Researcher reaffirms connection of heart and treasure

It is old news for Christians, but nonetheless good to hear again. A new study of giving habits highlights the correlation between personal faith and personal philanthropy. As the author of Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism (Basic Books, 2007) writes, “There is not one measurably significant way in which religious people are not more charitable than nonreligious people.”

Arthur Brooks, a professor of public administration at Syracuse (NY) University, was surprised to discover that religion played a far more significant role in giving than he had previously believed. In 2000, religious people gave about three and a half times as much as their nonreligious counterparts—$2,210 versus $642. And even when religious giving is excluded from the numbers, Mr. Brooks found that religious people still give $88 more per year to nonreligious charities.

He writes, “The fact is, if it weren’t for religious people in your community, the PTA would shut down.”

Excerpted from philanthropy.com

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