Bono writes a letter to President-Elect Obama at Jim Wallis’ blog:
You know that less than 1 percent of government income as a contribution from the world’s richest economy to the world’s poorest is not a fair tithe — even in times like these — which is why you have promised to double foreign assistance.
Hello? Government income? Government doesn’t have an income… they collect taxes from people who have incomes! Where does it say in scripture for governments to tithe? The tithe was for individuals.
You can argue that government should take care of the poor, and be in support of increased taxes to increase “government income” so that can happen. You can’t say there is a scriptural mandate to do so however.
Individual Christians and churches… well that is an entirely different matter.