“Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). The Apostle Paul’s words took root in the hearts of Bible-reading Christians, who donate more money to charity than any other group of Americans, according to a new study. The more faithful the Christian, the more likely he proved to help those in need, and to give more money.
People of vibrant faith contrast sharply with non-Christians, who give an average of zero dollars to charitable causes each year, the study finds.
The American Bible Society’s “State of the Bible USA 2024” aims to “understand how Americans use the incredible wealth of Scripture available to them to shape and guide their lives. More importantly, we believe that the Bible can transform people and communities through its incredible message of hope and healing.”
Those who report that Bible-reading holds an important part of their lives proved most generous across a host of measures. “Scripture-engaged people are more likely to donate to charity, and they give more,” the study has discovered. A nearly unanimous 94% of Scripture-engaged Christians donated to charitable causes last year; 71% of them gave at least $1,000, and “about one in six say they gave at least $10,000.”
Three out of four Americans who say they read the Bible just a little or not at all also give to charity, and one-third of them give at least $1,000 a year.
The average “Bible-disengaged” person gave nothing. While some who do not read the Scriptures at any time still share their earnings with greater causes, a majority (57%) said they did not make any charitable donation in 2023.
The degree to which a Christian practiced his faith directly correlated with his likelihood to help humanity-serving causes financially. Those who attend church regularly, and who say their faith plays an important role in their lives, give more than casual church attendees (those who attend church but do not place a high value on faith) and nominal believers (those who attend less than once a month). “Practicing Christians more than double the average (mean) giving of Casuals and nearly quadruple that of Nominals,” says the report. The mean donation of Scripture-engaged Christians was 333% higher than that of casual churchgoers and 667% more than nominal believers, according to figures inside the study.
A majority of all churchgoers gave something to charity, while just over one in three non-Christians (37%) gave anything to those in need. “Practicing Christians contribute more than 9 percent of their income. Casuals and Nominals give at about half that level,” says the document.
Non-Christians donate less money than any other group to charitable causes — statistically, zero dollars a year. “[A]s a group,” the study notes, non-Christians “give the least.”
The reason for these discrepancies may have to do with greater self-control creating more income to share with others, a desire to obey God’s commandments to care for one another, or increased generosity driven by Christian agape love for others. “One factor might be the self-discipline involved in both regular Bible reading and steady financial support of church or charity. And for many it goes far beyond obligation: they find in Scripture a passionate spirit of giving. Their interaction with our generous God yields greater generosity in their lives,” the report speculates.
Among believers, evangelical Christians proved the most generous givers. “Evangelicals lead the way in average amount donated, percentage of people donating, and percentage given to their church or any religious charity. Only one-fifth of them (20%) do not give at all,” states the survey. Evangelicals and those who attend historically black Protestant denominations give three-quarters of their donations to their churches, with the rest going to non-religious charities.
While the Scripture-engaged Christian gives much of his money to his church (64%) and another 21% to religious causes, those who engage with the Bible less regularly give two-thirds of their charitable donations to church, as do 24% of Bible Disengaged people.
“Twenty percent of mainline Protestants give nothing to their church,” researchers note.
The survey, which took place early this year, reflected giving patterns in 2023. Overall, the median donation Americans made to philanthropies rose from $500 to $700, but the number of people giving fell from 68% of Americans in 2022 to 59% last year.
As with the widow’s two mites, the poor continue to share a greater proportion of their resources with others. “Giving exceeds 10 percent of income only at income levels under $20,000 a year,” write the study’s authors. “As income increases to $30k, $40k, and $50k, the percentage of giving decreases, dropping to little more than 5 percent.” Middle-class givers begin to give more, but the percentage falls to 3.7% for those earning $100,000 a year or more.
Looking at additional demographic factors, 76% of Baby Boomers, 65% of those who live in the southeastern United States, and 64% of people who live in the suburbs donated something to philanthropy last year.
Whatever their reason, the Bible those donors read assures that they will receive God’s spiritual blessings as they bless others.
