Quote:
Originally Posted by MarchHare
This doesn't jive with the statistics. Countries whose citizens have the longest lifespans (e.g. Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, etc.) also have very low rates of religious participation. In Norway, for example, only 3% of the population attends church each week, yet it has the third-highest lifespan in the OECD. Additionally, atheists outnumber believers in that country.
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You're comparing societies with different levels of development. Within societies, you do generally see religious people living longer.
The effects you're talking about are likely due to difference in diet, overall development, and access to medical care. You've also excluded Spain and Italy, where people remain quite religious.
If you provide people with lots of health care and a coastal diet, they will live longer. They will also live longer if they consume less drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products.
Even in Japan, for example, people live longest in Okinawa. It's also very religious there.
There is a very good argument to make that religious conservatism can stifle economic development. The best combo seems to be living in a place with high economic development and living a more religious lifestyle though.