From: adams@spss.com (Steve Adams)
Newsgroups: talk.abortion,talk.religion.misc,alt.atheism
Subject: Re: An Abortion Argument that has nothing to do with OT and NT
Date: 28 Dec 92 14:30:12 GMT
Organization: SPSS Inc.

gordons@netcom.com (Gordon Storga) writes:

><nyikos.725160159@milo.math.scarolina.edu> nyikos@math.scarolina.edu (Peter Nyikos) writes:
>>>Of course not, consider RCAR (Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights?) and
>>>Catholics for Choice.
>>
>>How about posting stats on membership in these two organizations?
>>
>>And how about posting documentation that these people are not atheists?
>
>On a slightly different plane...
>
>I heard on the radio that a recent study showed that Catholics in the US
>donate less than 1% of their income to charity, and that 60% of the US
>Catholic households donated less than 1 dollar per year.
>
>Note:  this was a short blurb on the radio.  they didn't qualify
>"Catholic", and they didn't describe the sample size.

I can confirm this, almost...it's a dollar a week - not that that is much
better...the sample size was 330,000, and the data was provided by the
churches themselves...here's the info:

_Catholics holding back in Sunday giving_
   Chicago Tribune, Thurs, Dec 24, 1992

  NEW YORK (AP) - Roman Catholics put less than 1 percent of their income
in the Sunday collection plate in 1991, with more than 60% of the
households giving an average of less than a dollar a week.

  The study of 330,000 Catholic households is the first comprehensive survey
of financial data provided by parishes, as oppsed to poll data surveying
individual Catholics, researchers said.

  [deletia describing effects of reduced giving & bishop's urging of more]

...many parishes suggest parishioners donate 5 percent of their net income.

  Past research has shown that Catholics generally give less than members
of any other religious groups.

  For example, in a report combining the General Social Surveys from 1987
to 1989, Mormons contributed 6.2% of the income, or $1,713/yr, and Baptists
gave 2.9%, or $734/yr.  On the lower end, Lutherans contributed 1.3%, or
$349/yr., and Catholics gave 1.2%, or $290/yr.

  [deletia about computer software used in study]

  The study found the typical Catholic household donated a total of about
$280 in Sunday collections in 1991.

  Nineteen percent of parish households donated three-quarters of the
Sunday collection, giving an average of $950 over the year.  Another 19
percent gave an average of $294, and the remaining 62 percent gave an
average of $42.

  Giving varied significantly by parish size and marital status.

  The average household contribution of parishes with 1000 to 1500 members
was $336.  The average contribution dropped to $245 in parishes with 5000
to 10000 members, and fell to $237 in churches with more than 10000
members.

  Married households put an average of $313 in the collection plate in
1991, compared with $175 for single people.  Widowed Catholics contributed
an average of $261, while divorced or separated Catholics contributed $148.

  [Catholic reation deleted]

------

 -Steve
--
  The opinions expressed above are those of the author and not SPSS, Inc.
                         -------------------
   adams@spss.com                                  Phone: (312) 329-3522
   Steve Adams        "Space-age cybernomad"       Fax:   (312) 329-3558
Newsgroups: talk.abortion