Friday, October 29, 2010
May Poll
Americans who are very religious have higher wellbeing than those who are less religious, a relationship that holds even after controlling for several related demographic and geographic variables.
This study does not allow for a precise determination of why this might be the case. It is possible that Americans who have higher wellbeing may be more likely to choose to be religious than those with lower wellbeing. It is also possible that some third variable could be driving certain segments of the U.S. population to be more religious and to have higher wellbeing.
It is also possible that the relationship is straightforward, that something about religiosity, defined as a personal importance placed on religion and frequent religious service attendance, in turn leads to a higher level of personal wellbeing. Religious service attendance promotes social interaction and friendship with others, and Gallup analysis has clearly shown that time spent socially and social networks themselves are positively associated with wellbeing. Religion generally involves more meditative states and faith in a higher power, both of which have been widely used as methods to lower stress, reduce depression, and promote happiness. Religion provides mechanisms for coping with setbacks and life's problems, which in turn may reduce stress, worry, and anger. Many religions, including Christianity, which is by far the dominant religion in the U.S., embody tenets of positive relationships with one's neighbors and charitable acts, which may lead to a more positive mental outlook.
Highly religious Americans' healthier behaviors may have multiple causes, including for example culturally negative norms against such behaviors as smoking and alcohol consumption in a number of religions. It may also be possible that the lower emotional wellbeing of less religious Americans puts them in a state in which they are more susceptible to non-healthy behaviors.
"We now have the solution to the health care crisis. If we're interested in lowering health care costs in America, we need to increase the prevalence of religion."
Gnu Atheists take heart! ... And then go see your doctor!
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The other thing about American religion, which I didn't see mentioned in the quotes in the post (sorry, didn't look at the original report) is that most religious organizations do a lot of hands-on charitable work, and if I recall, doing altruistic acts also raises well-being.
The well-being measures are probably linked to the social involvements, everything from being part of a community to "organized altruism" which it makes it much easier to volunteer; I've often wondered how much of this model a secular intentional community could reproduce and if you'd get the same measures of well-being.
Also if researchers looked at toxic/abusive religious groups where the freedom of members is severely restricted, I wonder if the well-being measures would hold there (certainly they have communities; do all communities increase well-being, or only some kinds?).
Neat stuff. Thanks for posting that.
-- Anna
: 12:36 PM : 12:53 PM http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/
: 4:16 PM 
What is value, and why isn't it subjective? Suffering is very real for many, much more real than logic or science. Your death will be here just as sure and as real and as reliable as two seconds from now will be here, so anything you can think of in this existence of yours will be temporary. What will there be when you die, and is there anything you can think of here in this world that is rational in that context?
: 12:17 AM As you say, even if suffering is "very real" for some folks, it may just as well be subjective.
Your death will be here just as sure and as real and as reliable as two seconds from now will be here
Yep. So worrying whether it will be two seconds from now or two years from now or two decades from now doesn't make any sense.
What will there be when you die, and is there anything you can think of here in this world that is rational in that context?
Well, yes. I could use the little time here I have well. There may be many answers as to what constitues "well" but the very bottom of my list would be what will there be when I die.
Wouldn't you need to be relatively healthy to go frequently to church, etc.? If you include a measure of "is not in the hospital, feels well enough to leave the house, i.e. can frequently attend religious services" into your definition of religiosity, you'll likely get a group with higher well-being. Or so it seems to me, at least.
I think what you said is part of it, but I also think about the recent nursing home study where patients who were given plants to care for themselves, did better than patients who were given plants in their rooms but who were told the aides and nurses would care for the plants and they didn't have to do anything.
And (going on memory here, doubly risky when I haven't had full morning quota of coffee) I've seen similar studies that show better medical outcomes for people who are caring for something besides themselves, such as a pet. And maybe that protective effect extends when you are part of a community; the converse is when we think about studies that show that lonely, isolated people die sooner than people in social networks.
So I think it goes both ways; healthier people go to religious services, and going to religious services and being part of a community that knows who you are long after your spouse has died and your children have moved out of state -- that just might help people stay healthier.
Just some speculation before coffee . . .
-- Anna
: 9:01 AM As you say, even if suffering is "very real" for some folks, it may just as well be subjective.
If that is true, then subjective empathy for them should be ignored. It is, after all, not real.
Your death will be here just as sure and as real and as reliable as two seconds from now will be here.
Yep. So worrying whether it will be two seconds from now or two years from now or two decades from now doesn't make any sense.
Worrying is not relevant, the fact of death is.
What will there be when you die, and is there anything you can think of here in this world that is rational in that context?
Well, yes. I could use the little time here I have well. There may be many answers as to what constitutes "well" but the very bottom of my list would be what will there be when I die.
A subjective value judgment. What does does "using the time here I have well" mean, and how isn't it subjective, and how is it rational? Death frames your entire existence and everything you think you know.
: 1:33 PM Who said it wasn't subjective? While death is objective (assuming we're not brains in a tank), what humans can "do" about it purely subjective, since we have no "objective" knowledge of anything that makes a difference one way or another. It is totally rational to adopt the most "successful" subjective response to the objective fact of death. What that response is, of course, is open to debate but trying to find it is certainly rational.
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