Religious People More Generous Than Atheists? Nope.

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Dardedar
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Religious People More Generous Than Atheists? Nope.

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Are Religious People Really More Generous Than Atheists? A New Study Puts That Myth to Rest

"...when you excluded donations given to churches and religious groups, the map changed dramatically, giving an edge to the least religious states in the country:

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It turns out nearly 75% of charitable giving by all Americans… benefits places of worship and faith-based charities. A lot of the money isn’t helping the poor and less fortunate. It’s going to the church.
Jay Michaelson of Religious Dispatches explains:
… The study found that 65% of religiously-affiliated people donate to congregations or charitable organizations. (More on that statistic later.) 80% of Americans are religiously affiliated. And 65% of 80% is just about… 55% of the total. In other words, the religious people who are giving say they’re giving because of religion. And they’re overwhelmingly giving to religion as well.

Probably the most notable statistics, though, are those which compare religious and non-religious philanthropy. Religion is supposed to make us better people, which includes, I assume, being more generous. So, is it the case that religious people give more generously than the non-religious?
Well, yes and no. Remember that statistic, that 65% of religious people donate to charity? The non-religious figure is 56%. But according to the study, the entire 9% difference is attributed to religious giving to congregations and religious organizations. So, yes, religion causes people to give more — to religion itself.
A lot of religious giving, then, is self-serving, in the guise of helping others. Often, the donations benefit their faith.
LINK
"I'm not a skeptic because I want to believe, I'm a skeptic because I want to know." --Michael Shermer
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