10-14-2006, 06:02 PM
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Indeed, this position is supported within the study's introduction, "This is not an attempt to present a definitive study that establishes cause versus effect between religiosity, secularism and societal health. It is hoped that these original correlations and results will spark future research and debate on the issue."[1] That said, religion can still be viewed as the cause: The correlation is just the evidence that make the hypothesis credible--though a hypothesis it remains. Reasonable speculation along the lines of that premise can now also be seen as credible. This correlation, however, does run directly counter to an oft-touted hypothesis, and can quite rationally be viewed as outright disproof:
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Quote:"All this information points to a strong correlation between faith and antisocial behavior"</blockquote>
This is just a correlation, there is no causation proven. religion can not be seen as the variable to cause the antisocial behaviour. Other factors within the western culture could be causing or influencing these larger rates of behaviour.
Indeed, this position is supported within the study's introduction, "This is not an attempt to present a definitive study that establishes cause versus effect between religiosity, secularism and societal health. It is hoped that these original correlations and results will spark future research and debate on the issue."[1] That said, religion can still be viewed as the cause: The correlation is just the evidence that make the hypothesis credible--though a hypothesis it remains. Reasonable speculation along the lines of that premise can now also be seen as credible. This correlation, however, does run directly counter to an oft-touted hypothesis, and can quite rationally be viewed as outright disproof:
<blockquote>
Quote:Remarkably, no one, until now, has attempted systematically to answer the question with which this column began. But in the current edition of the Journal of Religion and Society, a researcher called Gregory Paul tests the hypothesis propounded by evangelists in the Bush administration, that religion is associated with lower rates of âlethal violence, suicide, non-monogamous sexual activity and abortionâ. [2]</blockquote>