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Comment by easygenes | Hacker News Reader

If we're looking for a giving threshold that has also stood the test of time in terms of practicality for a reasonable portion of the population to be able to follow it long term, then we need to look no further than the precedent of the 10% church tithe.

Giving 10% is practical for many and would make an enormous difference in the world. Seems like a good baseline.

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Zakat’s also a great model and the principles behind it are sound too, I think regardless of one’s faith or tradition. Given that it’s wealth rather than earnings based it a more progressive model than tithes’ usual 10% of income.

Weird example since the most famous 10% in the modern world funds the gilded real estate empire of abusive bigots, the latest in a long line of religious authorities who use the threat of supernatural damnation to exploit people.

Yeah, not arguing in favor of any churches here. Just pointing out that 10% is a practical level of giving for many, so a good place to start in considering how much you might want to be charitable.

What if you're already paying around 50% in taxes, and benefiting of a nearly negligible part of what the government spends in?

Well, giving is by its nature optional, so you must fit it into your personal circumstances. I'm just pointing at a reasonable baseline that many people around the world have followed for generations.

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