Are CHRISTIANS or MUSLIMS more generous to the poor (by percentage of wealth given)?

Question

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Please state how you know, or if you are just offering an opinion.

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Answer 1

Tough one to answer with facts, so here is my opinion.

There is no doubt that the United States provides more charity to the third world than any other nation. However, it is also the richest nation. 65-70% of Americans claim to be a part of some form of Christianity. There is no doubt that Christians give. They pay offerings every week, and some even tithe 10% of their income. The expectation is that the money is being spent on worthy causes, however, I found the following statistic on the website listed below:
"In 2000, nearly 97 percent of the entire income of all Christian organizations was spent on, and primarily benefited, other Christians at home or abroad: $261 billion spent on ministering to Christians, $7.8 billion on already-evangelized non-Christians, and $0.81 billion on unevangelized non-Christians."

So it appears as if the money is actually being spent by Christians for Christians, and is primarily a prostelization project.

Muslim information was a lot more difficult to come by. There are thousands of Muslim charities, they are mostly set up to help the poor in the middle east. However, just like the Christians, they are primarily Muslims providing money for Muslims. The unfortunate part of Muslim charity right now, is that there are large sums of money actually going into funding terrorism and wars. So as a muslim giving to charity, one could inadvertently be killing poor people vs helping them.

Percentage of wealth is an impossible number to obtain. (at least I couldn't find it) But I have to say that if Christians are giving to Christians and Muslims are giving to Muslims, Atheists, and Agnostics are the most Charitable people.

When an atheist/agnostic gives to charity, it goes towards the goal set, its for helping what ever organization or cause it was given to. The money might actually do some good. If you are Christian, dropping coins into the offering plate, chances are, they are going towards printing costs for pamphlets in Africa, poor little mabooboo can't eat paper. If you are Muslim and you are writing checks to the local charitable fund, chances are your money is going towards bullets or cellphones. Poor little Achmed can't eat a cellphone, but he may end up eating a bullet from that charitable donation.

So I say that Agnostic/Atheist charity is most effective.

Once again, just an opinion

Answer 2

I don't like the idea of making a big competition between religions and i don't think you can truly judge how generous a person is by their religion-we come in all sorts. However, as a Muslim i will tell you the charitable requirements of a Muslim since this is what i know best...although i'm not saying that Christianity is not charitable at all.
Zakat (Obligatory Charity) is one of the major 5 duties required by God from all the submitters (Muslims in Arabic).
The Quran confirms that all our rituals were given to Abraham , who is called the father of Islam (Submission), see 22:78.
Zakat must be given away "on the day of harvest"
[6:141] " ……….. give the due alms (Zakat) on the day of harvest, and do not waste anything. He does not love the wasters."
The wisdom behind the Quranic law that Zakat is paid as soon as the money is earned, not stacked away and paid after the end of the year. Besides , if the money is going to a good cause , why make the recipients who are in great need , have to wait till the end of the year ??.
The amount is 2.5% of the income when it is paid. this amount was passed down to us, generation after generation, like Salat, from the time of Abraham to our time. We must set aside 2.5% and give it to the specified recipients - the parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, and the traveling alien. (2:215).
A Muslim must "give charity during the good times, as well as the bad times"[3:134].Those poor people who may not have any income at one point, will get income from Zakat and from their Zakat they are obligated to give 2.5% from this income to another poor person.
But the Zakat is a mere obligatory aspect of the religion. The Qur'an tells people that they should do more and always be charitable in every aspect of their life. "Any good you do, GOD is fully aware thereof." [ 2:215]. The Qur'an says that Gods wants us to give more from our hearts [2:261]
[2:177] Righteousness is not turning your faces towards the east or the west. Righteous are those who ……..give charity, cheerfully, to the relatives, the orphans, the needy, the traveling alien, the beggars, and to free the slaves"- so clearly not just the obligatory charity.
This does not prove that Muslims are more charitable than christians....this is simply what i know is required in Islam.

Answer 3

Muslims have to charitise if they have the ability - and yes if ur earnings are above average income u must give 1/40 (2.5%) of ur income to the poor, whether u like it or not, There is a saying that the best way to reach God in Islam is by prayers and charity. I m sorry to say that the christians here who say they donate more is wrong, Its just that muslims r not that rich. Christians are however generally generous and I thank anyone who has or does give charity Muslim or Christian or Jew. Things like these kind of laws has by no doubt helpt to keep up my faith in God. I respect all other monotheistic faiths - all are about love and peace, we just misunderstand them.
God bless u and i request u 2 give to the poor as well. Continue ur quest - God willing there will be results. Have a nice day

Answer 4

To me i think that Christians are more generous to the poor because i had about donations much from christians to poor people for example, in my country we have one of the Bussinessman (the ouner of Radio One and ITV- Reginald Mengi) who always prepare party every year with disabled people and poor people. Other thing is how this Christian churches do provide basic needs to the comunity such as water suplly, schools and Universities etc.

Answer 5

Muslims because we give 2.5% of our wealth to orphans and the poor the last day of Ramadan. And our third pillar is to help the poor people.

Answer 6

i'm now unlikely to say what I supply for my area. quite, better appropriately, i do not extremely supply something on account that i do not make any funds. So what I gained't say is what my husband and that i make a contribution. yet i will answer something else. a million. 10% tithe PLUS what's named a "quickly providing". That is going to feed/help the unfavorable, ill and needy. there is not volume anticipated yet a stunning good rule of thumb quite a number of people stick via is the cost of two (wonderful) food on your total relatives. 3. LDS 4. u . s . a . 5. my church. We make a contribution to sooooo a lot.

Answer 7

Muslims are the poor (wealthwise) Christians openly share and very generous thats my opinion

Answer 8

I don't think any statistics on this have been gathered yet - maybe you could do a survey to find out?

I'll start for you. When I was a Christian I gave £10 (GBP) per week - that was 10% of my earnings at the time.

Answer 9

It's a known fact that Protestants are the largest donaters to charity. The statistics speak for themselves:

For example, among those who attend worship services regularly, 92 percent of Protestants give charitably, compared with 91 percent of Catholics, 91 percent of Jews, and 89 percent from other religions.

Answer 10

That is very difficult to deretmine because Muslims give directly to those who are in need, versus giving to a charity. (When it is time for my husband to give alms, he gives the money to a person or family he knows needs it.) These things are not documented. Also, when people give to charities they are not asked to identify their religon. I gave generously to GoodWill and my local fire department when I lived in the US. No one cared about my spiritual beliefs, they simply appreciated the donation.