http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/04/3...enerosity/

Always knew that. Now there is proof.


I learned it was like that when my step-father had to stop working because of a strike at his job that lasted for a few month. Jehovah witness are not allowed to strike, so he could not go on picket line therefore could not get his strike pay from the syndicate. Anyway, the JW are always preaching about helping each other out, how it is important to be generous, blah blah blah. Well they just dont do it. We w'ere 3 kid. I was about 12, my sis 8 and brother 5. We had to work in a field picking blueberry to get some food on our table. The strike went on for 3-4 month. Only one JW, not even from our congregation, came to our help. He drop some boxe's of food on our doorstep and he was leaving as we got home. He tried to be anonymous, but we got there before he could take off. Anyway, people from our own congregation, some of them rich, did nothing to help us out. But apparently they talked because it came to the ear of that man that we were starving. Our congregation was about 110-120 people, his about the same. So on 200+ people he was the only one to move a finger to help a starving familly. And these people called themself brother and sister.

Damn posted too fast.

Anyway, with all their talk about generosity afterward i started noticing some pattern. They actually gave only to the watchtower (the JW main organisation). And i came to understand they did it because they were told to do it. Because they were coerce into it, not because they really wanted to give. So i started looking at people doing communitary work year's later, and try to see why they did what they did. I figure out it was all for the wrong reason most of the time. I've met once with the richest man in Quebec in a toilet (i know). It was at a charity event where he gave a lot of money. So when i thank him, he told me something like "Dont thank me, i'm not doing it for you, but i'm doing it for myself". I was speachless. But i later realise that he was about the only person who gave me an honest answer about why he was doing what he was. And how unbelievably, brutaly honest he was, no sugar coating, no trying to sound humble or generous, or whatever.

Till this day whenever someone ask me why i do voluntary work, i always answer i do it for myself.

This is a fascinating study.  The question I would like answered is, what is lacking in religiously-minded people that they don't get the same sort of "social conditioning" that non-religious people appear to have?  Personally, I'm not at all religious, but I also am not much swayed by compassion when I give to charities, etc. as by the feeling that we have to share the earth and it's unfair that some should have so much more than others for no good reason.  
Thanks for posting this!
Alison

My own hypothesis is that religious people are deeply egoist and egotistical. Take for example people like actor who think god answer their prayer to give them a little statuette (wich his btw against the ten commandment) whilst millions of children are starving, or all the people that dont want to be shocked by what their gay/atheist/"of not the same religion" neighbourg do. And probably the more religious a person his, the more they think about themself. And more egoist people are, less they will give "freely". The more there will be a reason for it (looking good, salvation, ect.

Not in proper Christianity - salvation is by faith alone, and Jesus commands us to give secretly.

Cause Christian do what they preach every one know's that!

Then how come this church that I go to every week for craft club is giving out free food? They give me food every week such as one hot meal and then bread, rolls and other food as available.  They are giving away used clothing and once per month free haircuts who want it.  They are giving bags of groceries to people who ask for it.  Also they told me that if I need any household items then I can talk to someone who will see what they can give me.  They are helping anyone who comes in.  

They do not care that I don't give money to their church or even go to their church on sunday.  

Not your fault your stepfather believed in a bad church.  Did he even ask them for food?

Oh hell. If everyone took all the values of the collective bible works and applied them, the world woould be a *** place.
It simply does not translate even with the most liberal of interpretations. Thankfully most christians are happy to pick and choose and many take on the more harmless and negligable aspects of Christianity. (OK there can be a lot to be said fo how christians view and are biased against homosexuals but that is another kettle of fish). One of the big issues I have is the morality. Christians are not better or worse tan anyone else for being Christian.

The article did not say WHICH religions the people in the study had - only a difference between highly religious people and those who were non-religious atheists and agnostics.

Other religions besides Christians give to charity, distribute food and clothing.  

As for the study itself
"In the second experiment, 101 American adults watched one of two brief videos, a neutral video or a heartrending one, which showed portraits of children afflicted by poverty. Next, they were each given 10 “lab dollars” and directed to give any amount of that money to a stranger. The least religious participants appeared to be motivated by the emotionally charged video to give more of their money to a stranger.

“The compassion-inducing video had a big effect on their generosity,” Willer said. “But it did not significantly change the generosity of more religious participants.”

In the final experiment, more than 200 college students were asked to report how compassionate they felt at that moment. They then played “economic trust games” in which they were given money to share – or not – with a stranger. In one round, they were told that another person playing the game had given a portion of their money to them, and that they were free to reward them by giving back some of the money, which had since doubled in amount.

Those who scored low on the religiosity scale, and high on momentary compassion, were more inclined to share their winnings with strangers than other participants in the study."

I tend to check out the charities asking for money rather than make donations on emotional whims.  Once I was shown photos of children with wounds and asked for money.  Someone told me that the funds were actually going to a terrorist organization.  

So maybe non-religious people in the study were just not so smart.

Try to spin iyt all you want, but religious people gave less not because they are smart, but because they are more selfish.

Well, I'd like a section of my post to be grammar/English correction. This is NOT condescending, I like to help people out with their English. One might say English is "a pisspot of inconsistency" (paraphrased quote: Glue from UTM :p)

I learned it was like that when my step-father had to stop working because of a strike at his job that lasted for a few months. Jehovah witnesses are not allowed to strike, so he could not go on picket line therefore could not get his strike pay from the syndicate.


"We were 3 kids"
"picking blueberries"
"3-4 months"
some boxes- no apostrophe.

"So on 200+" becomes "So of 200+" or "So out of 200+"
"And these people call themselves brother and sister"

Alrighty, done.


Why did he have to stop working? Was it collateral damage or did he choose it? If he chose it, would working have been worse? I'd have to think twice about choosing for my lot to go out in a field picking blueberries over my job. Just saying.

Anyway that's an interesting link... does make sense... I don't mind if religion makes people more compassionate than would be if they weren't. (I however don't think it makes up for other things... we can teach compassion instead of religion :p)

A terrorist organization may simply ask for donations and let the situation itself do the talking with emotional videos. A charity that just really wants to help may show you the truth of what is going on with the people they're trying to help, emotionally charged themselves. Doesn't make you dumb if you decide to feel compassionate rather than not be.

I agree with your POV on religion, but you've played into their hands by saying 'Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to go on strike'. They are. They CHOOSE not to. Like Jews eating pork, Catholic Priests marrying, etc. All a matter of free choice. Anyone who refuses to join a legitimate industrial dispute, and thereby undermines his colleagues in their claim for better pay, conditions, etc., has no right to claim the moral high ground. It's the opposite of charity - it's actually stealing food out of the mouths of their children.

Was not vamp's choice as a child to have to work and being hungry.  

Most people are selfish.  It seems to be a human condition.  Anyway do not expect me to give all my belongings away.  You would not do it either.  Some people are good at giving a story about being so poor then you see that they have more than most people.

You misunderstand. I'm referring to the stepfather who 'couldn't' go on strike because he was a Jehovah's Witness. It wasn't that he couldn't, he simply WOULDN'T. I wasn't criticizing Vamp, merely the hypocrite who claims to be charitable but won't even put himself out to help his own colleagues and family.

PS, does anyone think he had really witnessed Jehovah? I thought you couldn't look on the face of God and live.