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VOICES | Issue: "The historic Christian faith" May 11, 1996

Mailbag

LETTERS FROM OUR READERS

Tinkering with the tax code
April 06, 1996

Calvinism 101

I would like to remind those who believe a flat tax without deductions for charitable giving would stimulate giving ("God loves a cheerful giver," April 6) that the model of the 1980s cited was a time when charitable contributions were deductible. Anyone who would rely on the altruism of the masses to keep on giving without the financial incentives to do so needs to go back to Calvin 101 lessons on the total depravity of man. After all, God did not rely on the generosity of the Israelites but told them what they were to contribute. - Elizabeth Kata, Hackettstown, N.J.

Behavior manipulation

With regard to tax-deductions for charitable giving, there is another question that should precede the ones WORLD has asked: Should government use tax policy to manipulate the behavior of its citizens? The reason we now have the monstrosity called the federal tax code is because legislators have found it useful to manipulate the behavior of so-called "free citizens." The alleviation of poverty is an excellent cause for my charitable dollar, but should the government be trying to influence how I divide my dollar between an organization that serves primarily to propagate the gospel and one that serves primarily to feed the poor? One becomes a winner and one a loser based on the priorities of those writing tax laws. Let's try to get the flattest tax possible and let our charitable giving be completely free of tax law motivations. - Vicky Craig, Lufkin, Texas

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Finster's unusual art Apr. 27, 1996	Caveman with convictions Apr. 20, 1996	Children of Chernobyl Apr. 13, 1996
Tinkering with the tax code Apr. 6, 1996	Bosnian relief Mar. 30, 1996	A reason to live Mar. 23, 1996