The question that makes fundies hostile

[max-greece]

Demonstrate how your happiness and contentment are byproducts of your religion and I'll do the same for my atheism. I doubt you're equipped for the challenge.

Interesting question. What manner of demonstrations would you consider appropriate? Obviously personal experience and anecdotal reports are invalid as they are, by definition, seething with selection bias.

So to support the case for religion I looked for some actual large scale properly carried out studies, and found a rather good multi centre cohort study!

---

Spiritual and religious beliefs as risk factors for the onset of major depression: an international cohort study.
Leurent B, Nazareth I, Bellón-Saameño J, Geerlings MI, Maaroos H, Saldivia S, Svab I, Torres-González F, Xavier M, King M.
Source

Mental Health Sciences Unit, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London Medical School, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:

Several studies have reported weak associations between religious or spiritual belief and psychological health. However, most have been cross-sectional surveys in the U.S.A., limiting inference about generalizability. An international longitudinal study of incidence of major depression gave us the opportunity to investigate this relationship further.
METHOD:

Data were collected in a prospective cohort study of adult general practice attendees across seven countries. Participants were followed at 6 and 12 months. Spiritual and religious beliefs were assessed using a standardized questionnaire, and DSM-IV diagnosis of major depression was made using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Logistic regression was used to estimate incidence rates and odds ratios (ORs), after multiple imputation of missing data.
RESULTS:

The analyses included 8318 attendees. Of participants reporting a spiritual understanding of life at baseline, 10.5% had an episode of depression in the following year compared to 10.3% of religious participants and 7.0% of the secular group (p<0.001). However, the findings varied significantly across countries, with the difference being significant only in the U.K., where spiritual participants were nearly three times more likely to experience an episode of depression than the secular group [OR 2.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.59–4.68]. The strength of belief also had an effect, with participants with strong belief having twice the risk of participants with weak belief. There was no evidence of religion acting as a buffer to prevent depression after a serious life event.
CONCLUSIONS:

These results do not support the notion that religious and spiritual life views enhance psychological well-being.

---

Ummmm....

Shit.


Oh well, correlation is not the same as causation. And It appears that religion only correlates with higher rates of depression in the UK (having been through a few denominations and types of UK churches i;m not actually surprised about that).

I hate when the data does not back up my prejudice.

Errrr, repent etc.

Have to agree Jacob - very unexpected findings indeed.

Of course for the UK its possible that religion and spirituality tend to attract people who are already depressed, or who have a tendency towards depression, in which case correlation and causation would be different.

Its also worth bearing in mind that in the main Church of England churches are cold and depressing places to spend any time.

Greek Orthodox churches are often quite beautiful in contrast.