My Take: As we shrink government, let’s grow charitable giving March 27th, 2012

My Take: As we shrink government, let's grow charitable giving March 27th, 2012 03:00 PM ET Editor's Note: Glenn Beck is a radio and television host and is founder of The Blaze, a news and opinion website, and GBTV. By Glenn Beck, Special to CNN I have never felt particularly charitable on April 15. Instead, I typically feel like the victim of the most sophisticated burglary in world history. Yet it is on Tax Day that we learn a lot about the giving nature of our political leaders, at least those who release their tax records. Those documents provide a lens into politicians' financial priorities and benevolence. While the American people certainly don't have a "right" to see the tax returns of any private individual, the public has grown to expect that those running for the highest office in the land will voluntarily allow us to view their filings. Each election cycle, the media and general public take voyeuristic pleasure in examining how candidates made money and the charities they supported before knowing that the national microscope would be on them. According to his tax records, President Obama gave about 14% to charity last year, a laudable amount by any measure. However, that's about 12 times the rate he gave before he arrived in the Senate in 2004 and over 35 times the rate at which he gave in 2002 (when he managed to donate only 0.4% of his quarter million dollar income). CNN's Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories This raises questions about how much of the president's recent charitable contributions can be chalked up to political calculation. When charitable giving is at a high rate for an extended period of time, as is the case with Mitt Romney, the media tend to ignore the trend. While nearly every outlet on the planet wrote about Romney's 15% income tax rate when he released tax filings earlier this year, almost none covered the 15 % he gave voluntarily to charity. Explainer: Mormon tithing (While Romney and Obama lead the current presidential pack in personal giving, they are troublingly the only two remaining candidates supporting a partial elimination of the federal deduction for charity, which would cost non-profits far more than either man could personally give in a lifetime.) Rick Santorum, whom I firmly believe would be the best president out of the current crop of candidates, does not back down when questioned about the influence of faith on his life. But the devout Catholic has understandably faced some criticism due to the fact that his charitable giving, about 3% of his income in recent years, lags behind both Romney and post-rise-to-national-prominence-Obama. While Santorum's donations compare favorably to the average American, they're not up to the levels that many would expect from a man of such deep faith. It should be noted that Santorum is a member of the Roman Catholic Church, which does not require a specific 10 percent tithe, as many other traditions do. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter Regardless, it's fair to wonder why Santorum hasn't willingly given more - which is why I recently asked him about it. While noting that many of his charitable acts, such as volunteering time and raising money through speaking appearances at charitable fundraisers, are not reflected in his tax returns, Santorum admitted: "I need to do better and I should be better and I fell short." In comparison to what other politicians have been caught doing, this is admittedly a minor offense. But it's encouraging that Santorum takes it seriously. At the end of the day, the lesson - that it's important to pitch in and give to help those in need - doesn't just apply to presidential candidates; it applies to all of us, but particularly to conservatives. Although studies have shown that conservatives already give more to charity than their liberal counterparts, the need is still great and requires much of everyone who is able to assist. The idea that individuals are the key to helping others is a conservative one. It's why I have never been shocked at Vice President Joe Biden's lack of charitable giving over the years. Biden averaged giving 0.2% over an entire decade of six-figure incomes in the Senate, 1/13th of what Santorum is criticized for today. Unlike President Obama, Biden's low charitable giving is a picture of stability. Even under the microscope of the Vice Presidency he still only gave 1% to charity last year. And yet this is oddly consistent with his political philosophy. Progressives believe the government does a better job with your money than you can. So, why give any money to charity? Why doesn't President Obama just give an extra 14% to the government? It's the responsibility of individuals to help others. Mercury One is a charity that I started in 2011 that attempts to take that morsel of ideology and turn it into action. The goal is to show that the American spirit of giving, while already far more significant than any other developed nation, still has plenty of room to grow. When it comes to charity, Americans need to stop saying "Yes, we can" and start saying "Yes, I can." We face tough economic times ahead. I believe that we must shrink the size and scope of government or we will face national economic disaster. But it's not just about making the government smaller. As some of these giveaways from Washington disappear, American individuals must step in and make up the difference. Savings in government waste and inefficiency can only go so far. It's up to all of us to demand of ourselves that we pick up the slack. Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus command us to elect a government that will take our money under threat of imprisonment so that bureaucrats can figure out the best way to help people in need. But as so many on the left have pointed out, Scriptures do direct us to help the poor. Yet God puts the responsibility on us, not on the government. Paul's Letter to the Corinthians says that "Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." I think the use of "not grudgingly or under compulsion" eliminates the possibility that he was talking about the IRS. This should serve as motivation for all of us to do more personally. Unless you're already feeling "cheerful" every year on April 15. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Glenn Beck.   Carl Ray Louk "FRIENDSHIP NEVER ENDS" SG-1996 "LET LOVE LEAD THE WAY" SG-2000 "THE PHOENIX SHALL RISE" SD "EVEN A MAN WHO IS PURE IN HEART AND SAYS HIS PRAYERS BY NIGHT, MAY BECOME A WOLF WHEN THE WOLFBANE BLOOMS AND THE AUTUMN MOON IS BRIGHT." LT-1941 "FLESH OF MY FLESH; BLOOD OF MY BLOOD; KIN OF MY KIN WHEN SAY COME TO YOU, YOU SHALL CROSS LAND OR SEA TO DO MY BIDDING!" CVTD-1895 "FROM HELL'S HEART I STAB AT THEE, FOR HATE SAKE I SPIT MY LAST BREATH AT THEE" CA-1895  "I HAVE BEEN, AND ALWAYS SHALL BE YOUR FRIEND" Spock  "TRICK OR TREAT, TRICK OR TREAT CANDY IS DANDY BUT MURDER, OH MURDER, IS SO SWEET" CRL-2003  "EYE OF NEWT, AND TOE OF FROG, WOOL OF BAT, AND TONGUE OF DOG ADDER'S FORK, BLIND-WORM'S STING, LIZARD'S LEG, AND OWLET'S WING. FOR A CHARM OF POWERFUL TROUBLE, LIKE A HELL-BROTH BOIL AND BABBLE. 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