Societies worse off 'when they have God on their side'

[John Dibble]

Worse off societies 'have God on their side'

High murder rates, abortion, sexual promiscuity and suicide, can cause religious belief, according to research published today.

That would require a corresponding increase on religious belief along with economic trouble, which I believe generally is not all that common.  I don't  know if I've seen any studies on that, though.

He wasn't actually asserting what he said; his comment, which I think is a valid one, is that the fact that these two go together may well imply that bad living conditions foster religious belief, instead of the other way around, and that we really cannot know what caused what just with this data alone.

Well, I'd hardly call the U.S. a place with bad living conditions.

Oh, and do you guys remember the other study - the one that said nations where most believed in some sort of hell were more industrious? That one actually seemed to have some possibly valid logic behind it - this one on the other hand seems to me to be anti-religious garbage based on correlation alone. This guy seems to be opebo with a PHD, though considering they are calling him "Mr. Paul" instead of Dr. I think that can be called into question.

Here's another article on the subject:

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1470370.htm

Oh, and guess what - he's a paleantologist, not a social scientist as the other article states. His expertise is digging up bones, and of course he has an evolution bias - I believe in evolution too, but this guy has a serious investment in it so he's simply out to discredit creationists. He should leave sociology to the sociologists.

[John Dibble]

Sounds like saying: "Countries with more cars have more car wrecks."

Except then you can actually make a valid connection between the number of cars and the number of car wrecks.

[John Dibble]

The article mentions opposition to evolution. Who are the folks who oppose evolution and think the Earth is only 6000 years old? Not mainline/liberal Christians.

Of course it does - as I mentioned, the guy is a paleontologist. That's not what this 'study', and I use that term VERY loosely, is about - his argument is that the problems with U.S. society(higher murder rates for instance) stem from religion, which is crap and you know it.

[John Dibble]

The article mentions opposition to evolution. Who are the folks who oppose evolution and think the Earth is only 6000 years old? Not mainline/liberal Christians.

Of course it does - as I mentioned, the guy is a paleontologist. That's not what this 'study', and I use that term VERY loosely, is about - his argument is that the problems with U.S. society(higher murder rates for instance) stem from religion, which is crap and you know it.

Yes, the problem is not religion, it's people following the wrong religion: fundamentalism as opposed to the right religion: mainline/liberal Christianity.

Are you paying attention? What does believing in creationism have to do with MURDER RATES!?!?!?

[John Dibble]

It also doesn't mention that homicide, STD, teen pregnancy and abortion are all nearly zero in Saudi Arabia (but that would counter their pre-conceived conclusion).

Ah, so we can conclude by this that it would be a good thing for the US to become more like Saudi Arabia?

No, don't take things out of context - you're smarter than that and you know it.

[John Dibble]

I don't think the world is so many trillion years old either

Neither do I, I think it's only been around only about 4 or 5 billion, like the leading scientific theories state.

[John Dibble]

I don't think the world is so many trillion years old either

Neither do I, I think it's only been around only about 4 or 5 billion, like the leading scientific theories state.

Yeah, sorry about that   You did get what I was trying to say, though, right?

Yeah, just correcting you sarcastically.

[John Dibble]

assuming gods exist isn't really a problem either.  but assigning to them "sides" is a little weird, on the other hand.  don't you think?  I know the Maya and the Egyptians and the Romans did that sort of things, but our modern monotheistic religions, and even the ancient poly- and atheistic ones really don't need that sort of dogma.  It's not like the gods all sitting around somewhere in the aether making bets on who'll win wars and such.  Like humans at a football game.  but you never know.  Remember the Q from the continuum.  He was one really bizarre omnipotent fellow, wasn't he?  He had a great sense of humor as well. 

Shiva: Hey Allah, what's up?
Allah: Not much, just looking at what Pakistan and India are doing. There might actually be a war this time!
Shiva: Really?
Allah: F*** yeah!
Shiva: Awesome, I can't wait to see India kick Pakistan's ass!
Allah: No way, ain't gonna happen, Pakistan would so beat the crap out of India.
Shiva: Oh yeah, care to place a bet on that?
Allah: Yeah, I bet $5 on Pakistan mopping the floor with India!
Shiva: You're on!
Buddha: Why are you two so violent? You should get a better hobby, like knitting.
Allah: Nobody asked you!
Shiva: Yeah, get out of here before we rough you up again, you fat nerd.
Buddha: Nobody understands me...