Study: Religious Folks Have a Sunnier Outlook

Time -- Healthland ^ | November 11, 2011 | Meredith Melnick

[Cincinatus' Wife]

In the latest study to link church-going with well-being, researchers find that people who attend religious services regularly are more optimistic and less depressed than their non-religious peers.

Previous research has suggested that people who attend services are also happier and more satisfied and live longer too. (On the other hand, they tend to be fatter.)

The new study, published in the Journal of Religion and Health, included data on 93,000 middle-aged women who participated in the long-running Women's Health Initiative. Led by Eliezer Schnall, an associate professor of clinical psychology at Yeshiva University in New York City, researchers found that women who attended religious services at least once a week were 56% more likely to score above average on a survey of optimism than non-religious women. They were also 22% less likely to be depressed.

[big snip from a short article]

It's not clear whether regular trips to a house of worship would benefit younger folks or men equally, but in general, religious practice is known to ease anxiety and encourage a more positive worldview. If you aren't big on organized religion, though, take heart: participating in other regular social activities and common-interest clubs can offer many of the same social benefits.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

So, let me see if I get her point .... the "practice" of religion (the socializing) is where the good comes from -- but cheer up, if that isn't your bag, you will get the same positive benefits at, let's say, Occupy gatherings AND with the added bonus that you won't get fat chowing down at church functions.

And it's scientific folks, so you know it must be true... /s

[goldstategop]

Religious people tend to be conservative. Faith in God and reverence for traditional values leads to this outlook. Religious liberalism only works by making a mockery out of faith and tradition - and religious liberal denominations have faced a steep decline in membership as well as influence.

[Scotsman will be Free]

Satan frequently mirrors what the Lord does, and like all reflections, is the opposite of the true image. That is why liberal churches have and are failing.

[ravenwolf]

Why do we have to get religion in it? why not just say it like it was meant to be, a gathering for those who have faith in God.

Satanism is religion, so does going to that church make a person feel better? it probably does, and how about environmentalism does it make the environmentalists feel better to go to that gathering? it most likely just makes them meaner than hell.

I realize that no one person, except maybe satan is responsible for equating Christianity with religion but we really do need to see the difference.

[TBP]

So what else is new?

[Cronos]

Not all religious folks....