The TARP Tithe

We are being made aware how charitable donations are down, coincident with greater need. This is never a good thing. I can't say I've ever really made great strides towards charitable donations. It isn't something I've been conditioned to do. One thing I've done for years, because I claim single zero on both Federal and State income tax witholding, is donate considerably to the charities listed on the state tax return, and also to endangered native animals. They need my money too. I fully admit to donating less than 10% of my income, yet I should do more.

As donations are down, so are tithes to the church. The church building boom has also gone bust. It's a minor overall point, but some churches have fallen into the economic abyss and have declared Chapter 11, attempting to wipe out all or a portion of their debts.

I find it interesting that someone who's all powerful, all perfect, all knowing, and all wise, somehow can't handle money...just like much of his flock. Churches pay no property taxes but enjoy the economic privilege to declare bankruptcy and/or foreclose. I'd bet the Evangelical Christian Credit Union has its collection plate out, asking for a TARP tithe, too. The money wouldn't be used, of course, to lend to other underwater churches; it'd be used to shore up the credit union's balance sheet and to write-down parishioner's losses.

The good news in all of this, if you can call it good, is that there is going to be an awful lot of empty Mervyn's stores, Linen N' Things stores, skating rinks, sporting goods outlets, failed supermarkets, bowling alleys, auto dealership showrooms and U-Stor-It warehouses ripe for ready conversion into churches. They won't need to build whole new buildings. All they'll need are small construction loans to renova...wait, scratch that.