> (I have the personal opinion this comes from some sort of religious ideology) This is probably incorrect - the religious "tithe" (meaning "tenth") is more of

> (I have the personal opinion this comes from some sort of religious ideology) This is probably incorrect - the religious "tithe" (meaning "tenth") is more of a flat tax, and generally voluntary. Progressive taxes have a long secular history including Romans, Republicans (Lincoln), and Democrats (Wilson). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_tax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_tax