Writing off charitable donations?

[98cwitr]

Matthew 6:1

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Does anyone else feel that writeoffs undermine the above? It's announcing to the government ("The People"...loosely obviously) about a good work you have done, and therefore made public your givings?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Yes.
The motives are subject to testing, always.

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

No, I don't feel that way. I see it as a mathematical logic, and nothing more. It keeps me from deducting a percent, twice, from the same base figure.

 

[Yekcidmij]

Matthew 6:1

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Does anyone else feel that writeoffs undermine the above? It's announcing to the government ("The People"...loosely obviously) about a good work you have done, and therefore made public your givings?

I don't see anything inherently wrong about writing off charity donations on taxes. Much less do I see how doing so is the equivalent of "practicing your righteousness in front of others," unless you air your tax deductions in front of everyone to show off your charity donations. But who does that? If someone pulls out their tax forms to show off, I think I'd fall asleep.

 

[Dave-W]

Most translations put that as "before MEN..." the general sense from the next several verses is to make yourself look good and make them feel you are a good person.

Matthew 6:1 - Bible Gateway

If you write off your contributions it is before computers that have no feelings one way or the other. Any real person that might think one way or another about you would have to go digging to find that information and they would need some kind of court order in order to do so.

taking a tax deduction is NOT violating this scripture.

 

[Endeavourer]

I feel that not deducting is wasting your (and therefore God's) resources because if you deducted them the same amount from your gross would go further towards helping people.

I would have a hard time telling someone in need that I can't help them because I gave the resources I could spare to the federal government.

 

[mama2one]

follow

 

[Endeavourer]

Yes, deductions only apply if you are itemizing.

 

[fhansen]

Matthew 6:1

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Does anyone else feel that writeoffs undermine the above? It's announcing to the government ("The People"...loosely obviously) about a good work you have done, and therefore made public your givings?

No, doesn't matter. I don't know of anyone who becomes prideful at what the government thinks. Your giving remains a secret for all practical purposes. Now, if you were to go about telling all your friends and fellow church members...

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I feel that not deducting is wasting your (and therefore God's) resources because if you deducted them the same amount from your gross would go further towards helping people.

I would have a hard time telling someone in need that I can't help them because I gave the resources I could spare to the federal government.

Good! ( er.... or Bad! ) This is a start anyway..... "resources.... to the feds" .....

Some are able with few resources to help others greatly. Others with a lot of resources seem not to be able to help at all......

Or , on a tangent, resources unwisely wasted on some other agency/ system/ like the disastrous health elimination system..... a few get what they 'need', at least apparently, while most all are plainly robbed..... ... month after month after month.....

um..... however, I think this will have to be taken to another thread, not to derail this thread.... if people are interested and really want to know...

 

[Jonaitis]

Matthew 6:1

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Does anyone else feel that writeoffs undermine the above? It's announcing to the government ("The People"...loosely obviously) about a good work you have done, and therefore made public your givings?

If your intention is to show off, then the passage is relevant.

You are free to tell even your family and friends about your donations, and who you donated to and why, without falling into "practicing your righteousness before others." It is the matter of the heart.

 

[bling]

The computer reading my return is not impressed by my giving, but is looking to see if I should be audited.

 

[bbbbbbb]

The computer reading my return is not impressed by my giving, but is looking to see if I should be audited.

Bingo! Computers can be used for other means, as well. In China the big debate in the early years of Communism was whether or not to join the government church and have the government telling you what to believe and do. With computers, the Chinese government is able to monitor the movements of every identity-card carrying person in China, which means virtually every person. The government insists that it is only using such data to prevent threats to the law and order of society. Sound familiar?