On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 19:07:39 -0400 Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
writes:
> [original paper at
> <http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/2005/2005-11.html>]
>
> Times (London) - eptember 27, 2005
>
> Societies worse off 'when they have God on their side'
>
> By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
>
> RELIGIOUS belief can cause damage to a society, contributing towards
>
> high murder rates, abortion, sexual promiscuity and suicide,
> according to research published today.
>
> According to the study, belief in and worship of God are not only
> unnecessary for a healthy society but may actually contribute to
> social problems.
I suspect that the direction of causation may be different from, if not opposite of what the authors of this study are reported as claiming. That is that relatively healthy societies are less likely to be religious since they have alternative means for promoting community and social identity as compared to societies like the US where such means are lacking. Western Europe still retains a social democratic legacy which is simply lacking in the US and while trade unions in Europe are in decline, the labor movement there is still far stronger than in the US. I would certainly agree with the authors that religion is not necessary for promoting social health and that a society that is besotten with religious superstition is likely to be a rather unhealthy society but it may well be the case that it is the lack of social health that is the pervasiveness of alienation and anomie in such a society that promotes a turn to religiousity.
>
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