So I am sure you know that there is no conflict between science and revelation. If I asked, you would tell me that when science discovers truth, it cannot conflict with religious revelation because the truths of science and the Church have their source in the same Author. But nevertheless, sometimes it is alleged that “science” disproves/replaces/invalidates religion.
Rather than restate the philosophical debate about whether science has any standing to examine moral truth, much less the transcendent, I thought I would keep it practical. You know, list some scientific findings that cast religion in a positive light. Because there are many. Just to illustrate, here is an excerpt from the APA-published Handbook of Psychotherapy and Religious Diversity:
“There is a growing body of evidence that religious and spiritual beliefs, practices, and influences can both prevent problems and help promote coping and healing where problems have occurred (Koenig et al., 2001). In general, people who are religiously and spiritually devout, but not extremists, tend to enjoy better physical health and psychological adjustment, and lower rates of pathological social conduct, than those who are not. Studies of the role of spiritual beliefs and influences in healing have also provided evidence that there are spiritual mechanisms of change and healing that scientists are only now beginning to document and understand (Miller, 2012).”
Without further ado, here are five findings that have been randomly selected for your reading pleasure:
- Religiousness is associated with reduced risk behaviors in adolescents.
This nationally representative survey found that religiousness was consistently associated with reduced smoking, alcohol use, truancy, sexual activity, marijuana use, and depression. Religiousness was measured in three ways: self-perceived importance of religion, attendance in worship services, and participation in religious youth group. The strength of the association differed in some cases depending on which way religiousness was measured. One example is sexual activity. Those who actually attended services or participated in youth group had lower rates of sexual activity than those that just considered religion important. Religiousness appears to be a protective factor against many behavioral pitfalls of adolescent life. - Couples who pray for each other are less likely to be unfaithful.
Even when the authors randomly assigned couples to groups, and compared them to others who spent time thinking positively of their partner, those who prayed for their partner showed less “extradyadic” behavior. Like you needed more motivation to pray for your spouse! - Those who attend church have a decreased risk of death.
The authors report that those who attend religious services once a month or more have a 30–35 percent reduced risk of death over roughly 7 years. The association between attendance and decreased risk of death is a robust finding, showing up even in rigorous meta-analyses (like this one in the American Psychologist). Interestingly, the meta-analysis authors found that those who attended church had a reduced risk of death, but being “deeply religious” as evidenced by private religious practices or self-reported religiousness did not have the same protective effect. Something about gathering with our religious community seems to be linked to a healthier life. - Religious/spiritually integrated psychotherapies are effective.
In the book Psychotherapy Relationships that Work, there is a chapter entitled “Religion and Spirituality.” The authors completed a detailed meta-analysis and found that religious/spiritually (R/S) oriented psychotherapies are at least as effective as secular therapies, while offering spiritual benefits to clients that are not present in secular psychotherapies. However, just incorporating religion into an established psychotherapy does not reliably improve the psychological outcomes (does not make it a better therapy for all clients). So R/S oriented therapies do work, and have additional spiritual benefits, but should be used after consideration of client desires and might be offered to clients who are highly religious. - Religious coping can be both positive and negative.
To end on a balanced note, religion in and of itself is not universally a good thing. Even using religion to cope with stressors can be either helpful or harmful. The authors of the above study looked at religious coping and its relation to psychological adjustment. Positive religious coping might be represented by a response like “Sought God’s love and care”, while negative religious coping might sound like “Wondered what I did for God to punish me.” Individuals who used positive religious coping (characterized by connectedness, a secure relationship with God and attributing benevolent meanings to negative events) tended toward positive psychological adjustment. Individuals who used negative religious coping (characterized by doubt, tension, conflict and struggle) tended to have negative psychological adjustment. It matters not just THAT a person is religious, but HOW their faith is lived, perceived and used to cope with stress.
So just from these five fairly randomly selected findings, we see that religiousness is associated with less negative behavior in adolescence, more fidelity in adulthood, and a longer life at the end. When we need help, religiously integrated treatments are effective and may offer additional benefits to those with religious values. Yet still, what matters is not merely that a person IS religious, but particularly how they live out their relationship with God and relate to Him in times of stress. Personally, I like knowing that there is research that has been done which supports what I believe and validates the value of religious practice.
If you are interested in other research on religion, spirituality and faith (especially if you are a student), we have a listing of several applicable scientific journals on our For Students page. Feel free to let us know what other resources, journals or particular research you think we should add!
