Giving is a complex word because it is full of variables. What is "giving" to one person may not be "giving" to the next. An example? Yesterday, I gave a homeless man a chocolate milk. To me that was giving. Someone else may think that giving him chocolate milk was pointless, and that I should have given him money so that he could buy what he actually needed. This is a difference of opinion ultimately resulting from the different teachings we received on what giving truly means.
In my last post, we discovered that religious groups are more likely to be generous and prosocial than non-religious groups. Now, I am trying to find out which religious group gives the most. To be honest, I have been researching for two hours and have discovered....ZIP! I did find statistics talking about charitable giving in general:
- Total giving in 2011 was 11% below giving in 2007, before the charitable sector felt the effects of the recession.
- Historically, religious groups have received the largest share of charitable donations. While this is still true in 2011, the percentage dropped by 2% from 2010.
- 32% of all donations, or $95.88 billion, went to religious organizations (down 1.7%). Much of these contributions can be attributed to people giving to their local place of worship.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=42
As you can see, giving has decreased in recent year. Also, a majority of giving is through tithing in religious churches. Does this constitute as giving to the poor? In a way, yes. But let's not forget that God has called us to act:
Matthew 25:35-36
New International Version (NIV)
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
