RE: Does Prayer Really Work? Does God Even Care?
August 15, 2014 at 9:54 pm
(This post was last modified: August 15, 2014 at 10:01 pm by Michael.)
On the link between theism and charity, numerous studies have confirmed the positive link between religiosity and charity. For example, in the USA Brooks (2004), using a database of over 30,000 individuals, found that those identifying as religious gave more than 3 times more of their income away, and that increased charitable giving was to both religious and non-religious causes.
http://www.gordon.edu/ACE/pdf/BrooksS04.pdf
Stavrova and Siegers (2013) showed that the positive link between religiosity and charity work was greatest in those countries where religion is freely chosen.
http://psp.sagepub.com/content/early/201...1.abstract
Pablo et al. (2013) showed that the degree of charitable work and donation appears to be related to degree of religiosity. Those with no religious affiliation acted most selfishly, and for those with a religious affiliation the degree of generosity was linked to intensity of religiosity.
http://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/90066
Again (like the effect of prayer), what is open and uncertain is the mechanism of this link (correlations identify potential links, but don't tell us whether the linkage is direct, or caused by some other related variable), but, returning to the theme of prayer, Bremner et al. (2011) found in a controlled setting that praying for someone, rather than thinking of someone, led to a more sympathetic view of the other person even when reciprocity was unlikely (that is the person praying is not likely to receive any return 'favour'). Praying did positively affect attitude to others, more than simply thinking of the other person.
http://psp.sagepub.com/content/37/6/830.short
http://www.gordon.edu/ACE/pdf/BrooksS04.pdf
Stavrova and Siegers (2013) showed that the positive link between religiosity and charity work was greatest in those countries where religion is freely chosen.
http://psp.sagepub.com/content/early/201...1.abstract
Pablo et al. (2013) showed that the degree of charitable work and donation appears to be related to degree of religiosity. Those with no religious affiliation acted most selfishly, and for those with a religious affiliation the degree of generosity was linked to intensity of religiosity.
http://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/90066
Again (like the effect of prayer), what is open and uncertain is the mechanism of this link (correlations identify potential links, but don't tell us whether the linkage is direct, or caused by some other related variable), but, returning to the theme of prayer, Bremner et al. (2011) found in a controlled setting that praying for someone, rather than thinking of someone, led to a more sympathetic view of the other person even when reciprocity was unlikely (that is the person praying is not likely to receive any return 'favour'). Praying did positively affect attitude to others, more than simply thinking of the other person.
http://psp.sagepub.com/content/37/6/830.short
