Subject:
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Re: Say Whaa????
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 28 Sep 2005 13:39:21 GMT
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Viewed:
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1318 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, John Neal wrote:
Well, it’s hard to assess the quality of the study based on this article, which
implies that the study finds a causative link between religion and social
ills. However, it seems that the study may only cite a correlation between
the two, which is a less rigid position and therefore easier to demonstrate and
harder to disprove. Discovering correlation is also potentially less useful
than discoving causation, too.
This direct quote is illuminating:
“In general, higher rates of belief in and worship of a creator correlate with
higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection
rates, teen pregnancy and abortion in the prosperous democracies.
It is well documented that the US has a curiously high incidence of certain
social phenomena, such as murder, and the US is also self-described as being
strongly religious. It’s also been demonstrated that, per capita, nominally
Christian (see below) Americans are less generous with charity than are other
nations. Is there a causative relationship between religiousness and these
trends? Who can say? Clearly this one study isn’t sufficient to prove that
claim. Is there a correlation between them? Apparently, but so what? Lots
of things correlate without demonstrable causation. Americans also eat more
fast food than most other countries; do french fries lead to murder and rape?
I’ve had my suspicions about Mayor McCheese for quite some time, but this study
gives no insight into his nefarious habits.
Let’s give the authors the benefit of the doubt and assume that their motives
are not political; perhaps they set out to identify any conspicuous correlation,
and this is what they found. I suspect that they chose “religiousness” as their
variable because their findings appear to conflict most directly with the
precepts of the assumed religion of the land. But, again, so what? The
existence of a conflict between religious ideals and real-world behaviors is
hardly conclusive evidence
RE: the “nominally Christian Americans” I mentioned above: I refer here to
those who profess to be Christians while acting in direct conflict to many
Christian ideals or to the teachings of Christ himself. Examples include a
parent who murders her children in Christ’s name, or a politician who enacts
brutally exploitive legislation while waving his bible around in a show of
affected piety. I contrast these “nominal Christians” with, let’s say,
sincere Christians, who both profess and adhere to their faith.
I’d like to see the underlying study. If you find it, let us know.
Dave!
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Say Whaa????
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| (URL) My initial reaction: this is the biggest pile of horses hit I've ever heard! But have at it. I'm going off to see if I can find the study somewhere and find out where this complete idiot went wrong... JOHN (19 years ago, 27-Sep-05, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
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