so many people seeking to buy their way to paradise out there... but Armageddon is more likely what they will get at this pace
Money is the world religion
I am out for the week...
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U.S. RELIGIOUS GROUPS GENERATE MORE MONEY THAN MICROSOFT AND APPLE COMBINED
May 10, 2018
............ In a 2016 study entitled “The Socio-economic Contribution of Religion to American Society: An Empirical Analysis”, Melissa and Brian Grim from Georgetown University and the Newseum Institute set out to determine the cost and contribution that religion has for American society.
Under conservative estimates, faith-based organizations were found to generate roughly $378 billion per year. Being more than a third of a trillion dollars, that number actually accounts for more than the global revenue of both Apple and Microsoft combined.
When including businesses with religious roots, the number increases to roughly $1.2 trillion annually, while more liberal estimations which also include household incomes of religiously affiliated Americans put the total annual revenue of religious-based organizations at approximately $4.8 trillion, which is about a third of America’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“We believe that our second estimate of $1.2 trillion is more reasonable as it takes into account the value of the services provided by religious organizations and the impact religion has on a number of important American businesses” say the authors. Although, assets of religious groups were still not taken into account for this measurement.
After conducting their analysis, the study authors found that combined revenue from the country’s five largest religiously affiliated charities adds up to just under $38 billion. These include the Lutheran Services in America, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity.
However, religion is also quickly becoming one of the nation’s largest tax-free industries as reports have estimated that Christian media alone accounts for about $3.6 – $6.8 billion conservatively.
“In 2003, research estimates put the market for religious publishing and products at $6.8 billion and growing at a rate of nearly 5 percent annually. This market is subdivided into three categories: books (the largest segment, with $3.5 billion in sales and a 7 percent growth rate); stationary/giftware/ merchandise (sales at $1.4 billion and a 4.5 percent growth rate); and audio/video/software ($1.4 billion in sales and flat)”.........
http://www.wakingtimes.com/2018/05/1...pple-combined/