Audacious Epigone takes a look at who believes in right and wrong. The Mormons are convinced that absolute right and wrong exist. Other groups, not so much.
- Below is a moral absolution index, computed by looking at responses to the question of whether or not there are "clear and absolute standards for what is right and wrong". The percentage of an affiliation's members who completely agree is counted as two points, the percentage that mostly agrees is counted as one point, that don't know or refused to answer as zero points, that mostly disagree as a negative one point, and that completely disagree as negative two points. The higher the score, the more morally absolutist an affiliation is. Conversely, the lower the score, the more morally relativistic it is:
Affiliation MA score 1. Mormon 121 2. Jehovah's Witness 119 3. Evangelical 117 4. Historically black 94 5. Catholic 91 All religious 89 6. Mainline Protestant 83 7. Muslim 79 8. Orthodox 73 9. Other Christian 69 10. Unaffiliated 55 11. Hindu 51 12. Jewish 38 13. Other non-Christian 28 14. Buddhist 4
Some non-religious folks see religion as an obstacle to a more rational society. I think we need to look more closely at the net effect of each religion rather than paint with such a broad brush.
What I wonder: how much of the effect above is a result of the sect or denomination's teachings versus people of a particular tendency being attracted to a religious faith that more closely matches their sense of life.
| Share | | By Randall Parker at 2009 February 10 12:27 AM Religion Secular Ideologies |
Ha, ha!
I guess this means that black neighborhoods are almost as safe and law-abiding as Mormon ones, while Buddhists must have absolutely astonishing rates of irresponsible behavior, theft, violence, and criminality. I'd never realized that Buddhists were such dangerous people---we really have to do something to protect ourselves from their endless depredations.
I think this highlights the danger of relying on raw sociological data in a totally naive, gullible, and dim-witted fashion...
I rather have people who are more like Buddhists than Mormons. I think Buddhism is very compatible with environmentalism and negative utilitarianism.
Hmmm,I would have expected muslims to score higher than 7 and mainline Protestant denominations to score lower.
Let's face it,Methodists,Lutherans and especially Episcopalians aren't notable for their firm commitment to traditional moral principles these days,are they?
RKU,
C'mon, that's akin to arguing that marijuana use has no detrimental effects because Michael Phelps smoked up and still dominates in the pool or single motherhood should be condoned because Bridgett Moynahan provides an advantageous environment in which to raise children. Randall didn't claim that moral absolutism was the sole criterion for evaluating a group. He's suggesting that the effects/consequences of religions and religiosity attempt to be evaluated ceteris paribus.
california should get rid of All there death Role Inamate's ,,,,it would help kidd's knwo and grow up that the system aint playing ....death sentence's should be done with-in 4 years max...for example Scott petterson....it is much more dangerous for a person now a day's driving home from work...if anything could happen to a civilian person,Why house these killer's..get rid of them...there would be less,Correctional officer's in risk more job's...and just get better prosecuter's...spend money on prosecute's... and may that be just the start...
california should get rid of All there death Role Inamate's ,,,,it would help kidd's knwo and grow up that the system aint playing ....death sentence's should be done with-in 4 years max...for example Scott petterson....it is much more dangerous for a person now a day's driving home from work...if anything could happen to a civilian person,Why house these killer's..get rid of them...there would be less,Correctional officer's in risk more job's...and just get better prosecuter's...spend money on prosecute's... and may that be just the start...