Argument that "charitable donations to churches don't provide benefit to society [is] ill-informed opinion that doesn't stand up to scrutiny," says Deseret News.
"Not all charitable giving is related to a church or a religious cause, but religion undeniably is a huge motivating factor that spurs people to give. It also is a big reason why individual giving in the United States continues to rise despite a slow economy, with personal giving hitting $223 billion in 2012. That was by far the largest portion of the $316.23 billion Americans gave overall, with most of the balance coming from corporations. An overwhelming 88 percent of Americans gave to charity last year, according to the Giving USA Foundation and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy." -- the Deseret News
