Although liberals are often quick to say they are the stalwarts of "social and economic justice," research continues to show that when it comes to charity, churchgoing conservatives give far more to help the poor.
The book Who Really Cares is the latest to come to that conclusion, surprising even Arthur Brooks, the author. He told Family News in Focus he began his research expecting to bolster the claim that liberals are the most generous -- but found the opposite.
"People who attend a house of worship give four times more money per year than people who don't," he said. "For people who are deeply religious, there is the notion that religion or religious behavior and charity come from the same God-given impulse. In other words, God makes you charitable."
Kristi Hamrick, a spokeswoman for American Values, said Brooks' research is a breath of fresh air for conservatives tired of being lambasted by liberals as selfish.
"Despite all the bad press that the liberals and elitists like to give people of faith," she said, "the truth is, that those Christian values of tithing, of helping the poor, of seeing the needy -- these things motivate the community of faith to give and to give generously and to give above and beyond the call."
Brooks said he tells conservatives not to celebrate their giving and tells liberals to take the gap in giving as a lesson.
"It's a call to action to make sure that giving values are taught more widely among American liberals," he said, "so that they can take their place in the fabric of voluntary charity that is characteristic of American values and American culture."
