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The Verdict is In: We Hate to Tithe

Orginally published on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 7:22 AM
by Todd Rhoades

In fact, only 5% of adults tithe, according to a new study by The Barna Group. Those most generous were evangelicals (24% of which tithe); conservatives (12%); people who have prayed or read their Bible in the last week (12%); Pentecostals (11%); and Republicans (10%). The least generous, according to Barna: those under 25, atheists and agnostics, single adults, liberals, and downscale adults. All of those groups gave 1% or less...

The percentage of adults who tithe has stayed constant since the turn of the decade, falling in the 5% to 7% range. The Barna tracking reported that the proportion of adults who tithed was 7% in 2006 and 2005; 5% in 2004 and 2003; 6% in 2002; and 5% in 2001.

In 2007, 84% of all adults donated some money to churches or non-profit organizations. That figure has also remained consistent in recent years.

The median amount of money donated during 2007 was $400; the mean amount was $1308. Those averages are higher than was revealed earlier in this decade, but represent a decline from the previous year. (The mean sum of donations per person in 2006 was $1348.)

The Barna study pointed out that one-third of all adults (34%) gave away $1000 or more during 2007. Nearly one-fifth (18%) had donated $100 or less.

Evangelicals Christians distinguished themselves in their generosity. More than four out of five (83%) gave at least $1000 to churches and non-profit entities during 2007, far surpassing the levels reached by any other population segment studied.

Almost two-thirds of the public (64%) donated some money to a church, synagogue or other place of worship. The median amount donated to those religious centers was $101; the mean amount was $883. Those figures were up slightly from the previous year.

In all, one-quarter of the people who gave any money to religious centers (25%) donated at least $1000. A whopping 96% of evangelicals gave money to a church in 2007; 81% of them donated at least $1000.

Christians tend to be the most generous group of donors. An examination of the three dominant subgroups within the Christian community showed that evangelicals, the 7% of the population who are most committed to the Christian faith, donated a mean of $4260 to all non-profit entities in 2007. Non-evangelical born again Christians, who represent another 37% of the public, donated a mean of $1581. The other 42% of the Christian population, who are aligned with a Christian church but are not born again, donated a mean of $865. Overall, the three segments of the Christian community averaged donations of $1426.

The Christian giving was divided between Protestants (mean of $1705) and Catholics ($984).

In contrast, Americans associated with non-Christian faiths gave away a mean of $905 during 2007. Atheists and agnostics provided

You can read more here...

QUESTION: What could your church do if you were able to double the amount of tithers?

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There are 9 Comments:

Posted by

Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 9:36 AM

I found it ironic that the more liberal you are the less you tithe yet often times conservatives are painted as having no to very little compassion while liberals paint themselves as very compassionate.
Posted by

Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 10:08 AM

Leonard:

“I found it ironic that the more liberal you are the less you tithe yet often times conservatives are painted as having no to very little compassion while liberals paint themselves as very compassionate.”

I heard someone on the radio give a great analysis about this. Liberals and nonbelievers tend to give money to more activities such as the arts, museums, and causes that do not directly improve the quality of life for people, and may do so in larger quantities or percentages. Conservatives and Christians are the primary givers to organizations and causes that directly help the lives of people, yet, like this survey says, in smaller quantities or percentages. So, the quantities and percentages get the focus, not the direction of the causes.

--
CS
Posted by Peter Hamm

Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 10:25 AM

CS writes [Liberals and nonbelievers tend to give money to more activities such as the arts, museums, and causes that do not directly improve the quality of life for people]. Might be an overstatement, because I think the arts directly improve our lives. BUT… It is interesting that conservatives (with whom I identify on most things) are more likely to give in this way.

But liberals are more likely to brag about helping the poor, aren’t they… (JK) Is it possible that conservatives are helping the poor more? That’s a stat I’d like to see!
Posted by

Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 10:31 AM

i dont hate to tithe, i hate it when people say, if you dont give you are under a curse or god cant help you, or if you dont give you could loose your family. or some other threat, paul said to be a cheerful giver, who can give cheerful under such threats, they are making god out as a tyrant, they are using gods name to threaten people, jesus said , i will never leave you nor forsake you , ask anything in my name and the father will give it to you, i,m going to shut up while i am ahead,
Posted by

Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 3:47 PM

Peter:

“Might be an overstatement, because I think the arts directly improve our lives. BUT… It is interesting that conservatives (with whom I identify on most things) are more likely to give in this way.”

True. After all, the arts can employ people and boost an economy through the backend use of finances. The dancers who perform on stage use their salary to purchase goods and services through the admission paid for tickets, where they might otherwise be unemployed without this promotion. (Adam Smith, eat your heart out.)

I’m thinking more of the person who contributes $2 million to finance the purchase of a piece of art for a museum, instead of giving that money to somewhere like the Heifer organization for the feeding and continued growth of third-world countries. Overall, I think that the radio report was correct in their assessment in who gives money where and for what reasons.

--
CS
Posted by Peter Hamm

Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 4:01 PM

CS,

I meant that the arts do indeed enhance and improve lives directly.

But the argument is moot, because I agree with you about where that money should be spent. My wife and I support Heifer as well.
Posted by Andy Wood

Friday, April 18, 2008 at 9:07 PM

We’re actually in the process of doing that right now. We’re encouraging people to discover the joy of being people of the first-fruits - starting with money, which Jesus described in Luke 16 as the point of entry for life stewardship. But we’re not making tithing an end-all. We’re encouraging people to consider being people of the first-fruits in multiple areas beyond that.

http://lifevesting.com/blog/images/TPCC%20Fir
stfruits%20Challenge.pdf
Posted by Andy Wood

Friday, April 18, 2008 at 9:08 PM

Sorry, one more try:

http://lifevesting.com/blog/images/TPCC%20Firstfruits%20Challenge.pdf
Posted by

Friday, April 18, 2008 at 10:00 PM

andy i truely believe if a person gives god will do what he said.

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