People Who Believe In Heaven Commit More Crimes

[SK-1]

SEATTLE (CBS Seattle) — Believing if you are on a “highway to hell” could impact whether or not if you commit a crime.

A study published in the scientific journal PLoS One by University of Oregon’s Azim Shariff and University of Kansas’s Mijke Rhemtulla finds that people who believe in hell are less likely to commit a crime while people who believe in heaven more likely are to get in trouble with the law.

The two professors collected data for belief in hell, heaven and God from the World and European Values Surveys that were conducted between 1981 until 2007 with 143,197 participants based in 67 countries. They compared the data to the mean standardized crime rate in those countries based on homicides, robberies, rapes, kidnappings, assaults, thefts, auto thefts, drug crimes, burglaries and human trafficking.

“[R]ates of belief in heaven and hell had significant, unique, and opposing effects on crime rates,” Shariff and Rhemtulla found in the study. “Belief in hell predicted lower crime rates … whereas belief in heaven predicted higher crime rates.”

They also found that a recent social psychological experiment found that Christian participants who believe in a forgiving God gave themselves more money for the study.

“Participants in the punishing God and both human conditions overpaid themselves less than 50 cents more than what they deserved for their anagrams, and did not statistically differ from the neutral condition, those who wrote about a forgiving God overpaid themselves significantly more-nearly two dollars,” the study found.

Shariff and Rhemtulla believe that the study raises “important questions about the potential impact of religious beliefs on global crime.”

http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2012/06/...t-more-crimes/

[Black Panther]

[1Kurgan1]

I don't get it, there are people who believe in Heaven or Hell and not both? How in the Hell (pun intended) does that even work? I haven't ever ran across anyone who believes in one and not the other, they are kind of tied together pretty strongly.

[jmcslob]

But how do they compare to Atheists?
I'm guessing Atheists commit more crimes in the end...Unless you don't count Pot...then I bet Atheists commit way fewer crimes...

[skotosa]

People commit crimes, what they believe in is just coincidence. People tend to come up with excuses to justify what it is they do, not because it's actually due to whatever they believe in.

[SK-1]

Originally Posted by skotosa

People commit crimes, what they believe in is just coincidence. People tend to come up with excuses to justify what it is they do, not because it's actually due to whatever they believe in.

Good observation.

[Magibeg]

Originally Posted by jmcslob

But how do they compare to Atheists?
I'm guessing Atheists commit more crimes in the end...Unless you don't count Pot...then I bet Atheists commit way fewer crimes...

Atheists make up a statistically significant smaller number of people in prison.

"atheists, being a moderate proportion of the USA population (about 8-16%) are disproportionately less in the prison populations (0.21%)"

http://current.com/community/9283193...make-up-75.htm


Countries with a higher number of atheists have lower crime rates.

http://www.nairaland.com/121066/pred...s-lowest-crime



Basically you can find wide ranges of statistics on the matter but the conclusions are always the same, atheists seem to commit less crimes and are less likely to be in prison. I could dive into more details but it'll probably piss lots of people off

[jmcslob]

Originally Posted by Magibeg

Atheists make up a statistically significant smaller number of people in prison.

"atheists, being a moderate proportion of the USA population (about 8-16%) are disproportionately less in the prison populations (0.21%)"

http://current.com/community/9283193...make-up-75.htm


Countries with a higher number of atheists have lower crime rates.

http://www.nairaland.com/121066/pred...s-lowest-crime



Basically you can find wide ranges of statistics on the matter but the conclusions are always the same, atheists seem to commit less crimes and are less likely to be in prison. I could dive into more details but it'll probably piss lots of people off

I'm honestly not surprised...It's been my experience that Atheists and Agnostics tend to be a little more empathetic...

[Screaming Beaver]

Beliving this is the only life there is should make one less likely to throw it away I'd think

[Magibeg]

Originally Posted by jmcslob

But how do they compare to Atheists?
I'm guessing Atheists commit more crimes in the end...Unless you don't count Pot...then I bet Atheists commit way fewer crimes...

Originally Posted by Screaming Beaver

Beliving this is the only life there is should make one less likely to throw it away I'd think

From what I've read a big factor of it appears to be that atheists usually have a high level of education and therefor less likely to be in poverty which greatly increases the odds of committing a crime.

[entropy13]

“Belief in hell predicted lower crime rates … whereas belief in heaven predicted higher crime rates.”

But Christians almost always believe in both anyway, so essentially nothing should happen with the crime rate...


LOL and yeah, the first comment on the second link Magibeg posted is quite important.


And I don't see how Japan even becomes predominantly atheist. They may not believe in a God, but they still believe that their land was created by a pair of gods, and that the emperors are still direct descendants of that pair, even though legally speaking they've forfeited their divinity. They may not be Christian, but that doesn't mean they're atheist.

Unless the Buddhist/Shinto temples/shrines are merely just for display now?

[Magibeg]

Originally Posted by entropy13

“Belief in hell predicted lower crime rates … whereas belief in heaven predicted higher crime rates.”

But Christians almost always believe in both anyway, so essentially nothing should happen with the crime rate...


LOL and yeah, the first comment on the second link Magibeg posted is quite important.


And I don't see how Japan even becomes predominantly atheist. They may not believe in a God, but they still believe that their land was created by a pair of gods, and that the emperors are still direct descendants of that pair, even though legally speaking they've forfeited their divinity. They may not be Christian, but that doesn't mean they're atheist.

Unless the Buddhist/Shinto temples/shrines are merely just for display now?

Well I haven't studied Japan in particular personally, but I can say that if you search for information on the subject there is an extremely consistent trend. There is less atheists committing serious crimes and going to jail as people who are religious. There's just no way around it.

And I know this is going to be a very bias source but i'm too lazy to look up the original peer reviewed sources but:

http://canadian-atheist.blogspot.ca/...countries.html


Countries that are less religious are generally better off.


Atheists are also smarter in general: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religio...d_intelligence

Not to mention scientists have a strong correlation to being atheist.

[FordGT90Concept]

Originally Posted by jmcslob

But how do they compare to Atheists?
I'm guessing Atheists commit more crimes in the end...Unless you don't count Pot...then I bet Atheists commit way fewer crimes...

No, because unlike people that believe in <religion>, atheists believe they are personally accountable for their actions. They tend not to do bad things because they cannot blame someone or something else for it.

Belief in hell causes a similar effect because they fear what "god" will do to them should they behave inappropriately. Conversely, people that believe in heaven believe they can be forgiven for their crimes so no matter how atrocious their crimes, they'll still get to where they want to go. If you combine the two, it likely ends up being a wash with a variable of how strongly they feel about the effectiveness of forgiveness. The greater the crime they feel they can be forgiven for, the more likely they are to commit crime. Someone who believes they can be forgiven for murder is more likely to commit a murder than someone who feels murder is unforgivable. I think that is the heart of it. An atheist feels forgiveness is more of an enforcable pact between individuals and they, being human, know real forgiveness can't be granted for much so, they religiously (HA!) practice the Golden Rule which keeps them out of trouble.

[1Kurgan1]

Originally Posted by FordGT90Concept

No, because unlike people that believe in <religion>, atheists believe they are personally accountable for their actions. They tend not to do bad things because they cannot blame someone or something else for it.

If someone who believes in God, Heaven, or Hell and doesn't hold themselves accountable for their actions, then they have probably been dropped on their head one too many times. The way I was taught is, you aren't forgiven for just anything, you can't go on a killing spree and just walk into heaven. You are only forgiven if you can stand in the eyes of God and feel truly sorry for the bad deeds you had done in life. I guess I'm not sure if thats the real way, but that doesn't matter too me all that much. Even beyond religion, I have a morale compass, and I use it.

People using religion as a reason to turn off that compass, I'm not even going to associate myself with the statistics they have made.

[FordGT90Concept]

Originally Posted by 1Kurgan1

People using religion as a reason an excuse to turn off that compass, I'm not even going to associate myself with the statistics they have made.

FTFY

I think people that have done bad things turn to a religion as a way to soothe their bruised conscious so they can keep doing bad things. Doesn't do much good for the conscious to turn to atheism (probably would lead to sucide, me thinks).

[entropy13]

Originally Posted by Magibeg

Well I haven't studied Japan in particular personally, but I can say that if you search for information on the subject there is an extremely consistent trend. There is less atheists committing serious crimes and going to jail as people who are religious. There's just no way around it.

And I know this is going to be a very bias source but i'm too lazy to look up the original peer reviewed sources but:

http://canadian-atheist.blogspot.ca/...countries.html


Countries that are less religious are generally better off.


Atheists are also smarter in general: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religio...d_intelligence

Not to mention scientists have a strong correlation to being atheist.

LOL at that list. I guess it's all religion's fault though, especially on that African countries, and not because the borders were delineated by the European countries with no regard to traditional "borders" between various clans.

Or that all those most religious countries were either colonies (eight of those most religious countries) or subject to European powers (UAE and Egypt). That's not an important factor at all.


Japan has low "religiousity" probably because the one who got those numbers didn't consider Shintoism as a religion. Likewise for Mongolia, where their animalistic practices aren't considered "religious".

[Hate_Camel]

Originally Posted by Magibeg

Atheists are also smarter in general: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religio...d_intelligence

Not to mention scientists have a strong correlation to being atheist.

That's a really weak argument, you know that right?

I'll just go with my personal observations here.

Most "atheists" I know are like me, over-cynical, and un-creative morons too lazy and depressed to do anything including go to jail.

Atheism is a religion/belief just like any other, that's an undeniable fact.
The only difference is that it's trendy right now and people like to associate it with "intelligence"

I've seen far more atheists try to shove their beliefs down other throats than I have christians, atleast the Mormons around here have the decency to fuck off with their nonsense when you tell them to.

[FordGT90Concept]

I like the way Penn Jillette phrased it to Piers Morgan:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...03/pmt.01.html

JILLETTE: Let me just ask you. Do you believe in Thor?

MORGAN: Thor?

JILLETTE: Yeah, Thor.

MORGAN: No, because that is not the type of God they believe in.

JILLETTE: But you are an atheist on every single god except for the one that you happen to be taught when you were a child. On everything else, you are an atheist. Everything that you believe is a negation of every other God that ever existed.

[Bundy]

Originally Posted by Odameyer

That's a really weak argument, you know that right?

I'll just go with my personal observations here.

Most "atheists" I know are like me, over-cynical, and un-creative morons too lazy and depressed to do anything including go to jail.

Atheism is a religion/belief just like any other, that's an undeniable fact.
The only difference is that it's trendy right now and people like to associate it with "intelligence"

I've seen far more atheists try to shove their beliefs down other throats than I have christians, atleast the Mormons around here have the decency to fuck off with their nonsense when you tell them to.

Your personal observations are not based on fact, Oda.

Atheism is the rejection of belief in gods, and is most certainly not a belief in something else, or a religion.

The association with "intelligence" is long standing because a significant support base for atheism comes from academic types, who are more inclined to question stereotypes, ideologies or pre existing concepts. Universities have been breeding grounds for atheists for centuries.

As for your experiences with people...I think you should move in better circles because being theist or not does not make one creative, cynical or a moron.

[Screaming Beaver]

Originally Posted by Odameyer

That's a really weak argument, you know that right?

I'll just go with my personal observations here.

Most "atheists" I know are like me, over-cynical, and un-creative morons too lazy and depressed to do anything including go to jail.

Atheism is a religion/belief just like any other, that's an undeniable fact.
The only difference is that it's trendy right now and people like to associate it with "intelligence"

I've seen far more atheists try to shove their beliefs down other throats than I have christians, atleast the Mormons around here have the decency to fuck off with their nonsense when you tell them to.

Uh-huh, too lazy to go to jail, really now...

Bullshit. Just because you say something doesn't make it true. No doubt it makes you feel better though when you insult atheists.

Uh-huh, I've never seen some random atheist on the street come up to you and try and convert you. Happened to me several times on the street, can see the guy coming with the white shirt and the Bible in hand... ugh. Besides, instead of harassing you at work like some douchebags do (not just on atheism but whatever is going through their mind) religious people just go through the courts and decide that because their man in the sky told them to they are going to try and pass "morality laws" on the rest of us.

What I love though is when the religious try to whine about the "godless secularists" shoving their beliefs on to them. As if trying to give civil rights to all is somehow an affront to their religion. I find it curious that so many Christians seem to think that homosexuality is a sin and so gay marriage can't be allowed is perfectly fine to deny it to others. But it we try to legalize it and give rights to others its an affront to their religion. Why don't Christians act and behave as they behave and stop trying to force others to do the same?

[Hate_Camel]

Oh trust me, I LIVE with fundamentalists so I know about all the BS.
And ScreamingBeaver, I'm talking about whenever atheists just start being all uppity to people if they mention they have any sort of belief. I've done it before aswell. It's childish.

I think it comes down to the same deal in politics where both sides are full of shit and nobody actually has a solution.

Major religions reject science, science rejects sprituality (I say spirituality because religion is already implying it's likely nonsense) and nobody wants to be open-minded.

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by FordGT90Concept

I like the way Penn Jillette phrased it to Piers Morgan:

This is perfect. It's also why I'm agnostic. I have a strong feeling that there is some kind of higher power, but I don't pretend to know for a fact what it is or how it manifests itself to humans. As far as I'm concerned a christian god has no more or less relavance than any other.

[Hate_Camel]

Originally Posted by paulieg

This is perfect. It's also why I'm agnostic. I have a strong feeling that there is some kind of higher power, but I don't pretend to know for a fact what it is or how it manifests itself to humans. As far as I'm concerned a christian god has no more or less relavance than any other.

Replace strong feeling with mild inkling and that's almost exactly what I believe...or don't believe...or sense. Whatever.

There's no reason science and spirituality shouldn't go hand in hand.
Ancient Egypt...that is all.

[jmcslob]

Replace mild inkling with no thought at all and that's almost exactly what I know...or do know..just know...whatever...

[Brandenburg]

im agnostic and always will be...I always try to be kool to ppl and consider myself a much better person than some that go to church .. NOW... ive seen some ppl that are suppose to believe in god and do some pretty fucked up shit to their fellow man.. go to church on Sunday.. fuck their neighbor over on monday.. As for atheist..The are just as bad as any other religion , in that they are so positive they know the "truth", the try to ram in down everyone throat.. knew one in school.. what a fuckin asshole he was

Religion to me in a necessary evil.. Alot of bad shit comes from it ,but ALOT of good can and does come from, it as well..

TRUTH.. I speaketh it