crime statistics in religious places vs non-religious
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 4:21 pm
What do you think about these statements:
Crime is far lower among atheists than religious communities... even on a global scale.
Murder rates are lower in secular nations and higher in more religious nations where the belief in God is widespread. Of the top 50 safest cities in the world, nearly all are in relatively non-religious countries. And within America, the states with the highest murder rates tend to be the highly religious, such as Louisiana and Alabama, but the states with the lowest murder rates tend to be the among the least religious in the country, such as Vermont and Oregon.
And these findings are not limited to murder rates, as rates of all violent crime tend to be higher in "religious" states. Atheists are very much under-represented in the American prison population (only 0.2%).
In a 1999 Barna study that finds that atheists and agnostics actually have lower divorce rates than religious Americans.
A study in Canada found that conservative Christian women experienced higher rates of domestic violence than non-affiliated women.
A study in 2009 found that teens who make religion-inspired "virginity pledges" are not only just as likely as their non-pledging peers to engage in premarital sex, but more likely to engage in unprotected sex.
Happiness: The most secular nations in the world report the highest levels of happiness among their population.
Altruism: Secular nations such as those in Scandinavia donate the most money and supportive aid, per capita, to poorer nations. Also two more studies show that during the Holocaust, the more secular people were, the more likely they were to rescue and help persecuted Jews.
Outlooks and Values: Atheists and agnostics, when compared to religious people, are actually less likely to be nationalistic, racist, anti-Semitic, dogmatic, ethnocentric, and authoritarian. Secularism also correlates to higher education levels. Atheists and other secular people are also much more likely to support women's rights and gender equality, as well as gay and lesbian rights. Religious individuals are more likely to support government use of torture.
So far I have replied with:
Well if you take away the religion you won't take away the crime. Also I am certain as someone who spent a few weeks in jail once that a lot of people become Christians while they are there just hoping to look good and get out sooner.
and
"The Nazi Fuehrer Adolf Hitler stated repeatedly Nazism was founded on science not faith."
Crime is far lower among atheists than religious communities... even on a global scale.
Murder rates are lower in secular nations and higher in more religious nations where the belief in God is widespread. Of the top 50 safest cities in the world, nearly all are in relatively non-religious countries. And within America, the states with the highest murder rates tend to be the highly religious, such as Louisiana and Alabama, but the states with the lowest murder rates tend to be the among the least religious in the country, such as Vermont and Oregon.
And these findings are not limited to murder rates, as rates of all violent crime tend to be higher in "religious" states. Atheists are very much under-represented in the American prison population (only 0.2%).
In a 1999 Barna study that finds that atheists and agnostics actually have lower divorce rates than religious Americans.
A study in Canada found that conservative Christian women experienced higher rates of domestic violence than non-affiliated women.
A study in 2009 found that teens who make religion-inspired "virginity pledges" are not only just as likely as their non-pledging peers to engage in premarital sex, but more likely to engage in unprotected sex.
Happiness: The most secular nations in the world report the highest levels of happiness among their population.
Altruism: Secular nations such as those in Scandinavia donate the most money and supportive aid, per capita, to poorer nations. Also two more studies show that during the Holocaust, the more secular people were, the more likely they were to rescue and help persecuted Jews.
Outlooks and Values: Atheists and agnostics, when compared to religious people, are actually less likely to be nationalistic, racist, anti-Semitic, dogmatic, ethnocentric, and authoritarian. Secularism also correlates to higher education levels. Atheists and other secular people are also much more likely to support women's rights and gender equality, as well as gay and lesbian rights. Religious individuals are more likely to support government use of torture.
So far I have replied with:
Well if you take away the religion you won't take away the crime. Also I am certain as someone who spent a few weeks in jail once that a lot of people become Christians while they are there just hoping to look good and get out sooner.
and
"The Nazi Fuehrer Adolf Hitler stated repeatedly Nazism was founded on science not faith."