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Its The Faith Talking: How Religion May Reduce Alcohol Abuse
From the article:
A new wave of studies provides insights into the myriad ways religion appears to protect against alcohol abuse.
One of the latest studies suggests faith may reduce alcohol abuse by providing a sense of meaning in life that is lacking in people more likely to turn to alcohol.
And that’s not all.
Faith also may play a role, the study found, by reducing exposure to a mass media that extols alcohol use.
One of the latest studies suggests faith may reduce alcohol abuse by providing a sense of meaning in life that is lacking in people more likely to turn to alcohol.
And that’s not all.
Faith also may play a role, the study found, by reducing exposure to a mass media that extols alcohol use.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-briggs/its-the-faith-talking-how_b_13930488.html?utm_hp_ref=catholic-church
Now some people seem to focus on the negative aspects of faith, but is it possible that faith also has a positive side?
15 replies
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Form phys.org:
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A woman lights an oil lamp to celebrate Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights. On the night of the new moon in the Tamil month of Aippasi, Hindu families counter the dark by decorating their homes with kolams (geometric designs drawn with rice flour) and oil lamps, and setting off sparklers and fireworks. Performing such religious acts may help individuals build strong, trusting relationships with others (see article). Credit: Eleanor Power
[hr]
Roughly 80 percent of people around the globe identify with some type of religion, and scientists have been seriously pursuing insight into the evolutionary benefit of religious practice since the early part of this century. In a new study published today in Nature Human Behaviour, Eleanor Power of the Santa Fe Institute writes that active religious participation may benefit practitioners by strengthening social bonds.
While some anonymized, lab-based experiments have suggested that religious behavior may increase prosocial qualities like generosity and trustworthiness, few researchers have studied this question in the context of a real community. In her study, Power analyzes how the nature of peoples' religious practice correlates with the structure of their social support networks in two villages in South India.
…
Community members who invest more in religious activity are viewed as being more trustworthy and generous. Consequently, these people are often sought out by others who need support. While this can create a burden, it also helps to foster more mutually supportive relationships. "Providing support to others means that one is more able to draw on support oneself," writes Power in the new paper.
more ...
[/center]
A woman lights an oil lamp to celebrate Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights. On the night of the new moon in the Tamil month of Aippasi, Hindu families counter the dark by decorating their homes with kolams (geometric designs drawn with rice flour) and oil lamps, and setting off sparklers and fireworks. Performing such religious acts may help individuals build strong, trusting relationships with others (see article). Credit: Eleanor Power
[hr]
Roughly 80 percent of people around the globe identify with some type of religion, and scientists have been seriously pursuing insight into the evolutionary benefit of religious practice since the early part of this century. In a new study published today in Nature Human Behaviour, Eleanor Power of the Santa Fe Institute writes that active religious participation may benefit practitioners by strengthening social bonds.
While some anonymized, lab-based experiments have suggested that religious behavior may increase prosocial qualities like generosity and trustworthiness, few researchers have studied this question in the context of a real community. In her study, Power analyzes how the nature of peoples' religious practice correlates with the structure of their social support networks in two villages in South India.
…
Community members who invest more in religious activity are viewed as being more trustworthy and generous. Consequently, these people are often sought out by others who need support. While this can create a burden, it also helps to foster more mutually supportive relationships. "Providing support to others means that one is more able to draw on support oneself," writes Power in the new paper.
more ...