What Are Your Thoughts Concerning Claiming Donations?

What Are Your Thoughts Concerning Claiming Donations?

Greetings!

Before I officially put it out there...
I'm the kind of person who enjoys conversations surrounding many different topics; particularly controversial ones, as I learn the various aspects of everyone around me

So, here it goes...

I FIRMLY believe a person shouldn't claim the donations they give to ANY charity toward their income tax, no matter what the amount is!

What is the point of "giving" or "donating" money when you plan to claim it; only to get it back when you file? How is that considered a "donation"? Is that what people call "giving"?

As a whole, our economy is down the tubes in every aspect known to man. Thanks to how society has progressed, and the government wanting having many in their back pockets. Whether it's education, healthcare, government pensions, etc; all of these things get effected by cut backs/budget cuts year after year, after year and so on.

So with that being said, why are we able to claim our charitable donations? What happened to giving what we can afford, and not expecting anything back in return? Society over the years has changed dramatically, in the sense of being "out for themselves". The economy can't afford people to be that way, however in the same breath, we are being forced to be that way just to survive.

I'm starting to ramble on...lol
So, with that being said...

What's your take?