To solicit and receive voluntary financial and other contributions from individuals and institutions;

This right involves the financial arrangements a religion or belief is entitled to make within a State. The right to solicit and receive voluntary financial contributions from individuals and institutions differs from state support for a religion or belief through tax deductions, direct grants and credits. In such cases, the U.N. Human Rights Committee has said, “where possible, States should provide equal levels of support, financial or otherwise, to all religions or beliefs.” In Eastern Europe , the Orthodox Christian religion found itself at a financial disadvantage after the Cold War as Protestant churches, with better voluntary funding streams, from the West began to proselytize in their countries. In other instances, the primacy of a traditional majority religion gives them tax advantages and direct financial aid that is not open to minority religions or belief. Since the World Trade Center tragedy, some voluntary contributions from Muslim individuals and institutions to brethren in less financially well off countries have been suspected of being used for other purposes, causing extreme hardships to Muslim charitable institutions serving the poor.

Related Examples

• Spain : Spain has four classes of formally organized religious entities. The majority Catholic Church receives tax deduction and collects taxes from their followers to support expenses of the church and church education. The Islamic Commission of Spain, Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain and Israelite Communities of Spain, have refused to accept any financial aid collected by the State from the income tax of their believers, thereby rejecting an arrangement similar to the Catholic Church. These entities have full rights to solicit and receive voluntary contributions from individuals and institutions outside of Spain.

• Norway : The Norwegian Lutheran Church is recognized as the State Church of Norway. It receives financial support from the State based on the number of members who are registered as church members. All other minority religions or beliefs, including the Norwegian Humanist Association, can receive State funds based on the number of members they have. A minority religion or belief can choose not to register and not to receive funds.

Learning Experiences

esearch this right by talking with religious leaders in your community to see if the State places any restrictions on voluntary contributions. A chart might be made up displaying the rules and regulations, and forms of tax deductions and benefits.

TOPIC NOTES

Term 6.1.6: Solicit and Receive Contributions

To solicit and receive voluntary financial and other contributions from individuals and institutions;

Make a chart of the rules and regulations of your community that govern solicitations and voluntary gifts, including State support in the form of financial contributions, tax benefits or deductions. Summarize below governmental limitations to solicit and receive voluntary and other contributions by religions in your community.