Why do countries with the most religion have more crime, poverty, suicide than more secular countries?

Question

Why would this be? If what christians say is true about getting their "good values" from their faith, why doesn't the US have lower crime rates, poverty, etc than more secular countries like England, Sweden and others?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1798944,00.html

To Earl_D: No, i never said countried like Syria, pakistan, etc have NO CRIME. Everything you are saying about the terrible conditions in the Middle East only PROVES MY POINT because they are as or more devoutly religious than the US.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, when you have a group of the best people, the worst people come to take advantage of them.

Answer 2

Even the secular worldwide places base their secularism upon non secular concepts. additionally they have substantial populations of commited non secular adherents who impression how their communties stay. The undesirable countries like Nigeria etc at the instant are not undesirable with the aid of faith, yet undesirable with the aid of greed and corruption...or, irreligous practices; and an excellent sort of that poverty is endured by utilising the "good" secular worldwide places. It replaced into Britian that made Bangladesh the poorest united states of america, no longer their faith. India too, poverty-bothered after the secular British, has now a quickly-turning out to be economic gadget alongside with China that's additionally "secular". faith does count number...what holds communities mutually whilst an earthquake and a tsunami and a volcano all wipe out hundreds of their neighbours? ask any Indonesian.

Answer 3

You would have to pick a secular country for your example. England is not a secular country. In England there is the Church of England, from whom the Episcopalians and Anglicans stem from. There is also Catholicism there as well. And so, it is not a secular country and therefore does not help your argument. Find a country that is secular and I will be able to answer your question.
May the Lord bless and keep you. May He let the light of His face shine upon you.
God's and your beast of burden
Fr. john

Answer 4

You people are avoiding the question. The link is posted above.
"Gregory Paul, the author of the study and a social scientist, used data from the International Social Survey Programme, Gallup and other research bodies to reach his conclusions. — He compared social indicators such as murder rates, abortion, suicide and teenage pregnancy."
There's nothing obviously flawed in the method. You'd have to question the data, but that's easy enough to check.

The UK *is* a secular country, given that while many people belong to different churches, religion is mostly absent from politics. Abortion, for instance, is not a political issue.

A secular country is simply one where religion does not interfere with politics. There is a Church of England, but they have no mandate over people or politics. You are free to belong to any church, or none. The United States is technically a secular country, but religious influence over politics is heavy.

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EDIT: I guess I have to adress China, as well. China is obviously a communist country with mandated atheism, and hardly representative of the secular democracies mentioned in these studies.

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EDIT: Earl, you say that Saudi Arabia is a secular Muslim country. I think you're confusing non-secular with theocratic. Iran, for instance, is theocratic, while Saudi Arabia is ruled by a Sheik. That doesn't make it secular; there's plenty of religious laws there.

Answer 5

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

YOU are saying that ALL of Syria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine and a few other countires have NO CRIME (rapes abound in the Middle East, so does murder or executions by it's own people), A VERY HIGH STANDARD OF living (eveyrone in that region has a high school educations and can read and write in their own language) and makes a Middle Class wage?

Stop taking drugs, they cloud the mind!

People in the middle East live like Dogs in the street.

Only 1% of the population lives like we do in America or Englan or Germany or Sweden or Denmark or Canada!

The PER CAPITA POOR in ALL Western countries is FAR FAR FAR FAR FAR less then the PER CAPITAL POOR in the Middle East. THAT IS A FACT

A FACT you can see with your own eyes if you go there!

The PER CAPITA educationial level in ALL Western Nations is about 100 times greater than the PER CAPITA education level of EVERY NATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

If you were to STRIP the OIL SHEIKS of their Wealth and Distribute it equally among all the people of the Middle East they would have a yearly income of about $15,000 which would be HIGH MIDDLE CLASS for them!

It would be eqivalent to $50,000 a year in America.

The Middle EAST is RIPE for a Communist takover and maybe the Commies should go there. I would much rather have COMMIES in charge then Arab Sheiks!

If the COMMIES took over the PER CAPITA life style in the Middle East would rise by 300% within 3 years.

One nation is sharing their oil wealth with everyone. Everyone is getting like $150 a year, which is like $1,500 a year in America maybe more!

But that's still not eqitable!

The Oil Sheiks drive Mercedes and have VCRs and DVDs and Plasma TV sets and Air Conditioining and Microwave Ovens and the AVERAGE Egyptian or Saudi person has a shack like MExicans have and an AK-47 to kill Jews with.

YOu don't see Oil Sheiks killing Jews. They don't get their hands dirty!

They wear $1,000 suits and Silk Robes.

Hey, PEOPLE from nations with multiple Religions, let's all chip in $1 each and send this person to any country in the Middle East, one way. Let's give him $500 spending money (that is about 3 month wages out there for a poor person).

I'm willing to pitch in $1, $2 or even $5 to this person to SEND THEM THERE ONE WAY with a small nest egg, not enough to buy a ticket back.

Let them LIVE there for even a week and see what they think of America or Germany or the UK or Austria or the other nations with multiple religions!

Shall we do it! Let's start a trust fund, buy a ticket in this persons name that is NOT refundable or TRANSFERABLE one way to Saudi or Irag or Iran or Syria or Egypt and then give them a small spending amount and leave them there.

It would be a good experience for us all!

AND IF YOU ARE FROM THERE, then I make 50% above minimum wage and I live alone, in a nice apartment with a swimming pool a laundry center (20 washers and 20 dryers), tennis courts, baskeball courts, I eat out almost every day at a restaraunt. I buy brand new clthoes twice a year, new shoes eveyr few months. I have a DVD player and I buy 4 or 6 DVDs a month. I have a computer. I have DSL. All on about $8 an hour! I have NEVER made over $20,000 a year in my life in America. I'm not rich. I am not even middle class. I am HIGH POOR and I qualify for Food Stamps and DON'T GET THEM, because I don't like the concept. I want to survive on my OWN income! I don't even own a car (so I don't support Oil Sheiks) but I live alone and I live well and I eat well.

That's better than 95% of anyone in Syria or Egypt or Palestine!

My neighbors, by the way, are Muslims, Hindus, Catholics, Presbyterians and Atheists. Some are white, some are brown, some are yellow and some are Black. ALL in my building!

We all get along, all of them give me rides when they see me walking and we are going in the same direction!

That only happens in Western Nations.

See if an Oil Sheik gives you a ride in Saudi when they see you walking, because NO ONE ELSE has a car!

Saudi is a secular Muslim Nation!

Answer 6

You have obviously never been to China. And places like England & Australia, are primarily Christian Countries, they even still teach the Bible in school... what the big difference is, those countries dont just welcome every religion. My girlfriend is in China teaching English... the crime is HORRIBLE there and its very anti religion.

And if you do just a little bit of research, you'll see the American crime rate raised dramatically when the Bible was taken out of school.

Answer 7

First of all All countries have a dominant religion and theres no coutry that is focused on athiesm so you should ask you r self why isnt athiesm more popular. So theres more crime in poor places in every country and where the rich live theres close to none so its not about religion its about money

Answer 8

You already answered your question.....It's religion that is the problem......God, Jesus and the Holy Spirt desires relationship not religion.

I can pretend religion, but I can't pretend relationship.

Answer 9

reality rarely matches faith. That is why it is called faith, which the bible says is the evidence of things not seen.

Answer 10

Give the source of your information. Babblings don't constitute truth. :o)