Benefits for those who practice a religious faith:
Your Children
We’re all worried about our children at some point, so it’s reassuring to know that one major study involving over 2,000 young people aged between 11-18 (this is referenced in Professor Casey’s paper) showed church attendance and involvement in a church-based youth group reduced risk-taking behaviours such as smoking, alcohol use, drug use, sexual activity, truancy and depression.
Self-esteem was also higher among those young people attending church.
Live longer, live better
Active religious involvement increased the chances of living longer than the average by 29%, and participation in public religious practices, such as church attendance, increased the chance of living longer than the average by 43%.
Marriage and religious practice
Marital satisfaction is highest among couple who practice religion.
Why? One explanation is that most religions discourage divorce and actively encourage marriage. But it’s not simply that religious people are staying in unhappy marriage because those who practice religion are also more likely to report that they are happy in their marriages.
For the good of society
But if religious practice has strong personal benefits, then it obviously has societal benefits as well. If religion is practiced by a large number of people across a population, then its benefits will accrue to society as a whole.
Depression
In Canada a large study involving 70,000 adults found that those who attended Church services regularly had fewer depressive symptoms than average.
Bereavement
We all have to deal with bereavement at some point in our lives. One recent study shows that those with strong religious beliefs were able to resolve their grief faster than those with no religious belief.
Why does religious practice have these beneficial effects?
The studies don’t say with certainty, but a number of factors seem to explain these beneficial effects. One is that people who practice a religion are less likely to engage in risky behavior such as drug-taking or excessive drinking which damage health over time.
Another is that religious belief offers many people solace which helps them to fight depression and overcome bereavement.
Another is that religious belief and practice connects people to a community bigger than themselves and gives them a sense of meaning and purpose through their belief in God.