Religious People Live Longer Than Nonbelievers

Religion appears to soothe the body as well as the soul, as people who are highly religious tend to live longer than others, a review of more than 40 scientific studies has found.


In fact, overall, the people who were most involved in their religions were 29% more likely to be alive when the various studies were completed than were their nonreligious counterparts.


Exactly how religious involvement boosts health is unclear, the researchers say. But given the findings, they write, future research should focus on the precise way that religion extends life. The report was published in the journal Health Psychology.


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Religious People Live Longer Than Nonbelievers

i'm going to become a jedi knight then

The only explanation for this (appears) to be that many religious people get a lot of satisfaction from spreading their 'truth' . . . which, must give them some purpose and pleasure in their (otherwise) pointless lives.

Conversely, the lives of the people that they 'preach at' are made a living hell and they usually take matters into their own hands by drinking and drugging themselves into oblivion!!

oK, but you could say that people in loving relationships live longer too. So do people that have pets, so do people that have nice houses, nice things. If your happy you probably live longer and even if you dont its still a lot better.

TTFN

quote:

Originally posted by john19:
Religious People Live Longer Than Nonbelievers

Religion appears to soothe the body as well as the soul, as people who are highly religious tend to live longer than others, a review of more than 40 scientific studies has found.


In fact, overall, the people who were most involved in their religions were 29% more likely to be alive when the various studies were completed than were their nonreligious counterparts.


Exactly how religious involvement boosts health is unclear, the researchers say. But given the findings, they write, future research should focus on the precise way that religion extends life. The report was published in the journal Health Psychology.


link
Religious People Live Longer Than Nonbelievers

What about all those millions of poor black people who are dying of AIDS having chosen to have unprotected sex out of a religious conviction?

They must skew the results pretty strongly in the opposite direction - or don't poor black people count?

Whether or not the body survives longer does not prove or disprove God's existence. If you only believe in God for a health benefit, its unlikely you believe in him or her deep down, at best you'd be agnostic.

Religion is a matter of faith.

quote:

Originally posted by zchabj5:
Whether or not the body survives longer does not prove or disprove God's existence. If you only believe in God for a health benefit, its unlikely you believe in him or her deep down, at best you'd be agnostic.

Religion is a matter of faith.

...they also get tax breaks, which is a matter of fact.

i'm sorry but this stament sounds silly and unrational.

quote:

Originally posted by aran:
i'm sorry but this stament sounds silly and unrational.

It certainly does.

I didn't even know "unrational" was a word.

Punctuation might make it less silly, too.

This is not even a surprise to me this is what i expect. Religious people are taught in a way to not take any risks but non religious will take risks with everything including their own health.

Im pretty sure if we all live in a monastry as monks or nuns we would live long lifes and not get ran over by cars or die of lung cancer from smoking or skin cancer sunbathing and various other illnesses living the life we do.

I think also the scientific advancements in medicine made against religion has also increased the lifespan of all including the religious so really the religious need to be thankful to more than god for their health.

maybe

This is not very surprising, apart from anything the likelihood of resorting to religion increases with age so the longer you live the more likley one is of finding God.

What a crock of shoite!
I would rather die early than have anything to do with religion.

Did you hear the one about W C Fields?

Mr Fields (a lifelong atheist) was found to be reading the Bible on his deathbed. When questioned, he replied "Just checking for loopholes!"

Priceless.

Perhaps they’re all frightened that they might go to hell.

This is just silly nonsense - as other have pointed out, those who are religious are more likely to lead healthy lives (better eating, less alcohol etc), and potentially thats why they live longer. It has nothing to do with faith.

quote:

Originally posted by medicalbreakthrough:
This is just silly nonsense - as other have pointed out, those who are religious are more likely to lead healthy lives (better eating, less alcohol etc), and potentially thats why they live longer. It has nothing to do with faith.

I'm not sure I would agree with this one. I have noticed no correlation at all within the people I mix with between eating healthily and drinking little alcohol and being religious, and eating unhealthily and drinking lots of alcohol and not being religious.

People bend 'studies' to suit the point they are trying to make or prove. As another poster said, what of all the thousands of Catholics in Africa who die of AIDS because their religion deems contraception a sin? Where these people not considered?

You would need controls in order for such a study to work eg take 20 people who aren't relgious and 20 people who are, and ensure all have similar BMI's, cholesterol levels, BP readings, diets, alcohol intake etc. THEN if you came back and said to me that the religious people were still more likely to live longer I might be impressed.

Another "post hoc ergo propter hoc" argument.

It reminds me of the survey which found that smokers were less likely to get Alzheimer's!

I work for Nuns, and yes they do tend to live longer, we have 3 that are above 90, even one that lived until she was 97, thats not because of religion, its no stress, no bills, and an easy life!
oh and no ciggies

Not sure if anyone has noticed but the mortality rate is still 100%

If you get knocked down by a bus you are the same if you are religious or not.

I stand by my non-religious, smoking, drinking and generally unhealthy lifestyle as I am as much at risk as anyone else. I have had a very full and enjoyable life and if I drop dead tomorrow I would not be unhappy about it.

living till an old age may be an achievement but it is quality and not quantity that counts