Please report broken hyperlinks using the Reply option at the bottom of each page.
—
In spite of the scandals, religious groups still lead the way on public good
http://www.smh.com.au/action/printArticle?id=3870081
and…
Not surprisingly, as religiosity has declined, social ills have abounded.
—————–
Health:
” A vast body of research, amassed over recent decades, shows that religious belief is physically and psychologically beneficial – to a remarkable degree.”
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/seanthomas/100231060/are-atheists-mentally-ill/
and…
Study: Attending Church Linked to Lower Blood Pressure
and…
Religion and Mental Health: Going to Church Is Good for You
http://www.reasons.org/articles/religion-and-mental-health-going-to-church-is-good-for-you
and…
For Good Self-Control, Try Getting Religious About It
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/science/30tier.html?_r=2&pagewanted=print
and…
Spirituality Correlates to Better Mental Health Regardless of Religion, Say Researchers
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120820132332.htm
and…
Live Long and Prosper: Going to Church Increases Lifespan
http://www.reasons.org/articles/live-long-and-prosper-going-to-church-increases-lifespan
and…
“Psychological research has found that religious people feel great about themselves, with a tendency toward higher social self-esteem and better psychological adjustment than non-believers.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120010447.htm
[That story, however, didn’t mention whether the study differentiated between religions.]
and…
Religious Americans Enjoy Higher Wellbeing
Relationship holds when controlling for key demographics
http://www.gallup.com/poll/152723/Religious-Americans-Enjoy-Higher-Wellbeing.aspx
and…
Religion Makes People Happier
and…
“For people at high risk of depression because of a family history, spirituality may offer some protection for the brain…”
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/thicker-brain-sections-tied-spirituality-study-191414460.html
and…
In U.S., Churchgoers Boast Better Mood, Especially on Sundays
and…
How you’re more likely to binge drink if you don’t believe in God
and…
Going to Church Helps You Stay [Chemically] Clean
http://www.reasons.org/articles/going-to-church-helps-you-stay-clean
—————–
“Famed atheist Alain de Botton… highlighted many ways in which religion is useful even for secularists.”
—————–
Crime:
“In the end, those that completed the program were two times less likely to be arrested again than those who didn’t go through the program.”
http://www.christianpost.com/news/more-religion-equals-less-crime-60432/print.html
and…
Belief in Hell, According to International Data, Is Associated With Reduced Crime
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120619093217.htm
and…
[ASND wonders how many atheists know that thoroughly secular Sweden has a nearly 300% higher larceny rate (per 1,000 in the population), about 175% more rape victims (per 1,000 in the population), over 100% more murder and aggravated assault vicitms (per 1,000 in the population), and a 17% higher total crime victim rate than the considerably more Christian United States.]
http://www.nationmaster.com/compare/Sweden/United-States/Crime
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/rwinslow/europe/sweden.html
[Hmm…]
and…
Religious Communities Have Lower Rates Of Black, White and Latino Violence
—————–
“The real reason I’m here is to tell you your son, when he arrived, was dead. There is no medical evidence or reason for your son to be alive. He’s a miracle, and you need to remind him of this.”
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37778
—————–
Academics:
Church Attendance Boosts Student GPAs
http://www.livescience.com/culture/080819-church-grades.html
and…
Church-Going Teens Go Further With School, U.S. Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121101171948.htm
and…
“Churchgoing youth are 70 percent more likely to enroll in college than unaffiliated peers, research finds.”
and…
“On average, whites do better in school than blacks and Latinos. This achievement gap is greatly reduced, however, among blacks and Latinos who have high levels of religious participation [&] personal religiosity…”
and…
Brain Differences Found Between Believers In God And Non-believers
“The stronger… they believed in God… the fewer errors they made.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090304160400.htm
—————–
Religious citizens more involved — and more scarce?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-05-14-church-community_N.htm
—————–
“Most of those seeking [an escape from homosexuality] and most of those who actually attain some level of [escape] are highly religiously committed, and these individuals who believe in a God who intervenes in their lives are embedded in communities of care and are motivated by their core understanding of who they are as a person before God. It is a wonder that anyone without such resources successfully obtains sexual-orientation change.”
http://www.firstthings.com/article/2012/01/same-sex-science
—————–
“People who seriously practice a traditional religious faith—whether Christian or other—have a divorce rate markedly lower than the general population. The factor making the most difference is religious commitment and practice.”
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/09/25/factchecker-divorce-rate-among-christians/
—————–
Less Religious Are Less Likely to Vote, Finds New Poll
http://www.christianpost.com/news/less-religious-are-less-likely-to-vote-says-new-poll-83750/
———————-
Religion Is Good for Business, Shows Study
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131220154509.htm
———————-
Do Religious People Love Their Neighbors? Yes, Some Neighbors, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140124093701.htm
———————-
