Tim Keller and other politically left-leaning Christian leaders have perpetuated the progressive myth that right-leaning Christians do not care for the poor. Actually, studies show that evangelicals, particularly Southern evangelicals, are the most generous and philanthropic group in America.
See here (https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/almanac/statistics-on-u-s-generosity/) on giving by states based on percentage of AGI – other than Utah and Idaho at 1 and 7, the rest of the top 10 is Southern (red, heavily evangelical) states. The bottom 15 states are the bluest, least evangelical states.
The same thing happens when we look at giving by cityn (use the same link as above). Salt Lake City comes in first, then Memphis and Birmingham. With the possible exception of Virginia Beach, the rest of the cities in the top 15 are all in red, heavily evangelical areas. The bottom 15 cities in giving are all dark blue liberal places. Conservatives give more than liberals, and conservative evangelicals give more than anyone.
ChatGPT sums up the data: “In America, individuals are the most generous group, contributing approximately 67% of total charitable donations. Among different demographics, those living in rural, conservative, and religious areas tend to give a higher percentage of their income to charity compared to urban residents.”
Arthur Brooks came to the same conclusion in his study, “Who Really Cares?” The book is reviewed here (https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2010/09/review-of-arthur-c-brooks-who-really-cares.html). From the review:
“We live in two Americas: “America the Selfish” and “America the Charitable,” according to Arthur Brooks. If one maps these two Americas, their boundaries align closely to the political blue and red states: the red states give more. The bright line that delineates the charitable from the selfish is their convictions, both political and religious. And research shows that conservative people of faith put their money where a secular liberal’s mouth is….
Brooks came up with some eye-opening conclusions:
- Despite their reputation as “caring,” political liberals give less of their income to charitable causes than conservatives.
- People who mistrust big government give more of their money and time as volunteers to take care of the poor themselves.
- Government spending displaces private dollars to charities, weakening their ability to garner private support.
- People who are religious give more across the board, not only to religious causes but to non-religious charities as well.
- Charity isn’t just a rich man’s activity: The working poor give a greater proportion of their income than the middle or upper classes.
- Americans give far more money and volunteer much more frequently than Europeans.”
Brooks found that while religious people give much more generously than non-religious people, conservative religious people give more than progressive/liberal religious people. The pernicious myth that conservative Christians do not care for the poor and do not show generosity needs to die. We are more charitable than any other group.
Brooks also demonstrated that the welfare state – and the spirit of entitlement it cultivates – kills generosity:
“Whether or not people give charitably has everything to do with entitlement mentality. In a fascinating comparison, Brooks looks at the giving patterns of the poorest Americans, who are at one extreme or the other, “America the Charitable” and “America the Selfish” writ large. People with the least income to spare either give the highest proportion of their income away—four to five percent—or they give almost nothing. What’s the difference in these two groups? The X factor is whether they receive entitlement payments from the government. The working poor give away three times as much of their money as people on welfare, even though they have exactly the same income. Apparently receiving entitlement payments cripples the impulse to aid others. Brooks concludes “poverty doesn’t make people uncharitable—it’s the government policies for ending it.””
In conclusion: “Brooks gives a rousing portrayal of the benefits of private charity that reverberate throughout the nation, increasing the prosperity, health and happiness of Americans. The fruits of charity provide solutions for the stubborn problems that both the right and left want to solve. The evidence indicates that private charitable dollars are more likely to bring about the desired outcomes for the poor without unintended consequences that cripple the recipients.”
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