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The Committee for the Promulgation of Virtuous Churches proposes the following:
That anyone be entitled by the Queen's law to divert any portion of the tax they owe from any or all of the lords to whom they would normally owe such tax, instead giving it as a tithe to an approved church of their choice.
Our proposed list of gods Whose churches are anticipated to be suitable for these donations follow (note that this is a subset of the recommended list of permitted churches, consisting of those who are of particularly unimpeachable social value and institutional establishment): Erastil, Iomedae, Shelyn, Sarenrae, Pharasma, Irori. We recommend adding Abadar to the list if and only if the church of Abadar where it operates in Cheliax takes on activities reasonably understood as charitable, such as taking in orphans, but it is our understanding that it does not presently do this within Cheliax's borders. We recommending adding more obscure gods and demigods to the extent that they exhibit a willingness to empower clerics within Cheliax who stand willing to perform socially valuable work.
We further propose that the churches keep records of any donations made under this provision, and stand ready to if challenged testify to the care and accuracy with which they make and maintain those records, and that challenges of assertions that tax has been converted to tithe must be made to the church's officials and not to the individual households of Cheliax whose tax a collector mean to collect, so as to avoid the temptation to double-collect or intimidate the common folk. We recommend that the Crown be entitled to strike a church, in whole or by parish, from the list of those approved for this purpose, if it should turn out that they are unable to keep the records honestly and completely.
This proposal would serve the following purposes:
To encourage the establishment and promulgation of the benign churches in Cheliax which has had its spiritual life first turned over almost wholly to Hell and then been deprived of even those services Hell was competent to provide;
To preferentially support and empower trustworthy, divinely-backed organizations capable of wielding magic in the defense of their regions and teaching the suited to join their ranks, most especially in those areas where the nobility fail to make the case to their people that they are providing essential defensive services sufficient to justify their expenses, with a particular view toward those of the nobility who have yet to pass any evaluation by their lieges or the Crown;
To enable even the poorest, who have little to no discretionary funds with which to buy Goodness, access to that longstanding habit which so often buys the wealthy out of damnation; as while paying one's taxes to one's lord is not a noted Good activity, making a choice to grant money or goods to a specific beneficent church in appreciation for that Good which it does is;
To, if the tax rate is set punishingly high in some area, allow the common folk to make this choice unprofitable for those who set the rate, instead enriching churches which, being chosen for their value to their parishes in the first place, might then return much of the wealth to the people thus impoverished, or hold it for safekeeping against disaster.
This bill does not empower churches to proactively collect tithes. This bill does not establish any churches that do not yet have any empowered representatives ready and willing to collect and use funds for their divine missions. This bill can remain intact in its overall intention if the list of approved churches is narrowed by amendment, or if the portion of tax which may be reallocated to tithing is limited by the Crown, but should not be passed in a form which would grant control of the tithing process to the nobility nor which would exclude the churches listed.
Laia wants church power for great reasons and also normal reasons
summersummer
She's all in favor of this! One of the many reasons it was a great idea to support Laia as leader of the committee.
A mind not filled with desires
She’s not sure about cutting the Abadarans out… they contribute to social organization even if they charge money for it. Maybe a bit more instructions (for neutral churches) on how tithes may be spent could address this? For example, the Abadarans could pay themselves market rates out if their tithes for providing some of their standard services to people too poor to otherwise pay for them? She’ll write an amendment to that effect if Laia is set on not including the Abadarans.
She starts writing a speech about the charitable work she’ll put any tithes directed towards her. Mostly she plans to hold lessons (for women and girls) on meditation, physical exercise, basic literacy, and reading the holy books of various Gods.
She keeps it to herself… but she adds up the numbers, even just paying herself standard teacher wages and her sisters standard teacher assistant wages they will easily be set. And of course, they can prioritize tithe-payers when the classes fill up.
She attempts some more political calculation… probably the nobility will hate the lack of hard limits, so maybe limiting a set proportion of taxes that can be redirected to tithes will lessen the impact? She adds that to her planned amendments also.
summersummer
Laia's not even sure the Abadarans would want to be included, she's heard confusing conflicting reports about whether they like charity in general at all. The transcripts say they run orphanages in Osirion but they don't do it here, whereas the Irorite they have to hand clearly takes in orphans.
A mind not filled with desires
Well it’s closer to being a paid for service organizing it like this? She’ll try to find an Abadaran to talk to so she can see how they take it.
Also, thinking it over more she decides to raise another thought she had. No maximum on the proportion seems too much of a challenge to the nobility? And she’s heard on the education committee that Cheliax is struggling financially. So maybe a 1/2 or 1/4 maximum proportion redirected to the tithe would seem more reasonable?
summersummer
She did leave it open that the bill stands if they amend that proportion down, and kind of expects to have to accept an amendment like that, but she wants to try the audacious version and make them explain why they should always get three-quarters of the tax revenue even if their people would rather prop up a church, not give it to them outright. There's a lot of nobles in the room but plenty of them talk about how much they want to help people be Good, let's see if they'll bite.
A mind not filled with desires
Thea doesn’t know how tax money gets spent exactly… some of it goes to orphanages and schools, (well, used to go to schools, it looks like they might not reopen)? She wouldn’t want to take too much money from actually useful concerns of the Chelish state? If Laia is sure this audacious version will act as a negotiating point instead of irritating the nobility and financially conscious, Thea won’t argue with her.
It’s totally going to piss off the nobility. Dia isn’t good at math either but is pretty sure that’s a lot of money. Really, with the way the nobility guard their precedent and privilege, even a tiny proportion would be pushing it. But it seems like Laia is set and Thea willing to back her play.
Hopefully any pushback will be aimed at Laia and not Thea? Irori doesn’t stick out too much on that list does he? Thea will need to be careful how she speaks about this bill.
Dia keep her thoughts to herself, she can talk to Thea afterwards.
summersummer
Irori kind of sticks out but Thea totally takes in orphans! And... sits on the committee.
A mind not filled with desires
She should maybe clarify that she hasn’t taken in additional orphans, just the original members of the cult. She was planning to in the future, but she was waiting until she was sure they wouldn’t all starve! (And saving up a financial buffer for future emergencies…)
On the other hand, she’s so close to her main objective for the entire convention, she just needs to smile and nod along! So smile and nod along she does.