Ouch! Some disturbing reflection on studies correlating religiosity with social health. There are some very interesting questions about interpretation of the figures to be asked. But the prima facie prospect for "Christian" societies is not good. Though, given the examples of various dissident groups of Christians, we would have to ask, I think, about the healthiness of Christian faith when allied to propping up a status quo. At least Monbiot is nuanced in his gentle rebuke of the Christian record; pointing out that Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot etc wore atheists and did huge social damage too.
Nor – because, with the exception of Japan, the countries in his study are predominantly Christian or post-Christian – is it clear whether there’s an association between social dysfunction and religion in general or simply between social dysfunction and Christianity.
George Monbiot � Better off without Him:On Del.icio.us:
Christian,
religion,
social-dysfunction,
correlation,
statistics,
pro-life,
wealth,
poverty
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