A Letter to Arizona State Representatives on the Education Committee

Science says more religion does not lead to less violence

Dear Representative,

I was at the Education committee meeting yesterday (March 11) when you indicated that irreligiosity is the reason for problems that you see in society. Several of you stated that if only we had more religion in schools our society would be better, and children would have better mental health. The evidence shows this is false.

Scientific studies (1) show that societies and states with less religion have less violence:

Murder rates are actually lower in more secular nations and higher in more religious nations where belief in God is deep and widespread. And within America, the states with the highest murder rates tend to be highly religious, such as Louisiana and Alabama, but the states with the lowest murder rates tend to be among the least religious in the country, such as Vermont and Oregon.

Furthermore, although there are some notable exceptions, rates of most violent crimes tend to be lower in the less religious states and higher in the most religious states. Finally, of the top 50 safest cities in the world, nearly all are in relatively nonreligious countries, and of the eight cities within the United States that make the safest-city list, nearly all are located in the least religious regions of the country.

When any given factor of societal health or well-being is measured, invariably the less religious countries score better. The least religious countries of this world:

• Have the lowest rates of violent crime and homicide
  

• Are the best place to raise children and be a mother
  

• Have the lowest rates of corruption
  

• Have the lowest levels of intolerance against racial and ethnic minorities
  

• Score highest when it comes to women's rights and gender equality
  

• Have the greatest protection and enjoyment of political and civil liberties
  

• Are better at educating their youth in reading, math, and science
  

• Are the most peaceful and the most prosperous
  

• Have the highest quality of life.

The pattern of lower religiosity resulting in higher societal well-being also exists within the United States. Those states that are the most religious also have a high occurrence of societal ills. (2) States that tend to be among the most religious in the nation have the highest rates of violent crime and murder.

These studies do not prove that religion causes all of society's ills but do reveal that Christianity and more faith are not a panacea and are counterproductive. As Thomas Paine said, "Accustom a people to believe that priests or any other class of men can forgive sins, and you will have sins in abundance." (3) The religious concept of sin — and easy absolution or forgiveness for sin based on profession of faith — can become self-fulfilling prophecies.

The issues of children in school are a real-world problem that require a real-world solution, not a plea for nonexistent supernatural intervention. Chaplains as the answer is an admission you intend to do nothing meaningful or practical to help children.

I'm sure you noted in the RTS that 462 people opposed the bill and only 11 supported it. This is precisely why there is more violence in religious states – a minority is attempting to force their ideology on the majority that do not want it. It causes discord, anger, and eventually violence. As a state representative, your duty is to support the Arizona and U.S. Constitution, both of which are godless and entirely secular, and to protect the rights of all citizens regardless of their religious or non-religious beliefs. Your promotion of religion and Christianity as a false panacea is insulting and demeaning to reason, logic, and to religious and non-religious citizens.

Sincerely,

Dianne Post
Legal Director
Secular Communities for Arizona

1. In a synthesis of the latest social scientific research concerning some of these issues see Zuckerman, Phil. 2009. ‘Atheism, Secularity, and Well-Being: How the Findings of Social Science Counter Negative Stereotypes and Assumptions. Sociology Compass, Vol. 3 Issue 6, 949-971.

2. States that tend to be among the most religious in the nation have the highest rates of poverty, obesity, infant mortality, STDs, teen pregnancy, as well as, the lowest percentage of college educated adults. Zuckerman at 955, 961 (internal citations omitted).

3 Thomas Paine, A Letter to Camille Jordan (1797), in The Writings of Thomas Paine, (GP Putnam’s Sons, 1896) IV:252. Available at https://books.google.com/books?id=srpGH65Zl9kC&pg=PA252