Is Giving to Churches Charity?

[Baydwin]

Just after some opinions on this, having never attended a Church I don't know how people feel about their donations. Same question for those who attend temples, mosques and synagogues please.

Do you consider donating to a Church as giving to a charity? And I don't mean to a charity event organised by a Church, but donating money to the Church for the Church to use for it's own purposes.

 

[Mister Emu]

A Church's "own purposes" oft encompass charitable works...

 

[fantome profane]

It still depends on what that church is going to do with that money. A lot of churches use that money for good things. With other churches their only purpose is to build themselves up.

 

[McBell]

Do you consider donating to a Church as giving to a charity?

No.
I do not.

 

[Riverwolf]

Just after some opinions on this, having never attended a Church I don't know how people feel about their donations. Same question for those who attend temples, mosques and synagogues please.

Do you consider donating to a Church as giving to a charity? And I don't mean to a charity event organised by a Church, but donating money to the Church for the Church to use for it's own purposes.

Only if it's a poor church that has to rely on such donations.

 

[fantome profane]

Only if it's a poor church that has to rely on such donations.

Why should that make any difference? Don’t all churches rely on donations?

 

[Riverwolf]

Why should that make any difference? Don’t all churches rely on donations?

I said "poor" churches that can only stay open on such donations.

 

[Humanistheart]

Just after some opinions on this, having never attended a Church I don't know how people feel about their donations. Same question for those who attend temples, mosques and synagogues please.

Do you consider donating to a Church as giving to a charity? And I don't mean to a charity event organised by a Church, but donating money to the Church for the Church to use for it's own purposes.

Depends on the church. The lds church keeps track of donations and if your not paying your share you loose temple previlages. In that religion, no it's not donation.
As for charity for christian churches, well it might be charitable of you, but misguided.

 

[Humanistheart]

Why should that make any difference? Don’t all churches rely on donations?

Not all, no.

 

[fantome profane]

I said "poor" churches that can only stay open on such donations.

I still don’t see why that makes a difference. There are a lot of organizations that have difficulty saying open. Having difficulty saying open does not make them charities. Doing good work makes them charities. If they don’t do that, or can’t do that, they should go under.

 

[Riverwolf]

I still don’t see why that makes a difference. There are a lot of organizations that have difficulty saying open. Having difficulty saying open does not make they charities. Doing good work makes them charities. If they don’t do that, or can’t do that, they should go under.

I'm not saying whether or not the church that receives the money is a charity.

The question was: is it charity to give to churches? My answer was only if the church is poor. It's still charity, even if the church doesn't use that money for the best of things.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

From an Anglican point of view, I do not know any church in the UK that charges a membership fee. or demands a tithe.
A church relies on goodwill offerings to maintain itself and pay it staff.

However a large majority of money collected for charity work gets spent directly on those charities.

There was a time when the Cof E was rich ... now it is hand to mouth.

 

[fantome profane]

I'm not saying whether or not the church that receives the money is a charity.

The question was: is it charity to give to churches? My answer was only if the church is poor. It's still charity, even if the church doesn't use that money for the best of things.

Ok, so if the bar down the street is having difficulty staying open is my giving them money charity?

What if I give money to the local neo-nazi organization that could not continue without my donation is that charity?

 

[Adso]

Just after some opinions on this, having never attended a Church I don't know how people feel about their donations. Same question for those who attend temples, mosques and synagogues please.

Do you consider donating to a Church as giving to a charity? And I don't mean to a charity event organised by a Church, but donating money to the Church for the Church to use for it's own purposes.

If a church relies on donations to keep going, then yes, it is giving to charity in the dictionary/technical sense.

 

[Adso]

What if I give money to the local neo-nazi organization that could not continue without my donation is that charity?

How would that not be charity? I mean, it's a stupid choice for charitable giving, but that doesn't magically change the definition of a word.

 

[fantome profane]

How would that not be charity? I mean, it's a stupid choice for charitable giving, but that doesn't magically change the definition of a word.

So what is the definition of “charity”?

char⋅i⋅ty

&#8194;<a href=&quot;http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/C03/C0333900&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;><img src=&quot;http://sp.ask.com/dictstatic/g/d/speaker.gif&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /></a>&#8194;/&#712;t&#643;ær

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ti/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [char-i-tee] Show IPA Use charity in a Sentence

See images of charity

Search charity on the Web

&#8211;noun, plural -ties. 1. generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless: to devote one's life to charity. 2. something given to a person or persons in need; alms: She asked for work, not charity. 3. a charitable act or work. 4. a charitable fund, foundation, or institution: He left his estate to a charity. 5. benevolent feeling, esp. toward those in need or in disfavor: She looked so poor that we fed her out of charity. 6. leniency in judging others; forbearance: She was inclined to view our selfish behavior with charity. 7. Christian love; agape.

How does giving money to a neo-nazi organization help anybody? It doesn&#8217;t help society, it doesn&#8217;t even help those people in that organization. The people in such an organization would be much better of if it closed its doors.

If I give money to a church that uses that money to help people (and this is usually the case) then I am giving charity. If I am giving money to a church that does not help people that is not charity.

 

[Riverwolf]

Ok, so if the bar down the street is having difficulty staying open is my giving them money charity?

What if I give money to the local neo-nazi organization that could not continue without my donation is that charity?

Charity is charity, regardless of which poor organization the money goes to.

It's up to you where you want your charity to go.

 

[Storm]

Just after some opinions on this, having never attended a Church I don't know how people feel about their donations. Same question for those who attend temples, mosques and synagogues please.

Do you consider donating to a Church as giving to a charity? And I don't mean to a charity event organised by a Church, but donating money to the Church for the Church to use for it's own purposes.

It can be complicated, but the simple answer is "no."

 

[Adso]

So what is the definition of “charity”?
How does giving money to a neo-nazi organization help anybody?

It helps the members of their group which would make it charity. You have given funds to a group which would rely on donations to keep going...That is pretty much textbook charity.

It doesn’t help society, it doesn’t even help those people in that organization. The people in such an organization would be much better of if it closed its doors.

So something is only charitable if it helps society? What if I donate one of my paychecks every month to a family who would lose everything if I didn't; would that not be a form of charity?

I don't see how you're going to argue that it isn't helping an organization when you give them funds. It's money they can use for whatever they want.

As for your last point there: That's your perspective. I'm sure the Neo-Nazi's would disagree.

If I give money to a church that uses that money to help people (and this is usually the case) then I am giving charity. If I am giving money to a church that does not help people that is not charity.

I don't get it... Giving money to an organization that relies on donations isn't charity unless they use that money for other people who rely on charity.

My point is that it doesn't matter who gets the money; if you donate money, time, or resources to a group, organization, or individual, you are providing charity. Whether it's UNICEF or a Neo-Nazi organization is completely irrelevant to what is defined as charity. You could certainly argue one of those is more noble charity-wise, but both are dictionarily 'charity'.

 

[fantome profane]

It helps the members of their group which would make it charity. You have given funds to a group which would rely on donations to keep going...That is pretty much textbook charity.

So something is only charitable if it helps society? What if I donate one of my paychecks every month to a family who would lose everything if I didn't; would that not be a form of charity?

I don't see how you're going to argue that it isn't helping an organization when you give them funds. It's money they can use for whatever they want.

As for your last point there: That's your perspective. I'm sure the Neo-Nazi's would disagree.

I don't get it... Giving money to an organization that relies on donations isn't charity unless they use that money for other people who rely on charity.

My point is that it doesn't matter who gets the money; if you donate money, time, or resources to a group, organization, or individual, you are providing charity. Whether it's UNICEF or a Neo-Nazi organization is completely irrelevant to what is defined as charity. You could certainly argue one of those is more noble charity-wise, but both are dictionarily 'charity'.

It is charity if it helps people. Organizations are not people. In some cases the people would be much better off without the organization. Helping an organization is not charity, helping people is. If you can help people through that organization that is fine, but if helping that organization does not help people it is not charity.

My point is it does matter. There is a difference between a charity and a non-profit organization. That difference is that a charity helps people.