course, have no bearing on the truth of religious beliefs.
I would hypothesize that the difference in giving between the religion and nonreligious is negligible if you only count donations to pure charity and discount donations to atheist advocacy organizations, or to churches (including tithes) and “charities” that unscrupulously use their resources to proselytize rather than bestow real charitable benefits.
Incidentally, because churches are automatically classified as charities for taxation purposes is a disgrace. Nobody denies that some churches do charitable work. But that doesn’t mean that any organization should automatically qualify for tax-free status simply by calling itself a church. Each church organization separately should make the case that it does charitable work, just as anybody else has to when seeking tax exemption.
I belive ( pun intended) that numbers are far higher as well. Even though I am a third generation atheist, I am also an active member In my “faith community” as my daghter’s parochial school would call it. I am probably counted as religious. I try to do good because I belive that there are absute truths, ethics and morals whether or not the derive from God or just plain exist. I know am a conundrum to my evangelical friends who pray for me regularly. My behavior is neither better nor worse than my believing friends and while I have had religious coworkers begin to treat me badly when they find out I am an atheist, I know they are the exception and not the rule.
A thought provoking article. I think most people are charitable independent of their belief or not in God. I also think that it is my responsibility to help others through direct contact, a religious organization or others who directly help people in need. I do not believe it is the government’s role to do this. My government should not take my money and give it to organizations or people they select. That is my responsibiilty.
With regards to the non-tax status of all churches, I agree with the author regarding that each church should have to request this status qualify and demonstrate what portion of their money truely goes to charity. Then a fractional status should be applied. There are too many religions who take money and return it to the parishoner in the form of normally taxable services.
Totally agree with only allowing actual proven charity to be tax free, but should it be only true charity to the community, or charity to members of their church? If we looked at a true charitable organization, say United Way, would we give them tax free status if they gave the bulk of their charity to people that worked within the organization?
Atheism doesn’t automatically = immorality.
Religious belief doesn’t automatically = morality.
Altruism = living to one’s PERSONAL higher standards!
You’ll never get the churches to pay taxes. Everybody knows that during this depression caused by Barack Hussein Obama and various groups of the unsaved heathen, you don’t raise taxes on the GOP “vote creators”. PTL and can I get an Amen!