BurfordTJustice
2018-07-09 10:35:53 UTC
One need look no further than trader and bod to see the quality of non
believers....Whew!
Want to know one surefire way to live longer? It's not what you think
The Journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science (SPPS) released
a study last month demonstrating that religious people live longer. The
study observed that "self-reported religious service attendance has been
linked with longevity," and confirmed this by examining obituaries from 43
U.S. cities. Researchers found that religiously affiliated people lived
between 5.64 and 9.45 years longer than those who were not religiously
affiliated.
The findings from SPPS are consistent with many other studies. A JAMA
Internal Medicine study found that "women who went to any kind of religious
service more than once a week had a 33 percent lower chance "than their
secular peers of dying" during the 16 years following the research. Another
JAMA study reported that women who attended religious services at least once
a week were "associated with an approximately 5-fold lower rate of suicide"
than those who never attend a service. A PLOS One study reported that people
who attend religious services regularly experience less stress and were "55
percent less likely to die" over the next 18 years than those who did not
attend.
Why do religiously active people outlive their non-religious peers? A recent
article at The American Council on Science and Health attempted to provide
an answer as they examined the SPPS findings:
".'the opportunities and incentives to volunteer and participate in other
social groups provided by religious communities' were in part responsible
for the lengthening life-span. Those who might recoil at religious belief
extending life might consider engaging in social activity and friendship as
the real underlying correlation."
So, according to the American Council on Science and Health, the real
benefit to religious people is simply their increased level of social
engagement and friendship. A journalist at Time.com recently agreed: "You
don't have to become a nun to get these health benefits. The simple act of
congregating with a like-minded community might deserve much of the credit."
Really? If that's the case, then why do religiously affiliated people
consistently live longer than their non-religious peers?
The truth is that religious communities are substantively different than
non-religious communities.
I noticed this for the first time when serving on a missions trip as a youth
pastor with a group of Christians at the University of California at
Berkeley. One night we met a group of non-believers off campus for an open
dialogue about matters of faith, science and philosophy. The large room was
filled with young people - half were Christians, half were self-described
atheists. Both groups were part of longstanding communities in which members
had come to know each other as friends.
Our time together was wonderful. We shared a meal and engaged in a warm,
interactive conversation, even though we were in complete disagreement about
several important issues. By the end of the evening, the non-believers got a
chance to experience our group and we got a chance to experience theirs. We
also had the opportunity to answer each other's questions.
I was personally impressed with the obvious friendships between the
non-believers and their hospitality toward our group. But there was a clear
difference between the two communities. The non-religious group was united
by their commitment to a common interest. Our group was united by a
commitment to a common Father. This difference is critical.
A common interest can bind us as friends, but a common Father binds us as
family. Most of us, if raised in loving families, understand why this
difference matters. Your family is more likely to love you, even when you're
occasionally unlovable. Your family is also more likely to sacrifice for you
if times get tough. They remember and actively participate in your common
family rituals and routines. They recognize your family history and
understand the lens through which you view yourself and the world around
you.
That's why "the simple act of congregating with a like-minded community"
will never match the healing power and extended commitment offered by a
family - even if that family is simply your religious community.
That's why religious people will continue to live longer.
believers....Whew!
Want to know one surefire way to live longer? It's not what you think
The Journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science (SPPS) released
a study last month demonstrating that religious people live longer. The
study observed that "self-reported religious service attendance has been
linked with longevity," and confirmed this by examining obituaries from 43
U.S. cities. Researchers found that religiously affiliated people lived
between 5.64 and 9.45 years longer than those who were not religiously
affiliated.
The findings from SPPS are consistent with many other studies. A JAMA
Internal Medicine study found that "women who went to any kind of religious
service more than once a week had a 33 percent lower chance "than their
secular peers of dying" during the 16 years following the research. Another
JAMA study reported that women who attended religious services at least once
a week were "associated with an approximately 5-fold lower rate of suicide"
than those who never attend a service. A PLOS One study reported that people
who attend religious services regularly experience less stress and were "55
percent less likely to die" over the next 18 years than those who did not
attend.
Why do religiously active people outlive their non-religious peers? A recent
article at The American Council on Science and Health attempted to provide
an answer as they examined the SPPS findings:
".'the opportunities and incentives to volunteer and participate in other
social groups provided by religious communities' were in part responsible
for the lengthening life-span. Those who might recoil at religious belief
extending life might consider engaging in social activity and friendship as
the real underlying correlation."
So, according to the American Council on Science and Health, the real
benefit to religious people is simply their increased level of social
engagement and friendship. A journalist at Time.com recently agreed: "You
don't have to become a nun to get these health benefits. The simple act of
congregating with a like-minded community might deserve much of the credit."
Really? If that's the case, then why do religiously affiliated people
consistently live longer than their non-religious peers?
The truth is that religious communities are substantively different than
non-religious communities.
I noticed this for the first time when serving on a missions trip as a youth
pastor with a group of Christians at the University of California at
Berkeley. One night we met a group of non-believers off campus for an open
dialogue about matters of faith, science and philosophy. The large room was
filled with young people - half were Christians, half were self-described
atheists. Both groups were part of longstanding communities in which members
had come to know each other as friends.
Our time together was wonderful. We shared a meal and engaged in a warm,
interactive conversation, even though we were in complete disagreement about
several important issues. By the end of the evening, the non-believers got a
chance to experience our group and we got a chance to experience theirs. We
also had the opportunity to answer each other's questions.
I was personally impressed with the obvious friendships between the
non-believers and their hospitality toward our group. But there was a clear
difference between the two communities. The non-religious group was united
by their commitment to a common interest. Our group was united by a
commitment to a common Father. This difference is critical.
A common interest can bind us as friends, but a common Father binds us as
family. Most of us, if raised in loving families, understand why this
difference matters. Your family is more likely to love you, even when you're
occasionally unlovable. Your family is also more likely to sacrifice for you
if times get tough. They remember and actively participate in your common
family rituals and routines. They recognize your family history and
understand the lens through which you view yourself and the world around
you.
That's why "the simple act of congregating with a like-minded community"
will never match the healing power and extended commitment offered by a
family - even if that family is simply your religious community.
That's why religious people will continue to live longer.