Religious Practice

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Pat Fagan, MA

In the most comprehensive systematic reviews of the field of study of the effects of religious practice, 81% of the studies showed the positive effects of religious practice, 15% showed neutral effects and only 4% show harmful effects. Remarkably, these harmful effects involved practices, which the religion itself identified as being unhealthy.[1]

The evidence show that people who more frequently attend Church are:

More likely to be

Less likely to be

Married

Have a higher level of marital satisfaction

Have a higher level of sexual satisfaction

Have a larger family

Move out of poverty

Have personal moral criteria and judgment

Single

Divorced

Have fewer children

Have dysfunctional behavior

e.g. suicide
drug abuse
alcoholism
crime
out of wedlock births

[1] Fagan, Patrick R., Why Religion Matters: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability, Heritage Foundation, Cf., Backgrounder No. 1064, January 25, 1996.

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