Are liberals more charitable?
November 22nd 2006 03:17
I often hear the accusation that Christians are hypocritical because they don’t advocate expansive governmental social programs to aid the poor. Non-Christians claim that if Christians really wanted to be Christ-like, they would help the less fortunate by doing everything in their power to back these programs. Well, this argument is a fallacious one. Most Christians I know care a great deal about the poor. They give their time and money to organizations and initiatives designed to help others who need a helping hand. The big distinction, though, is that most Christians and even non-Christian conservatives believe in letting private organizations and individuals make those decisions to give – not in forcing everyone to give by raising taxes and then pumping up social programs.
An upcoming book from Arthur C. Brooks of Syracuse University will help to illustrate this philosophical dichotomy.
“In the book, to be released next month, he cites extensive data analysis to demonstrate that values advocated by conservatives -- from church attendance to two-parent families to the Protestant work ethic and a distaste for government-funded social services -- make conservatives more generous than liberals.”
And, apparently, the difference in charitable giving is not even close:
“Conversely, secular liberals who believe fervently in government entitlement programs give far less to charity. They want everyone's tax dollars to support charitable causes and are reluctant to write checks to those causes, even when governments don't provide them with enough money.”
And...
"Still, he says it forcefully, pointing out that liberals give less than conservatives in every way imaginable, including volunteer hours and donated blood."
And before you think that Brooks is just another right-wing ideologue, note the following:
“The child of academics, raised in a liberal household and educated in the liberal arts”
“For the record, Brooks, 42, has been registered in the past as a Democrat, then a Republican, but now lists himself as independent, explaining, "I have no comfortable political home."”
These results, at least with respect to conservatives, do not surprise me. This is consistent with my experience. The results about how little liberals give (relatively speaking) did surprise me. I guess conservatives, in general, believe in helping the poor by taking action and liberals believe in waiting around until the government does something. By most accounts, in theory and in practice, that strategy is a failing one.
An upcoming book from Arthur C. Brooks of Syracuse University will help to illustrate this philosophical dichotomy.
“In the book, to be released next month, he cites extensive data analysis to demonstrate that values advocated by conservatives -- from church attendance to two-parent families to the Protestant work ethic and a distaste for government-funded social services -- make conservatives more generous than liberals.”
And, apparently, the difference in charitable giving is not even close:
“Conversely, secular liberals who believe fervently in government entitlement programs give far less to charity. They want everyone's tax dollars to support charitable causes and are reluctant to write checks to those causes, even when governments don't provide them with enough money.”
And...
"Still, he says it forcefully, pointing out that liberals give less than conservatives in every way imaginable, including volunteer hours and donated blood."
And before you think that Brooks is just another right-wing ideologue, note the following:
“The child of academics, raised in a liberal household and educated in the liberal arts”
“For the record, Brooks, 42, has been registered in the past as a Democrat, then a Republican, but now lists himself as independent, explaining, "I have no comfortable political home."”
These results, at least with respect to conservatives, do not surprise me. This is consistent with my experience. The results about how little liberals give (relatively speaking) did surprise me. I guess conservatives, in general, believe in helping the poor by taking action and liberals believe in waiting around until the government does something. By most accounts, in theory and in practice, that strategy is a failing one.
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