Medical studies are confirming that those who attend church regularly and act consistently with their faith are better off, both physically and mentally. Consider a few recent findings.
- Alcohol abuse is highest among those with little or not religious commitment. (D.B. Larson and W.P. Wilson, "Religious Life of Alcoholics," Southern Medical Journal 73, no. 6 (June 1980): 723-27
- Numerous studies have found an inverse correlation between religious commitment and drug use. Among young people, the importance of religion is the single best predictor of substance-abuse patterns.
- There is a strong correlation between participation in religious activities and avoidance of crime.
- Several studies have found that high levels of religious commitment correlate with lower levels of depression and stress. (Larson and Larson, The Forgotten Factor, 76-78)
- Persons who do not attend church are four times more likely to commit suicide that are frequent church attenders. In fact, lack of church attendance correlates more strongly with suicide rates that with any other risk factor, including unemployment. (Larson and Larson, The Forgotten Factor, 64-65)
- A number of studies have found a strong inverse correlation between church attendance and divorce, and one study found that church attendance is teh most important predictor of marital stability. (Ibid, 72)
- Churchgoers are more likely to say they would marry the same spouse again - an important measure of marital satisfaction. And the 1994 Sex in America study showed that very religious women enjoy a higher level of sexual satisfaction in their marriage than do nonreligious women.
- Church attendace even affects mortality rates. For men who attend church frequently, the risk of dying from arteriosclerotic heart disease is only 60 percent of that for men who attend infrequently.
(Quotes come from "How then shall we live?," Charles Colson, 311-313)
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