nick kristof: keeping your faith

In today's New York Times, Nick Kristof writes: "There’s evidence that one of the most generous groups in America is gays. Researchers believe that is because they are less likely to have rapacious heirs pushing to keep wealth in the family."

WTF? I get the "no children" argument. I also get the "preponderance of disposable income" argument (questionable though it may be) Gays are more charitable, not for a higher mobility of resources - or a generally higher income bracket - but because of -- you guessed it -- lineage!
The new American exceptionalists. Rapacious heirs indeed!

Whatever. Reading the New York Times makes me crazy, but I haven't found a better place to get news. So I spend my time on design websites, downloading pretty pictures. Like this one:












or this one:



and I compulsively make rice, like this.




Occasionally whole days go by in this fashion. This is what it means, I guess, to be young, on stipend, and totally disillusioned with your sense of what you can accomplish in a normal working day.

Back to Kristof: what's second-order weird about this, I guess, is also the suggestion that "individual" giving is somehow different -- or better?! -- than institutionalized giving (i.e giving regularly to church groups and private institutions, volunteering time, rather than one-time charitable giving). I wouldn't be surprised if there's a split here between Democrats and Republicans. Maybe not, though -- depends on where you draw the line. He seems to be talking mostly about individual, tax-deductible donations, which seems to be a pretty limited way to circumscribe "generosity."

Does tithing count as a charitable donation, tax-wise? If I give a $400 donation in the offertory on Sunday, can I put that down for tax exemption? Clearly I CAN, and it must, if religious donations are being categorized along with other forms of charitable giving.
But where do I put this down, if I'm filling out a form? And while we're at it: Can churches also get federal funding (and I'm almost certain they can - especially for missionary / overseas charity work)? Fuck the little man -- what about elected Republicans? Where do their personal donations go? Where does the OMB record this stuff?

My liberal imagination seethes. Power to the gays! Time to go feel guilty, stare at the wall, and think about the children until I get distracted and find something better to read on the internet.