The Symptoms of Religion: How is Religion Bad For Your Health and Mental State? Highly Religious People Lead in Almost All Negative Statistics

July 27, 2011

Many religious people claim that religion is a wonderful thing that we all could benefit from.

Really?

If A (religion) does not cause B (a negative rating in almost every statistic), then why doesn’t A help fix B, like it claims? If you refuse to admit that A causes B, then the research shows that A is not helpful. Why doesn’t their god answer their prayers and help? A with B, shows how powerless and useless prayer is.

~Videos

If Atheists Left America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPqjAHCXz5U

‘Atheist’ Nations Are More Peaceful http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdtwTeBPYQA

The Virtues of Godlessness: The least religious nations are also the most healthy and successful - By Phil Zuckerman, Pitzer College

http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/zuckerman.htm

If Atheists Ruled The World (The Atheist Experience #648 Special Guest: AronRa)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsfiV0v33cU

~Pat Condell

Your moral guide http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC-9uJrotC4

Catholic morality (Abortion) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LStcajxvb_E

Miracles and morals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKcx0biHPR0

~Atheism, Secularity, and Well-Being: How the Findings of Social Science Counter Negative Stereotypes and Assumptions

Phil Zuckerman

Pitzer College, Claremont, California

Abstract

What do we currently know about atheists and secular people? In what ways are atheism and secularity correlated with positive societal outcomes? This article offers a thorough presentation and discussion of the latest social scientiﬁc research concerning the identities, values, and behaviors of people who don’t believe in God or are non-religious, and addresses the ways in which atheism and secularity are positively correlated with societal well-being.

Introduction

According to Psalm 14 of the Bible, people who don’t believe in God are ﬁlthy, corrupt fools, entirely incapable of doing any good. Although those sentiments were written over 2,000 years ago, non-believers are still stigmatized to this day, with recent studies showing that a negative view of atheists is quite pervasive, especially in the United States (Harper 2007; D’Andrea and Sprenger 2007; Koproske 2006; Downey 2004; Heiner 1992).

In an extensive study of how Americans view various minority groups, Penny Edgell et al. (2006, 230) and her colleagues found that ‘atheists are at the top of the list of groups that Americans ﬁnd problematic.’’ A Religion and Public Life Survey (2002) found that 54 percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of atheists and 28 percent have an unfavorable opinion of people who are ‘‘not religious.’’ One laboratory study found that people gave lower priority to patients with atheist or agnostic views than to Christian patients when asked to rank them on a waiting list to receive a kidney (Furnham et al. 1998). Other surveys have found that most Americans would not vote for non-religious presidential candidates (Joyner 2007; Hunter 1990).

But it isn’t just within the Bible or public opinion polls that one ﬁnds a negative appraisal of secular people. Philosopher John D. Caputo (2001, 2–3) has written that people who don’t love God aren’t ‘‘worth a tinker’s damn,’’ and that anyone who isn’t theistically religious is nothing more than ‘‘selﬁsh and pusillanimous curmudgeon…a loveless lout.’’ Psychologist Justin Barrett (2004) has described atheism as ‘‘unnatural’’ (p. 108) and an ‘‘oddity’’ (p. 118), while sociologist Rodney Stark (2008) has publicly stated that irreligious people ‘‘are prickly…they’re just angry’’ (Duin 2008). Finally, some state constitutions – such as those in South Carolina and Arkansas – actually ban unbelievers from holding public ofﬁce (Heiner 1992), and in many courtrooms of America, divorced parents have had custody rights denied or limited because of their atheism (Volokh 2006).

What gives? Is the widespread dislike, disapproval of, and general negativity towards atheists warranted, or is it a case of unsubstantiated prejudice? Maybe secular, non-believing men and women aren’t so unsavory, wicked, or despicable after all.

http://www.pitzer.edu/academics/faculty/zuckerman/Zuckerman_on_Atheism.pdf

~First, lets see which states are the most religious:

Following is Gallup’s entire list of states, in order of what percentage of respondents said religion is “an important part” of their daily lives:

2010 MOST RELIGIOUS STATES (United States)

Following is Gallup’s entire list of states, in order of what percentage of respondents said religion is “an important part” of their daily lives:

• Mississippi: 85%
• Alabama: 82%
• South Carolina: 80%
• Tennessee: 79%
• Louisiana: 78%
• Arkansas: 78%
• Georgia: 76%
• North Carolina: 76%
• Oklahoma: 75%
• Kentucky: 74%
• Texas: 74%
• West Virginia: 71%
• Kansas: 70%
• Utah: 69%
• Missouri: 68%
• Virginia: 68%
• South Dakota: 68%
• North Dakota: 68%
• Indiana: 68%
• Nebraska: 67%
• New Mexico: 66%
• Pennsylvania: 65%
• Florida: 65%
• Maryland: 65%
• Ohio: 65%
• Iowa: 64%
• Minnesota: 64%
• Illinois: 64%
• Michigan: 64%
• Delaware: 61%
• Wisconsin: 61%
• District of Columbia: 61%
• Idaho: 61%
• Arizona: 61%
• New Jersey: 60%
• Wyoming: 58%
• Colorado: 57%
• Hawaii: 57%
• California: 57%
• Montana: 56%
• New York: 56%
• Connecticut: 55%
• Nevada: 54%
• Rhode Island: 53%
• Oregon: 53%
• Washington: 52%
• Alaska: 51%
• Massachusetts: 48%
• Maine: 48%
• New Hampshire: 46%
• Vermont: 42%

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-01-29-faith-state-survey_N.htm

The Most Religious State in 2010, in America is…

http://americancreation.blogspot.com/2010/08/most-religious-state-in-america-is.html

How Religious Is Your State? (2009)

http://pewforum.org/how-religious-is-your-state-.aspx

Top 10 Most/Least Religious States in the Country

http://friendlyatheist.com/2009/01/30/top-10-mostleast-religious-states-in-the-country/

~OK, now lets begin:

U.S. Peace Index Released – Majority of Violent States Southern, Highly Religious

http://www.goddiscussion.com/46220/u-s-peace-index-released-majority-of-violent-states-southern-highly-religious/

~The Top 10 Most Violent States, in increasing order:

41. Maryland
42. South Carolina
43. Oklahoma
44. Arkansas
45. Texas
46. Alabama
47. Florida
48. Nevada
49. Tennessee
50. Louisiana

Higher violence rates:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201103/misinformation-and-facts-about-secularism-and-religion

~So if religion gave us morality, why is it that only 0.209% of prisoners are atheist, and 99.791% of prisoners are religious?

http://www.holysmoke.org/icr-pri.htm

~The bottom 10 poorest states

http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/16/news/economy/Americas_wealthiest_states/index.htm

~Average incomes:

1 Mississippi $35,693

2 Arkansas $37,987

3 West Virginia $39,170

4 Tennessee $40,034

5 South Carolina $41,548

6 Montana $41,587

7 Kentucky $41,828

8 Alabama $42,144

9 North Carolina $42,337

10 Louisiana $42,423

~Top 10 States With Highest Teenage Pregnancy and Birth Rates

http://womensissues.about.com/od/datingandsex/a/TeenPregStates.htm

Religious Teens Have More Abortions

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2009/06/religious-teens-have-more-abortions

States ranked by rates of pregnancy among women age 15-19 (pregnancies per thousand):

Nevada (113)
Arizona (104)
Mississippi (103)
New Mexico (103)
Texas (101)
Florida (97)
California (96)
Georgia (95)
North Carolina (95)
Arkansas (93)

Abstinence-only Sex Ed: Still a Failure

http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2011/06/abstinence-only_sex_ed_still_a.php

Here is the newest and most complete study on Abstinence-only Programs:

http://thehill.com/images/stories/whitepapers/pdf/AbstinenceIB.pdf

Chart: New Mexico has the highest teen pregnancy rate

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/02/26/chart-new-mexico-has-the-highest-teen-pregnancy-rate/

Teen Birth Rates Higher in Highly Religious States

http://www.livescience.com/5728-teen-birth-rates-higher-highly-religious-states.html

~2006 AVERAGE IQ SCORE BY STATE (Last Place states, under an IQ of 100)

http://www.top50states.com/average-iq-score.html

31. ILLINOIS………………………………………………….99.9

32. MARYLAND……………………………………………….99.7

33. RHODE ISLAND…………………………………………..99.5

34. KENTUCKY………………………………………………..99.4

35. OKLAHOMA……………………………………………….99.3

36. ALASKA……………………………………………………99.0

37. WEST VIRGINIA…………………………………………..98.7

38. SOUTH CAROLINA………………………………………..98.4

39. FLORIDA…………………………………………………..98.4

40. GEORGIA…………………………………………………..98.0

41. TENNESSEE……………………………………………….97.7

42. ARKANSAS…………………………………………………97.5

43. ARIZONA…………………………………………………..97.4

44. NEVADA……………………………………………………96.5

45. ALABAMA…………………………………………………..95.7

46. NEW MEXICO………………………………………………95.7

47. HAWAII……………………………………………………..95.6

48. CALIFORNIA………………………………………………..95.5

49. LOUISIANA………………………………………………….95.3

50. MISSISSIPPI………………………………………………..94.2

~The broad consensus of research shows that people with higher IQs tend to be less religious, not more so. SEE OVER 30 DIFFERENT STUDIES CONDUCTED, OVER MANY YEARS!

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-thinkingchristians.htm

~One of our related blogs:

Free-From-Religion people tend to be smarter!

http://exposingreligionblog.tumblr.com/post/8152107440

~AMERICAN LIFE EXPECTANCY STATISTICS (Bottom 11)

http://www.top50states.com/life-expectancy.html

40. NORTH CAROLINA …………. 75.8

41. GEORGIA ……………………. 75.3

42. KENTUCKY ………………….. 75.2

43. ARKANSAS ………………….. 75.2

44. OKLAHOMA ………………….. 75.2

45. TENNESSEE …………………. 75.1

46. WEST VIRGINIA …………….. 75.1

47. SOUTH CAROLINA ………….. 74.8

48. ALABAMA ……………………. 74.4

49. LOUISIANA ………………….. 74.2

50. MISSISSIPPI ………………… 73.6

~Mississippi is the fattest state for 5th straight year, Colorado still leanest

http://calorielab.com/news/2010/06/28/fattest-states-2010/

http://calorielab.com/news/2011/06/30/fattest-states-2011/

~Study Finds A Connection Between Obesity and Religion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhGt2lI-gTA

~Faith and Fat: Religious Youths More Likely to Be Obese by Mid-Life + VIDEO

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/faith-fat-religious-youths-obese-mid-life/story?id=13204624

~Praise the lard? Religion linked to obesity in young adults - Weekly church activities boost obesity 50 percent by middle age, 18-year study shows

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42256829/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

~Religion and obesity: Study links church and being fat

http://www.examiner.com/atheism-in-philadelphia/new-study-links-obesity-to-religion

~Is religion bad for your health?

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/death-love-sex-magic/200909/is-religion-bad-your-health

~Are religion and cardiovascular health related?

http://vimeo.com/11153431

~Religion Doesn’t Help Lower Blood Pressure, Study Suggests

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20110430/hl_hsn/religiondoesnthelplowerbloodpressurestudysuggests;_ylt=Ao7Y5hm2u0VXX2cyyOBC84Ks0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTRudW1yYnBvBGFzc2V0A2hzbi8yMDExMDQzMC9yZWxpZ2lvbmRvZXNudGhlbHBsb3dlcmJsb29kcHJlc3N1cmVzdHVkeXN1Z2dlc3RzBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMTAEcG9zAzcEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNyZWxpZ2lvbmRvZXM-

~Is Faith Good for Us?

http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=pzuckerman_26_5

~10 States With the Deadliest Eating Habits

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112083/10-states-with-the-deadliest-eating-habits

10. New Mexico

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.26 (23rd)

Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $737 (8th most)

Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 58 (12th least)

Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 111 (13th least)

New Mexico’s worst rankings occur in two metrics. It has the 44th-greatest percentage of households without a car that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket or grocery store and the 44th-greatest percentage of population that has low income and is more than 10 miles from a supermarket or grocery store, according to the United States Department of Ag1riculture. These metrics are significant because they suggest a lack of access to affordable and nutritious food. Residents may rely on fast food restaurants and convenience stores instead. New Mexico has the eighth-greatest amount of money spent on fast food per capita among all the states considered.

9. Arizona

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.17 (47th)

Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $761 (4th most)

Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 60 (21st least)

Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 109 (11th least)

Arizona has the second-fewest grocery stores per person, with only 0.17 for every 1,000 people. This illustrates a major restriction on healthy food access for one of the country’s fastest growing states. One of the ways in which residents of Arizona are supplementing their diets is with fast food. Arizonans spent an average of $760.50 each on fast food in 2007, the fourth-greatest amount among the states.

8. Ohio

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.18 (45th)

Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $622 (20th least)

Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 70 (11th most)

Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 122 (10th most)

Because a large part of Ohio’s poor population is located in major urban centers like Cleveland and Cincinnati, the state ranks well in regards to access to grocery stores among the poor. However, the state ranks third-worst in store availability across all income classes at 0.18 locations per 1,000 people, compared to 0.6 in first place North Dakota. Ohio’s population has the 11th-greatest consumption of soft drinks, and top-10 highest consumption of both sweet snacks and solid fats. As a result of these poor diets, Ohio has an adult diabetes occurrence of over 10%, which is the 11th-worst rate in the country.

7. South Dakota

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.5 (4th)

Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $547 (9th least)

Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 64 (23rd least)

Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 122 (8th most)

South Dakota has the fifth-smallest population in the country, and yet, it is the 17th-largest state in terms of geographic area. As a result, many residents have limited access to affordable and nutritious food. In fact, South Dakota has the greatest percentage of households with no car and which are more than 10 miles from a supermarket or grocery store, as well as the greatest percentage of low-income households which are more than 10 miles from a supermarket or grocery store. Only 10.1% of adults in South Dakota consume the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recommended two or more fruits and three or more vegetables per day, compared to the national average of 14%. This is the fifth-worst rate in the nation.

6. Nevada

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.23 (29th)

Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $939 (most)

Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 58 (10th least)

Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 114 (19th least)

Nevada spends the most per capita on fast food – nearly $940 per person per year. This is roughly 25% more than Texas, the second-worst state, and well more than twice what Vermont residents spend. As might be expected, the state ranks in the bottom 10 for both households with no cars and low-income populations, defined as people with income less than 200 percent of the federal poverty thresholds, and proximity to grocery stores. Nevada’s obesity and diabetes rates, are above average.

5. Oklahoma

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.25 (24th)

Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $676 (15th most)

Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 69.8 (8th most)

Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 103.2 (3rd least)

The rate of household-level food insecurity, including households with food access problems as well as households that experience disruptions in their food intake patterns due to inadequate resources for food, is 15.2% in Oklahoma. The national rate is 13.5%. Oklahoma also has the third-lowest rate of adults who meet the recommended two fruit/three vegetable daily intake, with only 9.3% of adults doing so. Perhaps this is part of the reason Oklahoma’s obesity rate is 31.4%, the fifth-worst in the country.

4. Kansas

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.35 (7th)

Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $610 (19th least)

Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 64 (23rd most)

Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 121 (12th most)

Kansas has some of the easiest access (seventh-best) to stores where cheap and healthy food is available. It is clear, however, that most residents do not take advantage of this, as the state has one of the worst diets in the country. Residents consume the 12th-most sweet snacks per person as well as the 12th-most solid fats – more than 20 pounds per person. The state ranks 28th in adult diabetes and 31st in obesity – 28% of the state’s adults are considered overweight.

3. Missouri

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.26 (22nd)

Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $623 (21st least)

Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 65 (18th highest)

Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 121 (17th most)

Missouri does not rank especially poor in any of the metrics considered, however it does rank badly in about almost every one. It has the 11th-lowest rates of adults eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, the eighth-greatest rate of food insecurity, and relatively high rates of soft drink, sweet snack and solid fats consumption. Missouri has the ninth-worst rate of obesity among adults, with 30% having a body mass index greater than 30.

2. Alabama

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.21 (37th)

Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $649 (23rd most)

Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 77 (4th most)

Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 113 (16th least)

Alabama residents consume 77 gallons of soft drinks per capita per year, the fourth-highest amount in the country. This is roughly 33% more than Oregon, which consumes the least. Soft drinks like cola have more sugar per ounce than nearly any other food we regularly consume, and it is clear that soda has helped contribute to Alabama’s poor health outcomes. The state has the seventh-highest obesity rate and, predictably, the second-worst diabetes rate. More than 12% of the state’s adult population has the disease.

1. Mississippi

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.21 (34th)

Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $588 (17th least)

Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 82 (most)

Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 113 (17th least)

Mississippi has the worst eating habits in the country. Only 8.8% of the adult population eats the recommended amount of daily fruits and vegetables, the lowest rate in the country. Residents consumed just under 82 gallons of soft drinks per capita in 2006, the greatest amount reported. Furthermore, the state has the third-highest rate of household-level food insecurity, with 17.1% of households being affected. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that the state has the highest rates of both adult diabetes (12.8%) and adult

The Top 10 Least Healthy States in America

http://blog.healia.com/00194/top-10-least-healthy-states-america

Louisiana Louisiana tops this year’s list of least healthy states, the same spot it occupied in the first rankings done in 1990. While the state does not rate worst on any single measure, it has the second highest number of cancer deaths and premature deaths as well as the second highest level of infant mortality. In addition, it makes the top 5 in obesity rate, violent crime, child poverty, rate of people uninsured, infectious diseases, and preventable hospitalizations. Bright spots are low levels of binge drinking and low numbers or poor mental health days.
Mississippi Louisiana’s neighbor Mississippi is runner up for least healthy state, as it was 19 years ago, although that is one spot better than last year when it topped the list. Having these two states top the list is not surprising because the Mississippi River delta is one of the poorest regions in America. Mississippi is worst in obesity rate, child poverty, and rate of cardiovascular –related deaths, second worst in number of poor mental days, infant mortality, and premature deaths. On the good side, the state is actually fourth best for low binge drinking rates and ranks in the top 15 for low levels of violent crime.
South Carolina Up six spots from last year, South Carolina is another Southern state with serious health issues. The state ranks worst in violent crime rate and second worst in high school graduation rate, and it is in the top ten for obesity rates, occupational fatalities, child poverty, infant mortality, and premature deaths. However, public health funding and immunization coverage are above average along with a low rate of binge drinking.
Tennessee Up one spot from last year, Tennessee is third worst on the list for violent crime and infant mortality, fourth worst in obesity and cancer deaths, and fifth worst for smoking, preventable hospitalizations, and cardiovascular deaths. On the plus side, Tennessee is tied for the lowest rate of binge drinking.
Texas Nine spots worse than last year, Texas has the second highest rate of child poverty in the nation and ranks worst in health insurance coverage. Bright spots include above average rankings in smoking, binge drinking, infant mortality rate, and cancer deaths.
Florida Florida ranks second worst for geographic disparity (differences in mortality rates among counties), third worst in infectious disease and health insurance coverage rates, and has the fifth highest rate of violent crime. Some positives include top ten rankings in obesity rates, air pollution, and immunization coverage.
Oklahoma Improving four spots from last year (but still 12 spots worse than the initial survey in 1990), Oklahoma has the second lowest number of primary care physicians per capita, the second highest rate of cardiovascular-related deaths, and the third highest smoking rate. The State is average in several areas including high school graduation rate, infectious disease rates, and air pollution. It ranks in the top 15 for lowest binge drinking rate and highest per capita public health funding.
Arkansas A success story on the list, Arkansas improved five spots this year and ranks 2 spots above its 1990 placement. Fifth worst in immunization coverage, Arkansas also has the sixth highest rate of obesity, occupational fatalities, poor physical health days, and premature deaths. The state is average in public health funding and geographic disparity and has the seventh lowest binge drinking rate of any state.
Nevada The lone Western state on the list is also the only state outside of the southern region to make the list. Nevada has the worst high school graduation rate in the nation, the only state with a rate below 60%, and also the worst immunization coverage. Nevada has the third most violent crime and the third lowest public health funding. On the other hand, it ranks in the top 15 for low air pollution, obesity rates, and preventable hospitalizations.
Georgia The Peach State is the worst for air pollution and also has the third lowest high school graduation rate in the nation and the fourth highest rate of infectious disease. The State dose rank above average in low smoking rates, high immunization coverage, and public health funding and boasts the nation’s ninth lowest rate of binge drinking.

Highest Divorce Rates by State

http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/st_DIVORCE_20100813.html

Nevada 6.6

Arkansas 5.6

Wyoming 5.2

West Virginia 5.0

Idaho 5.0

Oklahoma 4.6

Kentucky 4.6

Alaska 4.4

Maine 4.3

Florida 4.3

Mississippi 4.2

Colorado 4.2

Alabama 4.2

Washington 4.0

Tennessee 4.0

Does religion make people happier?

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/201102/does-religion-make-people-happier

~Abortions

Abortions Highest Where Religion is Highest

http://atheism.about.com/b/2008/03/07/abortions-highest-where-religion-is-highest.htm

“Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as 'Born-again/Evangelical’.”

http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html

Christians Have as Many Abortions as Everyone Else, Catholics Have More

A new study by The Center For Reason (www.CenterForReason.com) finds that Christians have just as many abortions as their non-Christian counterparts. The study concludes that in the year 2000, Christians were responsible for 570,000 abortions. Catholics were found to be the worst offenders, with abortion rates higher than the national average.

San Francisco, Calif. (PRWEB) March 12, 2006 – With over one million abortions being performed in the US each year, this issue has dominated the political landscape. In recent years the rhetoric has escalated, with the pro-life movement becoming a flagship for Christian morality and ethics. The prevailing Christian doctrine–that abortion is murder–has polarized the issue, firmly placing the vast majority of Christians on the pro-life side of the debate.

Incendiary comments by some of the more outspoken Christian figureheads have sought to portray abortion as an “evil” perpetrated by the non-Christian left. In response to this, The Center For Reason, a private research group, undertook a study to test the premise: “Christians have fewer abortions than non-Christians”. The results disproved the premise.

The study, available as a downloadable report, reveals that Christians have just as many abortions as non-Christians. Data analyzed for all fifty states show that the rate of abortion is the same in the most-Christian segments of the population as it is in the least-Christian. The most-Catholic segments, on the other hand, showed significantly higher abortion rates.

All data sources used in the study are publicly available, and are referenced in the report. All raw data and calculated values are tabulated in the report, to allow full verification of the results.

The report, titled “The Landscape of Abortion”, may be downloaded.

This research was undertaken to test the premise: “Christians have fewer abortions than non-Christians”. This topic was chosen in response to the very-public stance of certain far-right Christian groups, who assert that abortion is an evil perpetrated by the non-Christian left.

The results disproved the premise. It transpires that Christians have just as many abortions as their non-Christian counterparts. The study concludes that in the year 2000, Christians had approximately 570,000 abortions. Within the Christian segment, Catholics were found to have abortion rates significantly higher than the national average.

The Geography of Abortion

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2012/06/geography-abortion/1711/

http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/sfaa.html

“The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion”

When the Anti-Choice Choose

http://mypage.direct.ca/w/writer/anti-tales.html

~Statistics on Christians and porn

“* April 6, 2007: 70% of Christians admitted
to struggling with porn in their daily lives. From a non-scientific poll taken by XXXChurch, as reported by CNN.

* August 7,2006: 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography. 60% of the women who answered the survey admitted to having significant struggles with lust; 40% admitted to being involved in sexual sin in the past year; and 20% of the church-going female participants struggle with looking at pornography on an ongoing basis.
From the results of a ChristiaNet poll reported by Marketwire.com

* In December of 2000, the National Coalition to Protect Children and Families surveyed 5 Christian Campuses to see how the next generation of believers was doing with sexual purity:

48% of males admitted to current porn use

68% of males said they intentionally viewed a sexually explicit site at the school

* Roger Charman of Focus on the Family’s Pastoral Ministries reports that approximately 20 percent of the calls received on their Pastoral Care Line are for help with issues such as pornography and compulsive sexual behavior.

* A 1996 Promise Keepers survey at one of their stadium events revealed that over 50% of the men in attendance were involved with pornography within one week of attending the event.

* In 2000 Christianity Today survey, 33% of clergy admitted to having visited a sexually explicit Web site. Of those who had visited a porn site, 53% had visited such sites “a few times” in the past year, and 18% visit sexually explicit sites between a couple of times a month and more than once a week.

* Out of 81 pastors surveyed (74 males 7 female), 98% had been exposed to porn; 43% intentionally accessed a sexually explicit website
National Coalition survey of pastors. Seattle. April 2000.”

http://www.blazinggrace.org/cms/bg/pornstats

CHRISTIANS, PASTORS AND CHURCH PORNOGRAPHY STATISTICS
A 1996 Promise Keepers survey at one of their stadium events revealed that over 50% of the men in attendance were involved with pornography within one week of attending the event.
51% of pastors say cyber-porn is a possible temptation. 37% say it is a current struggle (Christianity Today, Leadership Survey, 12/2001).
Over half of evangelical pastors admits viewing pornography last year.
Roger Charman of Focus on the Family’s Pastoral Ministries reports that approximately 20 percent of the calls received on their Pastoral Care Line are for help with issues such as pornography and compulsive sexual behavior.
In a 2000 Christianity Today survey, 33% of clergy admitted to having visited a sexually explicit Web site. Of those who had visited a porn site, 53% had visited such sites “a few times” in the past year, and 18% visit sexually explicit sites between a couple of times a month and more than once a week.
29% of born again adults in the U.S. feel it is morally acceptable to view movies with explicit sexual behavior (The Barna Group).
57% of pastors say that addiction to pornography is the most sexually damaging issue to their congregation (Christians and Sex Leadership Journal Survey, March 2005).

http://www.safefamilies.org/sfStats.php

Bible Belt Loves Porn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgs5A3tHMyc

The hypocrisy of porn-again Christians

A STUDY of American porn consumption reveals that the most conservative of American Christians are those who access pornography the most.

Benjamin Edelman, at Harvard Business School, is quoted in the New Scientist as saying:

“Some of the people who are most outraged turn out to be consumers of the very things they claimed to be outraged by.”

The study, among other things, found that residents of 27 states that passed laws banning gay marriages boasted 11 percent more porn subscribers than states that don’t explicitly restrict gay marriage.

Eight of the top 10 pornography consuming states gave their electoral votes to John McCain in last year’s presidential election – Florida and Hawaii were the exceptions. Six out of the lowest 10 favoured Barack Obama.

States where a majority of residents agreed with the statement “I have old-fashioned values about family and marriage,” bought 3.6 more subscriptions per thousand people than states where a majority disagree.

A similar difference emerged for the statement:

AIDS might be God’s punishment for immoral sexual behaviour.

Said Edelman:

“One natural hypothesis is something like repression: if you’re told you can’t have this, then you want it more.”

The biggest consumer, Utah, averaged 5.47 adult content subscriptions per 1,000 home broadband users; Montana bought the least with 1.92 per 1000.

Church-goers accessed less online porn on Sundays – but spending on porn on other days of the week brought them in line with the rest of the country.

Porn in the USA: Conservatives are biggest consumers

According to a 2009 study by Benjamin G. Edelman eight of the top ten pornography consuming states are Red States.

number one (Utah)

second (Alaska)

third (Mississippi)

fifth (Oklahoma)

sixth (Arkansas)

seventh (North Dakota)

eighth (Louisiana)

ten (West Virginia)

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16680-porn-in-the-usa-conservatives-are-biggest-consumers.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

A study by the Harvard Business School.

http://people.hbs.edu/bedelman/papers/redlightstates.pdf

More recently, in December 2011, Rutgers University researcher/blogger Omar Haq published the results of his study on Google searches for gay porn.

The top 10 states that had the most Google searches for gay porn included Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, and West Virginia

Bible Belt, Republican ‘Red States’ Consume The Highest Amount of Online Porn Per Capita - 16 March 2012

http://www.politicalarticles.net/blog/2012/03/16/bible-belt-republican-red-states-consume-the-highest-amount-of-online-porn-per-capita/#.T3pS__BYt8M

The Bible Belt’s Love Affair With (Gay and Straight) Porn (3 pages)

The GOP presidential hopefuls keep vilifying porn. Odd that the very people they’re trying to pander to consume massive amounts of it.

http://www.alternet.org/story/154539/the_bible_belts_love_affair_with_gay_and_straight_porn_?page=1

The most racist places in America, according to Google

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/28/the-most-racist-places-in-america-according-to-google/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/03/1381214/-The-most-racist-areas-in-the-United-States

Top 10 Most Racist States in America

http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/05/14/top-10-racist-states-america/

Methodology:

Analysts at Floating Sheep, a website run by a group of independent cyber-geography researchers, found there was a spike of racist tweets on Twitter during and after President Obama’s 2012 re-election.

The research group took advantage of the tweets’ geo-codes, which is data showing where they originated from in the U.S. The team searched Twitter for racism-revealing terms and phrases that appeared in the context of tweets mentioning “Obama,” “re-elected,” or “won.”

They then sorted the tweets according to the state they were sent from, and compared the racist tweets to the total number of geocoded tweets coming from that state during the same time period, Nov. 1 to Nov. 7.

To normalize states across population levels, the team then used a location quotient-inspired measure or LQ score — an economic derivation used to analyze norms across geographical locations — to compare a state’s racist tweets to the national average of racist tweets.

So, per the team’s model, an LQ score of 1.0 indicates that the state’s proportion of racist tweets to non-racist tweets is the same as the overall national proportion. A score above 1.0 indicates that the proportion of racist tweets to non-racist tweets is higher than the national proportion. The results are seen in the map above.

The LQ score was added to the number of Ku Klux Klan organizations known to operate in the state, according to a list compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a watchdog organization that monitors hate groups. The states with the highest combined scores were considered the most racist states in the country. The process was not scientific nor can it be claimed that it gives the most accurate ranking of racism by state.

However, it offers some insight into where some of the most racist people in the United States reside.

1. Texas

The SPLC says Texas has the most KKK chapters than any other state in the nation. Along with Florida, it had one of the lowest LQ scores of 1.3, but because Texas has 18 KKK organizations, almost twice as many as any of the states on SPLC’s list, it made it to the top of this list as the most racist state in the U.S.

2. Mississippi

In Mississippi, the number of active KKK organizations is a whopping 11, according to the SPLC. The state also has the second highest LQ score, topping out at 7.4.

3. Georgia

The state of Georgia has a 3.6 LQ score, but with eight KKK chapters, the state is in the No. 3 spot on the list.

4. Alabama

Floating Sheep scored Alabama at 8.1, giving the state the highest LQ score overall. It houses four KKK chapters and is fourth place on the list.

5. North Carolina

North Carolina’s LQ score at 1.5 was a little less than half of Georgia’s. However the state is home to nine KKK organizations, the third highest of any state.

6. Tennessee

Tennessee’s 3.1 LQ score is lower than North Carolina’s, but its five KKK chapters makes it the sixth most racist state in the U.S.

7. Arkansas

Arkansas has five known active KKK organizations, the same number as Tennessee. The state has a 1.9 LQ score that makes it the seventh most racist state in the country.

8. Louisiana

Louisiana had a moderately high LQ score of 3.3, but because it has three KKK organizations on record, the lowest number of any state on SPLC’s list, it sits in the eighth spot.

9. Florida

With an LQ score of 1.3, Florida had one of the lowest scores of the Top 10. However, with five active KKK organizations existing in the state, it earned a place on this list as the ninth most racist state.

10. Illinois

Illinois is the least racist state on this list of 10. The hate-filled tweets sent from this state after Obama’s re-election earned it a score of 1.5 on the LQ scale. This, in addition to the four KKK organizations known to be operating in the state, makes Illinois the 10th most racist state in the U.S.

http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/05/14/top-10-racist-states-america/4/

A Baylor University study links religion to racism

http://blog.chron.com/believeitornot/2010/04/a-baylor-university-study-links-religion-to-racism/

Study Links Religious Groups and Racial Bias

http://news.usc.edu/#!/article/26776/Study-Links-Religious-Groups-and-Racial-Bias

Study: Religion Linked to Racism

http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2010/02/study-religion-linked-to-racism/

Why religion can lead to racism

http://epiphenom.fieldofscience.com/2010/04/why-religion-can-lead-to-racism.html

A New Timely Study Links Religion and Racism, Duh.

http://www.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/02/12/a-new-timely-study-links-religion-and-racism-duh

Racism is linked to Religious dogmatism

http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/entry/racism_is_linked_to_religious_dogmatism/

Complaints:

‎"This post is SUPER misleading. Correlation is NOT causation. There is no evidence here that religion is CAUSING these trends, only that it is correlated with them"

Answer:

Religious leaders, religious people and religions themselves, claim that their religion, supernaturally causes complete opposite effects. This is a major selling point of religion. It is a major selling point to support and give credit to religion and hold it with high regard and respect. If anything, this research shows that to be untrue. Religion does not work. It is nothing more than snake oil. It has no benefit to humanity.

It only gives power, control and wealth to religious leaders pushing their poison.

The TRUTH has been exposed!

Why Atheism Replaces Religion In Developed Countries

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nigel-barber/why-atheism-to-replace-re_b_903653.html

*****************************************************

Please Join Pages In Our ExposingReligion Network

http://exposingreligionblog.tumblr.com/post/20825271431

See an organized listing of all of our research blogs:

http://exposingreligionblog.tumblr.com/post/16944061808

10:34pm | URL: https://tmblr.co/ZTwOHx7c3w2Q

(Notes: 26)