I was about to answer with something along the lines of "you should be happy to help your community, you never know when you'll need their help..." but then I saw that you mentioned churches. I don't think churches qualify as charity per se. But if the government wants to help genuine charities that meet stringent standards and lift the quality of life for disadvantaged members of society, that can only be a good thing. I judge any society by the quality of life of its poorest citizens. Especially in times of economic crisis, I'm sure the charities need all the support they can get.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4389728/Charity-must-not-become...