Does Religion Make You Nice?

by generaldecay | November 10, 2008 at 09:53 am

338 views | 21 Recommendations | 8 comments

I've certainly never made a connection before between religion and niceness. But apparently some new research does.

Many Americans doubt the morality of atheists. According to a 2007 Gallup poll, a majority of Americans say that they would not vote for an otherwise qualified atheist as president, meaning a nonbeliever would have a harder time getting elected than a Muslim, a homosexual, or a Jew. Many would go further and agree with conservative commentator Laura Schlessinger that morality requires a belief in God—otherwise, all we have is our selfish desires.

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Arguments about the merits of religions are often battled out with reference to history, by comparing the sins of theists and atheists. (I see your Crusades and raise you Stalin!) But a more promising approach is to look at empirical research that directly addresses the effects of religion on how people behave.

The research says that those who are religious tend to be nicer because they are conscious of someone - God - watching. It's not something I've ever thought of before, really, but it has a certain logic. That said, I don't see the absence of religion as correlated with non-niceness in my own life.

In a review published in Science last month, psychologists Ara Norenzayan and Azim Shariff discuss several experiments that lean pro-Schlessinger. In one of their own studies, they primed half the participants with a spirituality-themed word jumble (including the words divine and God) and gave the other half the same task with nonspiritual words. Then, they gave all the participants $10 each and told them that they could either keep it or share their cash reward with another (anonymous) subject. Ultimately, the spiritual-jumble group parted with more than twice as much money as the control. Norenzayan and Shariff suggest that this lopsided outcome is the result of an evolutionary imperative to care about one's reputation. If you think about God, you believe someone is watching. This argument is bolstered by other research that they review showing that people are more generous and less likely to cheat when others are around. More surprisingly, people also behave better when exposed to posters with eyes on them.

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Rachel Nixon

at 11:46 on November 10th, 2008

I don't know that I agree with the study that doing good things because you are concerned someone is watching equates to niceness. Is it not "nicer" to do something because it is right, rather than because you are concerned about your reputation?

politisite

at 13:47 on November 10th, 2008

Rachel,

You ever been to the south? People are nice. After awhile it becomes contagious and you start letting people cross the street, waving, and smiling. The south is also called, "the bible belt". To be fair I know Atheists and Agnostics who are very nice. The reason they state is that their life is not dependent on the wrath of God but as you said reputation. They're legacy is what they have done during their lifetime.

Personally, my behavior has changed for the better due to having a religious turn in my life. The bible is my guide and helps me to learn the two most important things in life, Love God, and treat my neighbor as I want to be treated.

generaldecay

at 05:23 on November 11th, 2008

Yes, it's better to do something nice because it's the right thing to do. But I guess in many ways the end result is the same?

talentedchimp

at 15:27 on November 10th, 2008

Personally, my behavior has changed for the better due to having a religious turn in my life.

I think perhaps you are just rationalising a change of behaviour that came about naturally. Maybe you just grew up.

and treat my neighbor as I want to be treated.

Why does anyone need the bible to teach them this?

politisite

at 17:01 on November 10th, 2008

One often tries rationalizing my experience so that they can feel more comfortable. The topic is about a research project that indicated religious folks tend to be happier. I am not sure if that is true. I can only speak from my personal experience. Why would any reader hope to negate that?

drrexdexter

at 15:53 on November 10th, 2008

I know LOTS of very Religious people. Jesus/Issa/Yah'shu'a was correct about them. "They practice their religion to be seen...they desire places of respect in the Temple( freely substitute whatever Religious Edifice you're most familiar with...), They travel over land and sea to find one 'Proselyte'/Convert-and make them more sons of hell/perdition/etc. than they are...they serve their own Traditions, rather than God..Jealous, Spiteful, Gossipers, Accusers like 'their Father the Devil'...having a form of Godly devotion but proving false to it's power." He went on to advise his followers to turn away from such people. Should anyone be surprised that so many are becoming fed up with the legalism and hypocracy, not to mention the endless fighting between people of 'Religious Convictions'. They have little to do with faith, which is defined as: "...the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for-the assured expectation of things not yet seen..." People who engage in encouragement, sharing all they have with each other, feeding each others dreams, and providing resource and opportunity-those ARE the People of Faith. When Karl Marx described 'Religion' as the 'opiate of the people', he hit this particular nail on the head. Faith from whatever source it grows from, when stimulated by unconditional Love, can overcome anything. (Besides..if my unadorned Lifestyle is insufficient to attract your attention and interest, a Religious Diatribe is unlikely to succeed any better...Hi-Ho!"

quotato

at 17:14 on November 10th, 2008

Pantheism leads to being nice to all religions. The wars caused by dogmatic differences are to numerous to cite here. Whats nice about church is that people can congregate in a common room and talk over coffee and doughnuts. Atheists do not have a hall to hang out in. What makes people nicer is tasty free samples at a large supermarket.

Erik Larson

at 18:03 on November 10th, 2008

"More surprisingly, people also behave better when exposed to posters with eyes on them."

Perhaps people who work in Congress, the Executive, the Supreme Court and on corporate boards should all be required to have their office walls papered with giant eyes; the research shows they'll be more law-abiding. These people often profess faith, but are committing the most atrocious crimes against humanity. If you can't stand the eyes, then get out of public service.

I believe in evolution, science, god and the bible and i'm still an A-hole, although i think i have gotten less ignorant and more loving, patient and tolerant over the years. I am not being facetious.

That said, check this out:

Ludefork just recently posted this link in the comments of my post Growing List of Republican Politician Child Molesters:

London Times, November 25, 2006 Prison figures show a link between sex crime and religion.

"The proportion of all prisoners declaring any faith compared with those with none is about 2:1 but among those convicted of sex crime it rises to 3:1. The trend is marked across many faiths, including Buddhism, Anglicanism, Free Church Christianity and Judaism."