Chapter 20: Faith and Well-being
In past studies, people who participated regularly in a faith community, on average, lived longer and had better health, greater happiness, and greater prosperity than people who did not participate in a faith community. The studies were not able to show if the effects were causative or correlative, if one of those factors (faith community, longevity, happiness, health, or prosperity) contributed to the others or they all resulted from another factor or factors.
Participating in any community increases social contacts which are an inherent need for most people), provide purpose and routine, and encourage self-discipline. Together, they contribute to health, happiness and prosperity which contribute to longevity.
Prosperity makes it easier to participate in a faith community and to experience the other effects.
Good health contributes to the other effects.
A cheerful disposition contributes to good health and prosperity and increases how welcome a person is in a faith community.
We do not know which comes first or different factors come first for different people, but life in a healthy faith community nourishes well-being.
Some faith communities are not healthy ones and probably do not help the average.
Many people have been hurt by their lives in faith communities and some have written books or created documentaries about escaping those communities. These stories include Scientology, Westboro Baptist, the Mormons, and others. Less dramatic are the stories of people who escaped or abandoned more mainstream faith communities that, for them, were tyrannical, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Mennonite, and so on. Faith communities determined to make their members fit a particular form, behave certain ways, have set beliefs, stay to a certain social group, marry someone from a particular group can harm people, as can many families. While the media report family tyrannies like honour killings, many families harmfully restrict their children’s options. This might be career choices, friend and marriage choices, interests, and gender identities among others.
In spite of the negatives, on average, people participating in faith communities are happier, healthier, and wealthier. Helpful faith communities keep the well-being of their members as one of their priorities as they remember they exist to help others, not members existing for the sake of the community.
In past studies, people who participated regularly in a faith community, on average, lived longer and had better health, greater happiness, and greater prosperity than people who did not participate in a faith community. The studies were not able to show if the effects were causative or correlative, if one of those factors (faith community, longevity, happiness, health, or prosperity) contributed to the others or they all resulted from another factor or factors.
Participating in any community increases social contacts which are an inherent need for most people), provide purpose and routine, and encourage self-discipline. Together, they contribute to health, happiness and prosperity which contribute to longevity.
Prosperity makes it easier to participate in a faith community and to experience the other effects.
Good health contributes to the other effects.
A cheerful disposition contributes to good health and prosperity and increases how welcome a person is in a faith community.
We do not know which comes first or different factors come first for different people, but life in a healthy faith community nourishes well-being.
Some faith communities are not healthy ones and probably do not help the average.
Many people have been hurt by their lives in faith communities and some have written books or created documentaries about escaping those communities. These stories include Scientology, Westboro Baptist, the Mormons, and others. Less dramatic are the stories of people who escaped or abandoned more mainstream faith communities that, for them, were tyrannical, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Mennonite, and so on. Faith communities determined to make their members fit a particular form, behave certain ways, have set beliefs, stay to a certain social group, marry someone from a particular group can harm people, as can many families. While the media report family tyrannies like honour killings, many families harmfully restrict their children’s options. This might be career choices, friend and marriage choices, interests, and gender identities among others.
In spite of the negatives, on average, people participating in faith communities are happier, healthier, and wealthier. Helpful faith communities keep the well-being of their members as one of their priorities as they remember they exist to help others, not members existing for the sake of the community.
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