The very religious are very happy, but not so the moderately religious
Tom Rees over at Epiphenom highlights a piece of research that seems to suggest that the well-being of religious adherents is linked with the intensity of their religious belief.
The ‘hardcore’ religious score highly in well-being and happiness, with the moderately religious scoring poorly. In fact, it would appear that the moderately religious score worse than atheists and agnostics.
It would seem that the moderately religious need to ramp up their faith somewhat.
Tags: Religion Society
December 11th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
You’re doing it again. Read sites that build you up, not drag you down.
December 11th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
I think the very religious HAVE to say that they’re happy.
December 11th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Yes, I suppose I could say that since regaining my faith that I feel at peace with myself and certainly I have noticed that I am so much happier now than I have ever been for years and years. Probably many reasons for this but I suspect that a sense of certainty has something to do with it – one way or the other.
December 14th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
So does this mean that if you want to get happy, religion is the answer? It may sound like a cheap shot, but the low score of the moderately religious can have something to do with feelings of guilt. Or perhaps it’s just another piece of pseudo-scientific twaddle.
December 14th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
It sounds like certainty is the key to happiness, whatever it is you are certain of.
December 14th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Re that last post, conditions apply…