Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Of Taxes and Tithes
Today's Deseret News featured an article reporting that Utah governor Jon Huntsman is considering the possibility of implementing a flat-rate state income tax that would not allow for any deductions for home mortgage interest, dependent children, or charitable giving.
The article (near the end) makes the startling revelation that the LDS Church has "recently issued a statement saying it opposes removing the charitable deduction from state income taxes, as the subcommittee's recommendation would do. The church said charitable deductions on income taxes is a long-held tradition, one that benefits not only churches but other nonprofit entities as well."
Frankly, I'm quite surprised that the Church would issue such a statement. I understand that churches and charitable organizations in general would like to keep the charitable deduction in place, because in theory it incentivizes charitable giving. But in the specific case of the LDS Church, it doesn't make as much sense.
Does the Church fear that if Utah Mormons don't get a charitable deduction, they won't pay their tithing and fast offerings? Do the brethren really have that little faith in the membership of the church? I can't believe that they do. After all, the deduction isn't worth that much money--if Church members were really more concerned about saving money than keeping the commandments, they wouldn't pay their tithing even with a charitable deduction. And isn't part of the whole point about tithing the concept of sacrifice? Not getting a deduction makes the sacrifice of paying your tithing even more pronounced, and therefore you'll get more blessings from it.
But what surprises me the most is how different this issue is from most of the political issues the Church makes statements on. I mean, this isn't a matter of gambling, same-sex marriage, or alcohol prohibition. This issue isn't a moral issue at all. It's a tax issue, for crying out loud.
If you buy the argument that Mormons are more likely to make charitable donations to the Church if they get a deduction for it, it makes sense for the Church to come out and oppose the recission of the deduction. But I don't buy that argument, and I can't believe the leaders of the Church do, either. They're too smart for that. That's why I think this is really weird.
Even weirder: I couldn't find any reference to such a statement on the official LDS website, where they usually post any press releases about political issues. So one theory that would explain everything to my satisfaction would be that the reporter made the whole thing up.
The article (near the end) makes the startling revelation that the LDS Church has "recently issued a statement saying it opposes removing the charitable deduction from state income taxes, as the subcommittee's recommendation would do. The church said charitable deductions on income taxes is a long-held tradition, one that benefits not only churches but other nonprofit entities as well."
Frankly, I'm quite surprised that the Church would issue such a statement. I understand that churches and charitable organizations in general would like to keep the charitable deduction in place, because in theory it incentivizes charitable giving. But in the specific case of the LDS Church, it doesn't make as much sense.
Does the Church fear that if Utah Mormons don't get a charitable deduction, they won't pay their tithing and fast offerings? Do the brethren really have that little faith in the membership of the church? I can't believe that they do. After all, the deduction isn't worth that much money--if Church members were really more concerned about saving money than keeping the commandments, they wouldn't pay their tithing even with a charitable deduction. And isn't part of the whole point about tithing the concept of sacrifice? Not getting a deduction makes the sacrifice of paying your tithing even more pronounced, and therefore you'll get more blessings from it.
But what surprises me the most is how different this issue is from most of the political issues the Church makes statements on. I mean, this isn't a matter of gambling, same-sex marriage, or alcohol prohibition. This issue isn't a moral issue at all. It's a tax issue, for crying out loud.
If you buy the argument that Mormons are more likely to make charitable donations to the Church if they get a deduction for it, it makes sense for the Church to come out and oppose the recission of the deduction. But I don't buy that argument, and I can't believe the leaders of the Church do, either. They're too smart for that. That's why I think this is really weird.
Even weirder: I couldn't find any reference to such a statement on the official LDS website, where they usually post any press releases about political issues. So one theory that would explain everything to my satisfaction would be that the reporter made the whole thing up.
Comments:
The reporter made the whole thing up? I'm sure your comment was made in jest, but based soley on historical evidence, fabrication or omission of facts is actually more common within the upper echelons of the LDS Church than within the ranks of the Deseret Morning News (just to be fair).
I think it's safe to say the story is true and is missing from lds.org simply because it's a very Utah-specific issue and also because the Church usually doesn't like to globally advertise its meddling in local politics.
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I think it's safe to say the story is true and is missing from lds.org simply because it's a very Utah-specific issue and also because the Church usually doesn't like to globally advertise its meddling in local politics.
