so far in my research i have found a common theme - those with religious affiliation tend to be happier, and a large part of this is from active involvement in the religious community (whether church or other). this is not a definite fact, however, but i have so far found quite a bit of evidence to suggest this may be the case.
it makes me wonder though, can you be as happy if you are not religious? as far as i know, there is no equivalent to church for the nonreligious...except perhaps being a member of other socities (such as the UC psych society perhaps?)
any thoughts would be welcome!
brett k
About Me
- Bretstar
- i'm 23 and in my third year of a psychology degree. because i have been studying part time (2 units) for the majority of my time, i still have a little while longer to go (probably a few more years). i am currently studying fulltime, as i have taken a year off from work with leave without pay. i work at the department of education, science and training and have worked there since march 2002.
Are you religious?
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5 comments:
Hi Brett,
I'm not overly religious and go to only church when my mother-in-law starts to jump up and down about going at least two times a year (Easter and Christmas!). I'm not sure if I am 'happier' than other people because I go to church mainly because I have usually been 'encouraged' to go. I think spirituality exists even if you don't belong to a church and as long as you hang around people who lift your spirits, I think you would be happy anyway.
It would be to see the information sources you uncover and whether these come from religious organisations/funders, although I guess peer reviewed journals will come up with objective research on the subject anyway.
Cheers
Karen
Hi Brett,
Not sure if you've come across this, but I seem to recall that one exception to this general rule is for fundamentalist religions which can be authoritarian and promote feelings of guilt, etc.
With regards to your question about whether high levels of happiness can be achieved without religion, some possible areas of relevance are Maslow's studies of self-actualised people (I don't think many of them were conventionally religious, but they did report uncommonly high senses of meaningfulness and interconnection). Also studies of happiness and SES/political factors indicate people in more developed cultures are generally happiness, though not as much as we might expect given the vast amount of resources which go into supporting people in 'developed' societies.
Hi Brett,
You've really stumbled upon a big question! I don't think that religion per se makes you happier, but here are some ideas why I think it may be...
People may be happier
1) In having some sort of faith, that everything may happen for a reason.
2)A way of explaining all the unhappiness in the world.
3) In knowing that death is not the end.
4) Having their own automatic network associated with being part of a religious group.
5)Being part of a religious group you may have stronger moral core and values which is consistent with social structures.
I am not very religious, however I can see how it would make some people happier than those who don't have those beliefs.
What is happiness anyway? How do you define it?
Not to sound too corny, but to me happiness is what you make it and how your percieve your own circumstances.
Just a few thoughts!
Good luck
- Fi
I agree that religion often gives people a sense of belonging and security, but I don’t think that it’s entirely social. On an individual level religion can be therapeutic: indeed most if not all religions promote the pursuit of internal peace and stability, whether through prayer, meditation or inhaling the fumes from burnt plastic through a hollowed out oxen bone.
One particularly outstanding example of this is the Catholic practice of confession; where an individual shares their transgressions (perceived or imagined) with a priest, and are asked to repent and ask for forgiveness. God of course invariably will forgive them, and I think this powerful effect of having nothing on your conscience would definitely improve morale.
Of course, if you were looking at this from a slightly darker point of view, you could suggest that religion promotes feelings of superiority (over those bastards that are going to hell when they die), and panders to mankind’s collective narcissism (because as if a supreme master and creator of the universe would care about us petty and vain humans).
Superiority always makes me feel happy.
Anyway, all most people ever want is to feel special, better, distinguished and yet part of something bigger. Religion delivers on all fronts.
What I would really like to know however, is whether happiness is constant among religions, or whether one particular religion makes happier people than others?
Hey Brett,
Interesting topic you’ve got there. I’m not an overly religious person these days but I was baptised as a catholic when I was a baby. My mum is a practicing catholic and goes to church most Sundays and it has always made her happy. Whilst growing up I went to church every Christmas, Easter and about twice a month. I attended a catholic primary school and a catholic college from years 7 to 12 in which religion was a big part of the school curriculum and a compulsory subject. It wasn’t until I went to university that I stopped learning about religion. I think religion is a fantastic thing. There are so many diverse religions and I think to have faith in something is a special and personal thing. From a personal opinion, I believe that growing up with religion was gratifying. Not only did it give some explanation as to ‘how the world evolved’ but it gave me a sense of safety in knowing that someone was always looking out for me or looking after the deceased. Although I learned a great deal about Catholicism, in high school I learnt a lot about other religions as well. I think having an understanding and broad perspective of the many religions in the world is beneficial in deciding what to believe. Personally I can say that I have benefited from religious education and was happy because of it. I didn’t place an active role in being involved in the religious community or my church but I do believe it was helpful and positive to be a part of.
Good luck with your second blog,
Jacqui
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