Religious people more healthy?

[macethump]

Why do I do it?  Why do I keep getting involved with religious threads on this forum?  Irrationality, or maybe a mental health issue?  Well... be that as is may, some research on how religious activity affects health, mental, social and physical.  Some of these are associated with religious sites, but are still peer-reviewed research.

All this has given me a headache... now where is my Bible?

http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/50/6/799

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Features/Religion/Docs/Wallace,%20abstract,%20Religiosity%20and%20Adolescent%20Substance%20Abuse%20.PDF

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Features/Religion/Docs/Joon%20Jang%20and%20Johnson,%20Abstract,%20The%20Long-Term%20Effects%20of%20Religious%20Involvement%20on%20Drug%20Use%20.PDF

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Features/Religion/Docs/Smith,%20Abstract,%20Religion%20and%20Civic%20Engagement%20in%20the%20United%20States%201972-2006%20.PDF

http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000008764.cfm

 

[Pharaoh Llandy]

I read a report on how people with pets are more healthy than people who don't have pets.

It seems everybody has an idea about what makes people healthy these days.

 

[macethump]

Does that mean religious people with pets never die?

 

[Pharaoh Llandy]

Sounds like one for Poirot, to me.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_control

I'll look into the links tomorrow.

 

[Sir Devlyn]

Does that mean religious people with pets never die?

Sorry, benefits don't stack.  But they are synergistic, so you do get +2 to life expectancy.

 

[Gculk]

The moment the second link said religiosity, I lost all faith in the credibility of these studies, and quit reading em.  I still think it's a pile of crap.  There are plenty of counter-studies, too.  Blach.

 

[Night Ninja]

This is pseudoscience at best and a big pile of steaming dog doo at worst.

Anybody can whip out statistics to 'prove' a positive correlation between longer lifespans and anything from penis size to number of pies eaten.

 

[Sir Devlyn]

http://csdnc.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/bread-is-dangerous/

 

[Cymro]

 

[13 Spider Bloody Chain]

Supposedly, having a "healthy spiritual life" is said to contribute to one's mental and emotional wellbeing. Perhaps this is mere propaganda spread by religious folk, but the devout Christians who I know (such as my brother and his circle of friends) seem to be happier than a lot of non-religious people I know. However, said happiness may be a conglomeration of other factors.

 

[FrisianDude]

Not entirely accurate, there are more than 17 pirates left.

 

[Mage246]

There has been a recent upsurge in piracy, at the same time as the temperature has been rising. I declare your pirate-temperature theory disproved!

 

[Cymro]

There has been a recent upsurge in piracy, at the same time as the temperature has been rising. I declare your pirate-temperature theory disproved!

*grumble*
It....


*think*

...takes time for the effects to be noticed :O

 

[Chaotic Evil]

but the devout Christians who I know..seem to be happier than a lot of non-religious people I know.

That pretty much justifies the "Ignorance is bliss" theory.

 

[pentagathus]

Religeous people tend to drink, fight and shag less. So they are less likely to get problems from drinking, wounds/death from fighting (I saw a punch up between greek church and some other people at jesus' death place on the news) or STDs. Or STIs I can never remember which it is.

 

[Ursca]

Clearly you've never been to Ireland.

Ok, neither have I.

 

[Pharaoh Llandy]

Not entirely accurate, there are more than 17 pirates left.

Nah, it's just the same 17 pirates using different names and ships to pretend there's more of them.

 

[Sir Devlyn]

They're sneaking around so people don't really know how many of them there are?  You mean these pirates are acting like... ninjas?!  *dun Dun DUN!!!!*

 

[pentagathus]

Ah so thats why the ausies don't mind letting their navy have some christmass time off.