Here’s a crafty bit of bullshit being reported by The Christian Post. It claims, “A recent study commissioned by the Chronicle of Philanthropy revealed something that won’t surprise many people of faith: the more ‘religious’ a state or region of the country, the more likely its people are to give generously to charity.” E.g., among the 10 most “charitable” American states are Utah (#1) and a bunch of states in the Bible Belt.

However, when one looks at the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s research one discovers a fascinating fact that The Christian Post fails to mention. For example, why is Utah #1? “The Mormon tradition of tithing is a primary reason residents of this state well outpace those in every other place in America.” When religious giving, i.e., giving to a church or other religious institution, is removed from the mix, the listing of most charitable states changes significantly.

“When religious giving isn’t counted, the geography of giving is very different. Some states in the Northeast jump into the top 10 when secular gifts alone are counted. New York would vault from No. 18 to No. 2, and Pennsylvania would climb from No. 40 to No. 4.”

http://www.christianpost.com/news/do-you-live-in-a-generous-state-81251/

http://philanthropy.com/article/America-s-Generosity-Divide/133775/?otd=Y2xpY2t0aHJ1Ojo6c293aWRnZXQ6OjpjaGFubmVsOmhvdy1hbWVyaWNhLWdpdmVzLGFydGljbGU6c2hhcmluZy10aGUtd2VhbHRoLWhvdy10aGUtc3RhdGVzLXN0YWNrLXVwLWluLWdpdmluZzo6OmNoYW5uZWw6aG93LWFtZXJpY2EtZ2l2ZXMsYXJ0aWNsZTphbWVyaWNhLXMtZ2VuZXJvc2l0eS1kaXZpZGU%3D

http://philanthropy.com/article/Sharing-the-Wealth-How-the/133605/?otd=Y2xpY2t0aHJ1Ojo6c293aWRnZXQ6OjpjaGFubmVsOmhvdy1hbWVyaWNhLWdpdmVzLGFydGljbGU6YW1lcmljYS1zLWdlbmVyb3NpdHktZGl2aWRlOjo6Y2hhbm5lbDpob3ctYW1lcmljYS1naXZlcyxhcnRpY2xlOnNoYXJpbmctdGhlLXdlYWx0aC1ob3ctdGhlLXN0YXRlcy1zdGFjay11cC1pbi1naXZpbmc%3D