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gjm comments on The Atheist's Tithe - Less Wrong Discussion

7 Post author: Alsadius 13 November 2014 05:22PM

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Comment author: gjm 13 November 2014 11:36:11PM 4 points [-]

Your argument seems to be roughly equivalent to this: "The term 'tithe' was originally applied to something more like tax than like charity. We pay quite a lot of tax. Some forms of charitable activity turn out to be harmful. Therefore it is not a good idea to give 10% of your income to charitable causes." But that last bit (which is, of course, the point) seems like a total non sequitur.

I see only two things in what you've written that come anywhere near arguing for the final inference. I don't think they're good arguments.

  • "Wouldn't changes to government and taxation be a better service for society?" (My answer: They might be a very good thing, but I don't see how they funge against donation to charities.)
  • "I fear that adding charity juts skews the existing systems and adds an additional element the effects of which nobody sufficiently understands." (This seems like a universal Argument Against Any Institution. Why is it any more reason to distrust charity than to distrust medical insurance, or banks, or marriage, or armies, or universities?)
Comment author: Gunnar_Zarncke 14 November 2014 12:15:49AM *  0 points [-]

Yes. I agree that these are separate points and one does not follow from the other. The are related though. Initially I cosidered writing them separately but writing led to one single piece. I don't see clearly how to split it but I agree that it probably shouldn't have been mixed.

Your first point that charities do exist and are kind of orthogonal (and not a new invention) is valid. But I don't see it as the most efficient way to do things.

Your second point misses as I didn't meant to apply it against existing structures but against new ones. But then charity isn't new really. Readding a tithe is.

Nice summary by the way. Thank you.