Comments on: Who Needs God When We’ve Got Mammon?

By: liilianokado

liilianokado — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:44:27 +0000

I watched a segment on Oprah as featuring this same topic and had a brief look into Danish life in Denmark. And it’s clear why they are happy. Unlike African or Black nations, Haiti a case in point, there are systems in Sweden that enable a nurturing environment for everyone. Education is free, medical is free, but all this s paid for by tax payers money. 50% of the average swede’s income goes to the government yet they are still able to leave pretty good lives. the income gap is rich poor class is almost non existent and people generally share similar lifestyles. that is why they are so happy. they live on less than the average American but are happier because the system works!

By: Casey Ciare

Casey Ciare — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:00:38 +0000

Sorry for the double post. I tried to delete, but the site wouldn’t let me do that or edit.

By: Casey Ciare

Casey Ciare — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:53:58 +0000

Major distortion in the study: “He also scored countries on their degree of religiosity, as determined by such measures as church attendance, belief in a creator deity and acceptance of Bible literalism.”That’s not a measure of religiosity, that’s a measure right wing beliefs. Religious people who actually follow scriptural teachings (Christians who live by the teachings of Christ, for example) tend to be left wing, however, and they are largely excluded from this definition. Truly religious people may attend fewer church services because they are out in the community serving God. Literalism diminishes the breadth of understanding of facets of God, so literalists seem to be less religious in that they overconstrain scripture itself.The data gathered in this study seem to lend more support to the idea that right wingers are wealthier. (No kidding. People who are live according to religious values don’t choose wealth acquisition as the primary goal of their careers.) As for happiness, we know that survey results measure interpretation of language, not happiness itself. Men, for example, are more likely than women to give the survey response they think is most socially acceptable rather than be honest. It seems likely that right wingers might do the same since men are more likely to be right wingers.Science reporting standards should be higher at Miller-McCune.

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:46:46 +0000

It is interesting to find that less religious countries have less crimes. Could it be that people who are law abiding, happy and had no need to commit crime finds very little reason to go somewhere else for salvation versus the bad people who may turn to religion for salvation.- Tim

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:08:48 +0000

God bless you all- I pray that one day you can really have an eye opening experience to the truth of your creator, Jesus Christ. Without him we are nothing and have nothing to look forward to!

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:13:02 +0000

Blame the people not the faith.

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:13:02 +0000

Blame the people not the faith.

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:47:22 +0000

America a religious country??? GMAB! Were religious about football porn and tv entertainment thats it…this studys bogus because the definition of religious cannot be ststed without tainting it with bias either way

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:47:22 +0000

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:18:26 +0000

This message is well-stated. Let’s hear the media so speak! w

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:08:56 +0000

The full paper (Paul’s paper) can be downloaded at http://www.epjournal.net/ “is a coping mechanism for the anxieties of a dysfunctional social and economic environment.” I would agree completely, Shermer discusses religions consoling influence in Why People Believe Weird Things.Jamie Hale

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:20:36 +0000

I don’t believe that prosperity was measured by unbridled economic growth in this article given that countries with more socialistic policies like sweden and denmark were used as prime examples.

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:33:56 +0000

The problem is that the argument may work the other way round, i.e., the more prosperous a country the less emphasis on religion. Also, if prosperity is based on unbridled economic growth and we face combinations of problems, such as peak oil, a debt-driven global capitalist system, and global warming….

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:14:56 +0000

So very tired of seeing and hearing Dostoevsky quoted out of context. Please do not lump such a mind in with Coulter and co.

By: Anonymous User

Anonymous User — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:44:31 +0000

Re “Who needs god when we’ve got Mammon?” I don’t believe we’re hard wired for religion. I believe we’re hard wired for many things including fear and superstition and fouling our diapers. Most of us get over the diaper-fouling but few get over the fear and superstition; that’s where “leaders” come in. Religion was discovered by some to be a great way to control large numbers of people. It wasn’t a plot, it was simply a discovery – “god is watching you, and we are watching you too.” House trained faith sufferers make ideal subjects.