Philanthropy expert Arthur C. Brooks of Syracuse University has determined that religious conservatives give far more than secular liberals to charities of all kinds.  That finding holds true across all income levels. The research is set forth in a new book, Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism, to be released next week.

In the book, he cites extensive data analysis to demonstrate that values advocated by conservatives — from church attendance and two-parent families to the Protestant work ethic and a distaste for government-funded social services — make conservatives more generous than liberals.
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When it comes to helping the needy, Brooks writes: "For too long, liberals have been claiming they are the most virtuous members of American society. Although they usually give less to charity, they have nevertheless lambasted conservatives for their callousness in the face of social injustice."

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."

Religious conservatives who object to government-mandated redistribution of income give the most to charity, while liberals who support such programs give the least.  Even when it comes to non-monetary giving, such as blood donations and volunteering, liberals contribute less.

Such an attitude, he writes, not only shortchanges the nonprofits but also diminishes the positive fallout of giving, including personal health, wealth and happiness for the donor and overall economic growth.

All of this, he said, he backs up with statistical analysis.

Harvey Mansfield of Harvard University, who has not met Dr Brooks but has read his book, had this to say:

"His main finding is quite startling, that the people who talk the most about caring actually fork over the least.”

Dr Brooks admits he is not happy with his own results, in part because he was raised in a liberal household.  He does not consider himself a conservative or a supporter of the “religious right”, yet he knows his book will be deeply unpopular with liberals.

This new research is yet another nail in the coffin of the claim, made by Gregory S Paul and Skeptic magazine among others, that secularism is good (or, at least, not bad) for society.

Dr Brooks is Professor of Public Administration and Director of the Nonprofit Studies Program at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. 

h/t: Clayton Cramer

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