Linda and Dave Cowling weighed a "plus and minus" list as they tried to decide whether they should buy a house in a new subdivision. Cost, location, value were all on the list.
But in the end, those weren't the deciding factors.They prayed about it: "If it's the right thing to do, let things fall into place, let it be easy."
The next evening, she realized she hadn't thought about it all day. And that told her it wasn't the right decision for them.
Later, they did build a new house, not far from the one they were considering -- when their prayers confirmed their plans.
"The scriptures have a lot of input into the decisions we make," Linda Cowling, who is LDS, said. "I do a daily scripture reading. Starting my day off that way gives me a better perspective on everything I do during the day."
It's not uncommon for Americans to turn to religion when it comes to money decisions, a fact confirmed recently by a national survey conducted for Lutheran Brotherhood Reports.
The survey, conducted by Yankelovich Partners, queried 1,047 randomly selected adults nationwide. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent. It found that 61 percent of Americans pray before making major financial decisions. Forty-six percent of them get financial guidance from reading spiritual materials, while 24 percent discuss it with a member of the clergy. Another 17 percent seek guidance from religious radio or TV programs or religion-based Internet sites.
"It's common for people to seek guidance about money from their religious faith," says Todd Gillingham, Lutheran Brotherhood's assistant vice president of estate, charitable and retirement services. "Most religions have something to say about money. In fact, the Bible contains more references to money and material possessions than any other topic."
No religion seems silent on the subject of spending. For example, Islam teaches its adherents to avoid financial transactions that involve interest. Internationally, a multidenominational group is trying to convince industrial countries to forgive the debts of underdeveloped nations, citing the "jubilee" of the Bible, where every seven years debt was forgiven. And most faiths teach a form of "tithing."
Karen Perry has learned a lot about biblical financial principles. As a church secretary, she even typed the manuscript for a book written by her pastor on the topic ofstewardship.
But she admits that "I know what I should do but I don't always. I need to save more."
Following scriptural principles, she said she's trying to save 10 percent and tithe 10 percent, then put the rest "into the general fund."
One thing she never fails to do, however, is pray before making a major financial decision. If it doesn't have God's blessing, she knows it won't be a blessing to her, either.
Tom Jones doesn't just pray about his money. He has read several books on spiritual financial principles. And he uses those principles as he invests, especially in the stock market. His "spiritual conscience" helps him decide what companies he will support. For instance, he won't invest in companies that produce tobacco or alcohol. He won't support companies that exploit workers.
Getting that kind of information is fairly easy, thanks to the Internet. And book publishers have long recognized the longing to link tricky financial decisions to foundational faith. Author Larry Burkett, with his "Money Matters" radio show and a series of books, is trying to help people find a way to meld the doctrines in which they believe with their spending habits. There are many others, as well.
While the survey found very little difference in money management habits of those who are actively involved with religion and those who are not, it will surprise no one that people who go to church each week are much more likely to pray before making financial decisions than those who rarely attend church (77 percent vs. 37 percent).
The survey did note that people who pray regularly are a little more apt to lend money to someone in need (28 percent vs. 22 percent for non-prayers). And there's a small difference in the savings habit of those who go to church regularly. Thirty-six percent of them save consistently, compared to 30 percent of non-churchgoers.
The Lutheran Brotherhood poll measured involvement in religion by asking how often people pray, attend worship services and participate in meetings or social gatherings at religious organizations. Among the findings:
58 percent of people pray every day
47 percent of adults attend religious services at least once a week
41 percent participate in religious activities at least once a week.
Religious participation aside, 34 percent of Americans save money regularly, 31 percent have followed a budget, 27 percent have lent more than $100 to someone in need and 12 percent have been in debt to the point that it threatened their financial well-being.