At first glance, the idea of tithing appears regressive, since a proportional income based value hits the poor harder than the well off. However, since, in most churches, tithing is encouraged, but not required or accounted, generally people will give, as they are able. In addition, a good portion of the funds of a church are devoted to services, many of which (such as food redistribution, counseling service, and financial support) are beneficial to the lower income participants of the church. Also many religious organizations run thrift stores, shelters, soup kitchens, and other services targeting the poor segments of society regardless of the beliefs of those aided.

This is another case in which it must be assumed that people's beliefs will influence their actions. A church often declares service as one of the church principles, but these principles do little unless the participants in the group act on those ideals. If this assumption is fulfilled, then the church again can play an assisting role in redistribution of income, with the added advantages of localized accountability for use of resources and less need for political maneuvering and appeasement.

Regarding the third problem that Dr. Folbre brought up in "The Invisible Heart," unequal education, more thought has to be given to the concept of supportive education, since most churches do not run full-time schools. Supportive education, as the term is used here, refers to elements of life, notably in the interaction of children and adults, that aid a child in building cognitive skills, reading and listening comprehension, as well as processing of ideas and deliberation.

In a church, children especially are exposed on a regular basis to reading related activities. This is primarily accomplished through Sunday School or Children's Church type programs, in which focus is made on the correlating between right and wrong with the more concrete stories in which the morals are observed. Also, many religious texts are fairly complex reading, although many also have simplified versions for children, which has potential to increase reading comprehension through practice. Finally, children's church activities are often conducted in an ungraded question and answer format, which may encourage children to enjoy learning, since it is not always done for a grade.

Another educational aspect of religious institutions is in the auditory comprehension area. People listening to sermons are often provided outlines on which to take notes, and are encouraged to consider the material discussed later on with others in the service. This process reinforces what is heard and is very similar to common methods of note taking and recitation in classroom lectures. Also, if a family, as a whole, decides to consistently discuss the sermon over Sunday lunch, then church attendance could increase family interaction, as well as reinforce the value of children's opinions within the family. Finally, it may be that parents who attend church, have been educated in parenting seminars, and understand the value of non-material things are more likely to invest time in their children's education. This consistently has been shown not only to improve that child's grades, but often improves the educational experience for all children at the school, through volunteer efforts on the behalf of parents. Therefore, it would seem that a case could be easily made for the beneficial nature of church participation to a child's education.