"Least Religious" As An Indicator

"In almost every measure of societal health, the least religious countries are better off than the most religious. Countries like Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands, which are the most atheistic societies on earth, consistently rate better than religious nations on measures like life expectancy, infant mortality, crime, literacy, GDP, child welfare, economic equality, economic competitiveness, gender equality, healthcare, investments in education, rates of university enrollment, internet access, environmental protection, lack of corruption, political stability, charity to poorer nations, etc…

While the mere correlation between societal dysfunction and religious belief does not tell us what the connection is between them, these data should abolish the ever present claim that religion is the most important guarantor of societal health. They also prove conclusively that a high level of unbelief need not lead to the fall of civilization."

- Sam Harris

Posted via email from liberalsarecool.com