Religion Fosters Bad Behaviour

The Institute for Humanist Studies quotes a study published in the Journal of Religion & Society that looks at religious belief and social well being. The study finds that surprisingly, secular societies have lower rates of violence and teenage pregnancies than societies where the belief in a deity is strong. Why? After all, most religions preach non-violence and sexual restraint. Not so surprisingly, it turns out that religion also fosters intolerance -- whether directly or indirectly. Those that believe in a particular god believe themselves to be the chosen ones -- and therefore have diminished respect for those that don't have their beliefs. That translates into a ethnocentrism which results in a weaker society. Similarly, faith encourages ignorance and stifles curiosity, leading to irresponsible sexual behaviour. People either don't know, don't want to know or their religion teaches to outright avoid contraceptives.