People of faith live years longer than atheists… Researchers have found a surprising correlation between longevity and religious faith, Church-goers appear to live up to four years longer than atheists
The Ohio State psychology researchers behind the study insist there is merit to the connection: people with religious affiliations often volunteer and engage in social activities throughout their lives - something routinely tied to longer lifespan. But they found that this socializing only appeared to boost longevity by a year at most - suggesting other elements of religious life, such as low alcohol intake, could contribute.
'There's still a lot of the benefit of religious affiliation that this can't explain,' study lead author Laura Wallace, a doctoral student in psychology at The Ohio State University. Dr Baldwin Way, associate professor of psychology at Ohio State who co-authored the study, concurred. He said that, while the findings may sound like tosh to atheists, there was a correlation they couldn't ignore. 'The study provides persuasive evidence that there is a relationship between religious participation and how long a person lives,' he said. Dr Way surmises that this correlation might depend on how religious one's community is. Indeed, the first installment of this study involved 505 obituaries published in the Des Moines Register in Iowa in January and February 2012. There, the lifespan gap was even greater: religious people lived 9.45 years longer than their atheist peers - but that shrunk to 6.48 years when they took gender and marital status into account .
The second study included 1,096 obituaries from 42 major cities in the US published on newspaper websites between August 2010 and August 2011. In this study, people whose obits mentioned a religious affiliation lived an average of 5.64 years longer than those whose obits did not, which shrunk to 3.82 years after gender and marital status were considered. Many studies have shown that people who volunteer and participate in social groups tend to live longer than others.
It's funny how atheism claims to be materialistic but by all metrics fails to have any material benefits. Almost as if wasn't just a shitpost and that it's motivated by hatred of God and overweening hubris and not actual disbelief in the spiritual.
Hudson Reyes
Basically this, in fact atheists I know believe in a lot of spiritual stuff, but y'know, just the spiritual stuff that helps them sleep that night, nothing concrete.
Elijah Lewis
I mean it's not the worst thing you could do, to be an atheist, but I have to think at some point its sticking your head in the sand about some very real issues that just get bigger as you get older.
Evan Ortiz
What's better, worshiping yourself and living a lifetime of happiness, or worshipping God and suffering in this lifetime so that you might have an eternity of happiness? I bet you also believe that you'd like it in Hell because at least it isn't something boring like worshiping God.
Ian Carter
So countries with more athiests would be poorer, less educated and have overall lower HDI rates correct?
Jonathan Reyes
Are you implying that atheism results in material wealth and better living standards? I would argue the reverse. When peoples lives are easier and they become complacent, they are more likely to be tempted to become atheist. I don't see how that proves that atheism itself is beneficial to a person's life.
Every single day I am reminded of how vile, fallen and corrupted this world is, and how happy it is to be like this. I struggle to keep my life much less want an extra 6.48 years than the sinners.
If you could correct for all the other factors I'd bet you a beer that's the case.
Nathan Lewis
really makes you think…
John Gray
You don't live as your own god at all, the majority of you just replace Christianity with the religion of corporate consumerism, politics, and homosexuality.
In a way, you're less free than we are because your rules frequently change. There's no consistent purpose like Christianity.
Yeah, the USSR was totally great. Right guys? Enjoy your diet.
Gavin Baker
except the only way you get to live as a lion is through christianity, where you live as a sheep for some odd 75 years then as a lion for all eternity
Evan Ross
We're not supposed to hate living. Yeah, creation is broken, but it still contains a lot of majesty. Go to the park and feed the ducks, you'll see. Don't feed them bread though, it's bad for their stomachs. Use peeled and cut grapes.
