Posted on by Californiacontrarian

The Stark Reality

In general the U.S. is becoming more secular and less religious. So what?

What’s the big deal? In the short term less time spent in church allows for more time spent doing other things. Over the long haul does it really make much difference? Let’s find out from an expert.

Rodney Stark is one of the world’s leading authorities on the sociology of religion. For many years this Pulitzer Prize nominee was a sociology professor at the University of Washington. He has authored more than 150 scholarly articles and 32 books, including several widely used sociology textbooks.

I think we can agree that Professor Stark is an expert in his field.

In his book “America’s Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists,”  he aspired to measure the effects of religious belief on a society. Comparing less religious and irreligious people, Stark concluded that religious people:

  • Are much less likely to commit crimes at all ages.
  • Are far more likely to contribute even to secular charities, to volunteer their time to socially beneficial programs, and to be active in civic affairs.
  • Enjoy superior mental health—they are happier, less neurotic, and far less likely to commit suicide.
  • Enjoy superior physical health, having an average life expectancy more than seven years longer than that of the irreligious.
  • Express a higher degree of satisfaction with their marriage and are substantially less likely to abuse their spouses and children.
  • Perform better on standardised achievement tests and are far less likely to have dropped out of school, which is especially true for ethnic minorities.
  • Are far less subject to being on unemployment or welfare.

After reading over this list multiple times, the percent of the population that is Christian does seem important whether you look at it either from the individual’s viewpoint or from the perspective of what’s best for our country. It’s hard to dispute that better mental health, superior physical health, and significantly longer life expectancy are all very good for the individual. Furthermore, less crime, more charitable giving, less spousal abuse and less child abuse, less people unemployed and on welfare can only be good things for our country.

So I guess …yes, it is a big deal and that appears to be the Stark reality.

7/6/22

californiacontrarian

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