Churchgoing is healthy

It's true apparently -but not news. In fact one of the difficult consequences is that the Church of England has a pensions crisis caused by the actuarial fact that retired clergy tend to live longer on average than most other sectors of the population ... see previous blog entry for a refference to the possible survival value of faith as a potentially genetic fact.

Make of this waht you will, and there are certainly more questions many will have about the basic data and just what causal factors there are. While no doubt some will want to talk in terms of supernatural providence most will be more comfortable with thinking in terms of faith enabling us to be secure and to work withing the grain of what we are made for and in terms of greater serenity and thus lower stress-related illness rates, etc etc.

Science & Theology News - Research Reports: Biological link between health and religious service attendance