Practicing Christians outpaced non-practicing Christians and nonbelievers in giving to charities, including churches, in 2022, the American Bible Society said in the latest release from its 2023 State of the Bible report.
The vast majority of practicing Christians (95 percent) gave to charities in 2022, compared to 68 percent of non-practicing Christians and 51 percent of nonbelievers. The ABS defines practicing Christians as those who identify as such, attend church at least monthly and consider their faith very important in their lives.
“When people practice a meaningful Christian faith, they give — and they give more,” ABS said in the report’s eighth chapter, focused on generosity. “Again and again, we see people transformed by God’s Word, with hearts pried open by God’s love, people of faith moved to share what they have with others — even if they don’t have much to spare.”
Churches, ministries and other houses of worship were the top recipients of charitable gifts for the year, with religion one of the few sectors realizing an increase in receipts, ABS said. But when accounting for inflation, the estimated $143.57 billion in religious contributions — a 5.2 percent increase over 2021 — represented a 2.6 percent decline.