Congress Says No to Tithing in Bankruptcy Courts

Please tell me when it comes to politicians that I have now seen it all. The United States Bankruptcy Court has interpreted the new bankruptcy laws that went into effect as of October 2005 to say that anyone in bankruptcy court cannot tithe to a church or give to a charitable organization until they have paid off the credit card companies and their creditors.

I cannot make this stuff up. So, let's put all of this into perspective. The worst set of consumer legislation ever written (the new bankruptcy laws) went into effect last October. Congress, who goes to great lengths to protect the credit industry writes these laws that protects creditors and offers very little relief to consumers.

Congress wrote the laws to make sure that God is second and the credit industry is first. The credit industry can change the rules of a contract at will, they can raise your interest rate as high as 30% plus if they decide to do so, they force bankrupt consumers to subject themselves to the questionable credit counseling business prior to bankruptcy, and they use bait and switch tactics to market their services.

Surely Congress who is sworn in under God and all of that sort of thing did not intentionally write the law with this in mind. While doing everything they could do to keep campaign funds flowing while protecting the credit industry, they overlooked languaging in the law that removes an individuals free-will to prioritize God over money.

As Henry Sommer, president of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys said:

"...the 2005 reform legislation didn't just reword the federal bankruptcy code.....it also effectively rewrote Exodus and Deuteronomy. Many who practice their faith and believe that they are bound by creed to tithe a portion of their income will find that Congress effectively decided that what credit cards want is more important than the deeply personal religious practices of Americans."

If is unfortunate that our political system is spiraling out of control. We need real leaders in Congress that will actually write laws not based on their own self interest but on the interest of the American people. This is a very grim line that has been crossed by our politicians all in the name of Debt.

Bob Brooks