Three Fourths of American Giving Goes to Religion

[stromboli]

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/culture/7417/new_study__three_quarters_of_american_giving_goes_to_religion/

Americans give a lot of money to religionâ€"but not in the ways we usually think.

These are among the findings of the National Study of American Religious Giving, as distilled into a report released today entitled Connected to Give: Faith Communities. The report is third in a series of documents crunching the large amounts of data in the national study, with at least three more yet to come.

Unlike previous data sets, the current study captures a wider swath of religious givingâ€"not just that to churches, synagogues, mosques, and the like, but to religiously-affiliated organizations like Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army. When that larger group is included, 73%â€"almost three quartersâ€"of American giving goes to religious organizations.

This point is significant for several reasons. First, it highlights the importance of religion in American philanthropic life. Religion is where American give, and a reason why they give. Along with the 73% statistic, the study revealed that 55% of Americans say that their religious orientation (a weird locution, but one the study chose) motivates their giving. 

That may not seem like a lot, but just crunch the numbers for a minute. 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.

Second, and relatedly, this data shows just how much of America’s tax deductions are a boon to religious organizations. When we think about charitable gifts, most of us probably include religious institutions within a laundry list of good causes: Save the Whales, the American Cancer Society, and so on. In fact, three quarters of American givingâ€"and three-quarters of the concomitant tax benefit â€" goes to religion.

While law students still quibble over whether the Bible Club can meet in the school gym, our tax policy, school voucher programs, and “faith-based implementers” of domestic and international policies constitute massive giveaways to religious organizations that artificially inflate their power and appeal.

Third, it’s these “religiously-identified organizations” â€"RIO’s in the hideous acronymization of Washingtonâ€"that are at the center of the current controversy over religious exemptions to civil rights laws.  Almost all Americans believe that some religious institutions should be exempt from some laws â€" your priest should not be forced to marry two lesbians, for example. But that narrow exemption is a trickle compared to the flood of the RIO.

RIOs are big business. Fully 69% of donations made for non-religious purposes went to religiously identified organizations. And if the Religious and Tea Party Right(s) have their way, these institutions, supported by non-religious-purpose donations, can fire gays, banish contraception from their employees’ health plans, and maintain discriminatory practices like refusing to allow children to be adopted by same-sex families.

(Incidentally, the religious right has had its way. The version of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) supported by the mainstream LGBT movement excludes all RIOs from coverage.)

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 moreâ€"to religion itself.

What did Richard Dawkins say? The primary function of a meme is to replicate itself. Which is what religions do, brilliantly.

As between different religions, the numbers are fairly consistentâ€"except for American Jews, who give more to secular causes than anyone else. Coming in the wake of the recent Pew Survey on American Jewish Life, these findings may shed new light on Jewish secularism, a trend which has greatly worried the Jewish establishment. Maybe the secular social-justice commitments of American Jews are a sign of Judaism’s success.

So, most religious people are equally generous; they only give more than non-religious people because they give to religious organizations; and they, like the rest of us, give to overwhelmingly religious organizations. For better or for worse.

I have some history in this. As a Christian I did voluntary work at various places and was involved in different charities like Angel Tree, pregnancy crisis centers and others. What is not specifically stated, and what will never be known, is the actual numbers of what goes to useful charities and what goes into the church coffers for unknown use. One church I belonged to- an Assembly of God church- in the 2 years that I belonged, ran five charities that i considered worthwhile- Angel Tree among them. But they also supported bible camps (scam) youth ministry groups (scam, because the people doing the ministry basically got paid for travelling around and doing ministry in churches not needing to be ministered to) missions (major scam- last church I was in was supporting a couple in Spain, a developed country that is mostly Catholic. And one charity that supposedly was helping youth in Russia. the men that ran this roamed the country in a very expensive RV with all the trimmings)

This church had a like 20+ acres of land that included a lake, a gymnasium, a very ornate sanctuary and 2-3 outbuildings- all built completely by donations and mostly free labor. The pastor "survived" on a salary of 30,000 a year- except he lived in a house built for him by the church, paid for by the church, tax exempt as church property and so on. About his only expense was food, because most of his clothing could be written off as a business expense.

So much money goes into funds that are not visible to most- although many small churches do post a yearly financial report, the numbers are actually privy to only a few people. We will never know what the actual numbers are that goes to charity or legitimate causes.

Religion isn't going anywhere. Too many people are getting rich off it.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Time for the AF arm of The Holy Cavity of the Toothfairy to bless us all with RV's, swimmin pools,  movie stars!  Yall come back now,  hear?

[doorknob]

I think people who do statistics find the answers they are looking for and not the full truth of the matter. Like leaving out the most important detail that Atheists are out numbered by the religious.

[stromboli]

I think people who do statistics find the answers they are looking for and not the full truth of the matter. Like leaving out the most important detail that Atheists are out numbered by the religious.

Right, as in hugely outnumbered. But the thing that is lacking as imentioned in another similar thread, was lack of accountability. That religions can basically play by their own rules and not be made to be transparent in their dealings and where the money goes to me is just wrong.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Hold them accountable and guess what four words you're gonna hear in your sleep, .. Freedom of religion & P E R S E C U T I O N.

[Hydra009]

Right, as in hugely outnumbered. But the thing that is lacking as imentioned in another similar thread, was lack of accountability. That religions can basically play by their own rules and not be made to be transparent in their dealings and where the money goes to me is just wrong.

Most religions would be dead in a week without a constant influx of money. (reading from a book and splashing around some water is bizarrely expensive)  And I'd imagine that an itemized breakdown of expenses would really sour people on giving money to the church.

I think that perhaps the greatest damage done to organized religion by atheists is not the strident criticism of their beliefs, but the loss of financial support.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Hardly dead in a week, but without the flow of cash the preachers and minions will certainly have to tighten their belts and any money that actually does go to charity is dead.

[Solitary]

If all the money they get is suppose to feed the poor (which they promote by encouraging procreation), why are there so many starving children in the world while new churches are being built, and the religious authorities are living in luxury?  I think "we" know.  Solitary

[stromboli]

I haven't seen the bills, but I'm betting maintenance on a mega church has to be huge, and they are every pastor's dream. I went to a few "budding" ministries that were in some school gym or in one case a funeral home, and every single case the pastor was trying to raise money to buy and renovate or outright build a new church. Bottom line is a mega church is a monument to a man, not god.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

It's why I still want to start christianfuckbuddies.com. Damned..now I forgot all the good ones Shoe and I thought up in chat last week.

[SGOS]

73% is a large percentage.  The amount of money involved must be huge.  If only there were some way to re-route all that money into things that were useful.  The world could be a much better place.

[doorknob]

Even L Ron Hubbard knew how profitable religion is.

I do wish the money was spent else where and if it didn't go directly to people in need at least spend it on scientific research. Hell even NASA is better spent.

[PickelledEggs]

It's why I still want to start christianfuckbuddies.com. Damned..now I forgot all the good ones Shoe and I thought up in chat last week.

You should name it FUCKOH.com

Fornicate under the comand (of the) Kindom Of Heaven

You'll be RICH!!!!!

[phattmatt]

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/culture/7417/new_study__three_quarters_of_american_giving_goes_to_religion/

I have some history in this. As a Christian I did voluntary work at various places and was involved in different charities like Angel Tree, pregnancy crisis centers and others. What is not specifically stated, and what will never be known, is the actual numbers of what goes to useful charities and what goes into the church coffers for unknown use. One church I belonged to- an Assembly of God church- in the 2 years that I belonged, ran five charities that i considered worthwhile- Angel Tree among them. But they also supported bible camps (scam) youth ministry groups (scam, because the people doing the ministry basically got paid for travelling around and doing ministry in churches not needing to be ministered to) missions (major scam- last church I was in was supporting a couple in Spain, a developed country that is mostly Catholic. And one charity that supposedly was helping youth in Russia. the men that ran this roamed the country in a very expensive RV with all the trimmings)

This church had a like 20+ acres of land that included a lake, a gymnasium, a very ornate sanctuary and 2-3 outbuildings- all built completely by donations and mostly free labor. The pastor "survived" on a salary of 30,000 a year- except he lived in a house built for him by the church, paid for by the church, tax exempt as church property and so on. About his only expense was food, because most of his clothing could be written off as a business expense.

So much money goes into funds that are not visible to most- although many small churches do post a yearly financial report, the numbers are actually privy to only a few people. We will never know what the actual numbers are that goes to charity or legitimate causes.

Religion isn't going anywhere. Too many people are getting rich off it.

I'm heartbroken to declare that you are right.  It is extremely depressing.
Lord Jesus!
  How could you!

Have mercy on us!

I hate to see people using God to make money but I even see it in beggars and pan handlers.