TheCrazySquirrel

I’m watching a 20/20 special on giving in America. It’s all about who gives more, who is more charitable, etc. They started the special by saying:

“We asume the rich give more than the middle class, the middle class more than the poor. I’ve heard liberals care more about the less fortunate, so we assume they give more than conservatives do. Are these assumptions truth, or myth?”

So they set up some tests to see. Basically, here is what they found.

“It turns out that this idea that liberals give more…is a myth. Of the top 25 states where people give an above average percent of their income, 24 were red states in the last presidential election.” (red is “conservative”)

They found that lower class and upper class give more than middle class. Middle class gives the least percentage of their income, by far. Poor people give the most. “Arthur Brooks, the author of “Who Really Cares,” says that “when you look at the data, it turns out the conservatives give about 30 percent more.” He adds, “And incidentally, conservative-headed families make slightly less money (than liberal). And he says the differences in giving goes beyond money, pointing out that conservatives are 18 percent more likely to donate blood. He says this difference is not about politics, but about the different way conservatives and liberals view government. “You find that people who believe it’s the government’s job to make incomes more equal, are far less likely to give their money away,” Brooks says. In fact, people who disagree with the statement, “The government has a basic responsibility to take care of the people who can’t take care of themselves,” are 27 percent more likely to give to charity. (note - as a government, we rank 21st of 22 major countries in our giving to the needy; as individuals we rank the highest in our giving)

…”the rich do give more in overall dollars, according to the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, people at the lower end of the income scale give almost 30 percent more of their income. ”

And then here is the biggest factor: “Finally, the single biggest predictor of whether someone will be charitable is their religious participation. Religious people are more likely to give to charity, and when they give, they give more money: four times as much. And Arthur Brooks told me that giving goes beyond their own religious organization: “Actually, the truth is that they’re giving to more than their churches,” he says. “The religious Americans are more likely to give to every kind of cause and charity, including explicitly non-religious charities.”

I thought this 20/20 special was very interesting. Mostly because I am in the middle of raising support for my ministry job (which by the way, feel free to talk to me about that :) ). But I was very encouraged to hear that the biggest factor was religious participation. So don’t believe what you hear in politics about who is really helping who. And make sure you are giving to people.

Samaritans Purse is a good charity. You can buy chickens, goats, and more for people in need. They are also the ones who do the “Operations Christmas Child” where they collect the shoe-boxes for children. Good Magazine gives all of its subscription fees to charity. You can give to the Salvation Army or the United Way. Or even better you can go out and find someone in need and help them personally. It will be freezing tomorrow night. Or invite them to Christmas dinner, make them part of the family.

And - At least five studies show that seniors who gave tended to live longer. People who give are in better health. Why? Well, do unto others… People who give are more peaceful. They are calmer. Their body feels better. People smile more when they are helping others, and they feel better. In turn, it makes your body feel better. Its even got a term called “helpers high.” Plus, I think God honors it.

What happens is that in helping others the same brain responses happen that happen at other times of pleasure. It activates the pleasure center of the brain, releases dopamine, etc. And you feel better, have more energy, and are more at peace in your life.

My dream job would be to have tons of money and my job would be just giving it away all the time. I’ve had that dream for….well since I was a kid. I think I get that from watching my grandparents give all the time.