Good news for fans of the Good News (and other religions, of course): a new study says that religious people live longer.
People who are religious live an average of four years longer than those who have no ties to religion, a study published Wednesday in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science. The researchers analyzed the obituaries of more than 1,000 people around the country, and adjusted for other factors that can affect lifespan, including the gender and marital status of the deceased.
Even for those whose eyes are on something beyond this world, a little more time here with loved ones is a good thing, right? Religious practice seems to be a solid determining factor for some extra years:
“Religious affiliation had nearly as strong an effect on longevity as gender does, which is a matter of years of life,” said Laura Wallace, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in psychology at The Ohio State University.
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3 comments:
I think you should be cautious of confirmation bias.
This study is not unique, and if you click further to find the actual study... and similar studies... you will find the conclusion is humans benefit from social interaction and group support, along with stress reducing activities.
So, anything that provides those things will extend life, it is not exclusive to or stems from church or religion.
Personally, I think religion is dangerous, so it would be preferable for humans to engage in anything other than superstitions and unsubstantiated claims.
I guess religion would be o.k. if people practiced their religion and stuck to that. The problem is they never do, and they try to infect the rest of the world with it, they try and force feed the rest of us with it, and try to ratchet it into government and public policy.
Sorry you feel that way, try reading the whole chapter of ecclesiastes. Its a good start. God gave us the keys to the car its up to us to learn how to drive it safely or crash it. If you believe that God is a superstition your being deceived. Look around you!!
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:”
@7:47
I have actually read the entire book from front to back... it's one of the reasons I'm an Atheist. I can't fathom how anyone could read it and take any of it seriously.
I don't see how "looking around me" would show me anything other than what I see. If I see a tree, it is evidence of a tree, nothing more.
But, for the sake of argument, lets assume that I accept your proposition. Lets say I accept the God of the Gaps for a moment. How do you get from "look around you, what you see is evidence of a God" to then claim "the bible is correct, and the god of the bible is the one I see"? Why not Zues or Vishnu or one of the millions of different dieties that are worshiped around the world today?
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