Where Christianity Is Strongest, Giving Is Greatest

Bible Belt residents are among the most generous in the nation, according to the Catalogue of Philanthropyís annual “Generosity Index.”

“We believe that generosity is a function of how much one gives to the ability one has to give,” Martin Cohn, a spokesman for the Catalogue of Philanthropy, told the Associated Press. Using that standard, the 10 most generous states were, in descending order, Mississippi, Arkansas, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Utah, South Carolina and West Virginia.

The 10 stingiest, starting from the bottom, were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Minnesota, Colorado, Hawaii and Michigan.

Dan Burrell, a pastor and syndicated columnist, says that “conservative Christians get a bad rap from the liberal media and from the liberal church. The conventional wisdom is that the liberal churches give to things like homeless shelters, food pantries, and other benevolent ministries, and conservative churches do not. But the data show that right theology encourages right living and generous giving,” he said.

(EP News)

Planned Parenthood’s Supporters Singled Out By Pro-Life Group

Life Decisions International (LDI) released a revised edition of what it calls “The Boycott List” on Dec. 1. The list identifies corporations that are boycott targets due to their support of Planned Parenthood, the world’s largest abortion-advocacy group, and the largest abortion provider in the United States.

“So far, as a direct result of the commitment, action and prayers of pro-family people, a minimum of 122 corporations have agreed to stop funding the abortion-committing goliath,” said Thomas Strobhar, chairman of LDI’s board of directors. It is estimated that the boycott has cost Planned Parenthood more than $35 million since the Corporate Funding Project (CFP) began nearly 14 years ago. “This should be a testament to those who believe it is impossible to change corporate philanthropic behavior.”

Corporations slated to appear on The Boycott List for the first time include: AIG (financial/insurance), Altria (Phillip Morris, Nabisco, and Kraft products, Post cereals, etc.), Circuit City (retail electronics outlet), Cost Plus World Market (retail stores), Price Chopper/Mini Chopper (supermarkets/convenience stores), New World Restaurant Group (Chesapeake Bagel Bakery, Einstein Bros Bagels, Manhattan Bagel, etc.), Nike (apparel/footwear, etc.), Tommy Hilfiger (apparel, etc.), and SBC Communications (AT&T, Cingular Wireless, Southwestern Bell, etc.), among others.

The new Boycott List will include a revised “Dishonorable Mention” section, which identifies charitable groups that are associated with Planned Parenthood and/or its agenda. Among the groups to be named in the section are The American Cancer Society, Camp Fire, The Dr. Phil Foundation, Girls Inc., Girl Scouts, Rotary Clubs, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and the YWCA.

(EP News)