Charitable Giving, Food For Thought!
I gave a lesson on tithing Sunday and broadened the topic to giving. I found some very interesting information that I thought I would share.
The average person in the US gives away three and a half times as much money as the average French citizen, seven times as much as the average German, and 14 times as much as the average Italian.
The most charitable state is Utah, where people give approximately twice as much as the second leading state.
When people get richer, they tend to give more money away. When people give more money away, they tend to prosper.
People who volunteer do better financially. Is income driving up donations or are donations driving up income? The answer is both. When our country gets richer, people give more away. And as we give more away, that translates into economic growth for our country.
People who give to charity are 43 percent more likely than people who don't give to say they're very happy people. People who give blood are twice as likely to say they're very happy people as people who don't. People who volunteer are happier. You simply can't find any kind of service that won't make you happier. Givers are healthier, happier, and richer in this country.
Many churches are opposed to the concept of tithing saying it was abolished with the Law of Moses. On the average, Christians are giving about 2.5 percent of their income to churches, not ten. Weekly collection didn't even exist until the middle of the 19th century, when churches gave up selling or renting pews.
One spokesman said tithing remindes him of Martin Luther, father of the Protestant movement, who broke away from the Catholic church because it was selling indulgences: Promises of a quicker road to heaven in exchange for cash. Striped down to its basics, he says, "I don't think tithing is different than indulgences. What we see today, though, is a return to 'this-for-that religion,' give God this and God will give you that".
I thought it was interesting to find some churches have installed "Giving Kiosks" in the church where attendees can swipe their card and donate. Some call them God's ATMs.
I gave a lesson on tithing Sunday and broadened the topic to giving. I found some very interesting information that I thought I would share.
The average person in the US gives away three and a half times as much money as the average French citizen, seven times as much as the average German, and 14 times as much as the average Italian.
The most charitable state is Utah, where people give approximately twice as much as the second leading state.
When people get richer, they tend to give more money away. When people give more money away, they tend to prosper.
People who volunteer do better financially. Is income driving up donations or are donations driving up income? The answer is both. When our country gets richer, people give more away. And as we give more away, that translates into economic growth for our country.
People who give to charity are 43 percent more likely than people who don't give to say they're very happy people. People who give blood are twice as likely to say they're very happy people as people who don't. People who volunteer are happier. You simply can't find any kind of service that won't make you happier. Givers are healthier, happier, and richer in this country.
Many churches are opposed to the concept of tithing saying it was abolished with the Law of Moses. On the average, Christians are giving about 2.5 percent of their income to churches, not ten. Weekly collection didn't even exist until the middle of the 19th century, when churches gave up selling or renting pews.
One spokesman said tithing remindes him of Martin Luther, father of the Protestant movement, who broke away from the Catholic church because it was selling indulgences: Promises of a quicker road to heaven in exchange for cash. Striped down to its basics, he says, "I don't think tithing is different than indulgences. What we see today, though, is a return to 'this-for-that religion,' give God this and God will give you that".
I thought it was interesting to find some churches have installed "Giving Kiosks" in the church where attendees can swipe their card and donate. Some call them God's ATMs.
Labels: Giving
posted by Bill Grubbs at 9:20 AM
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