Religion: A Good Thing

The good news is that science now agrees: Religion really is a good thing. Consider the following, reported in Time magazine’s cover story for June 24:

1. Heart-surgery patients who draw comfort from their religious faith have a significantly higher survival rate than those who do not.

2. The blood pressure of people who attend church is 5 mm lower than that of those who do not.

3. People with religious faith who attend church regularly experience less depression than nonreligious people, while suicide is four times higher among nonchurchgoers.

“Perspectives on the News,” Signs of the Times, September 1996, p. 4.