Study Proves Religious People Have More Joy
CultureThere may be a few atheists in foxholes, but a new study suggests that in societies under stress, those who are religious outnumber—and are happier than—their nonreligious counterparts.
Where peace and plenty are the norm, however, religious participation is lower and people are happier whether or not they are religious, the researchers found.
The study analyzed data from the 2005-2009 Gallup World Poll, a survey of people in more than 150 countries that included questions about religious affiliation, life satisfaction, respect, social support and positive and negative feelings. The researchers also looked at 2009 Gallup polling data from the U.S.