The "Science" of Faith

Most of us are aware of the spiritual value of faith. I thought it
might be interesting to review some of the science of faith as
well. Kenneth Cooper, author of ‘it’s Better to Believe’, says
that having deep personal convictions and values can do
wonders for almost every aspect of your physical and emotional
well-being. He listed several specific enhancements to health
that have been linked to firm, inner commitments to moral
principles, social values, God, or even oneself.

Less Depression, Smoking, And Alcohol Abuse

In a study of more than five hundred African-American men
conducted by Wayne State University in Detroit, a significant
correlation was found between the participants' religious
involvement and their health. The researchers identified a
number of indicators of true religious commitment, including
overall religiosity and church attendance. They found these
were linked to various beneficial health effects, such as less
depression, little or no smoking, and infrequency of alcohol
consumption. (Source: November 1994 issue of the Journal
of the National Medical Association)

Healthier Mothers And Babies

Maternity patients with a strong religious commitment, and
their newborns, who were studied at the Department of
Family Medicine, East Carolina University, had fewer medical
complications than maternity patients without a religious
affiliation. (Source: November 1994 issue of Southern
Medical Journal)

Protection From Colon And Rectal Cancer

In an Australian study of patients with cancer of the colon or
rectum, 715 cancer patients were compared with 727 "controls"
without cancer. The researchers found that the respondents
who saw themselves as most religious were less likely to have
cancer than those who were not as religious. In other words,
self-perceived "religiousness" was a statistically significant
protective factor against the diseases. Another interesting
finding in this study was that self-reported or perceived
religiousness was associated with median survival times of
sixty-two months. In contrast, those patients who reported
themselves as "non-religious" had a median survival time
of only fifty-two months. (Source: November 1993 issue of
the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine)

Improved Coping With Breast Cancer

A number of studies have associated a deep religious faith with
an ability to cope more effectively with cancer, including breast
cancer. Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio published a study about the impact of
deep faith on the condition of women with breast cancer. They
found that with a group of Anglo-American patients, "intrinsic
religiousness" was a strong predictor of spiritual well-being and
hope- both of which are important factors for successfully coping
with cancer. (Source: Oncologocial Nurse's Forum,
September 1993)

A Healthier Emotional Balance

A study at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, ranked
participating young men and women as high, medium, or low in
the quality of their personal religious commitment. Those in
the high religious category, regardless of their religious
denomination, scored highest for self-esteem, emotional maturity,
and nondepression. (Source: June 1993 issue of Psychological
Reports)

Lower Blood Pressure, Healthier Cardiovascular System
And Reduced Stress

A commitment to maintain significant social ties, including marriage
and religious community involvements -and a willingness to act on
such commitments-can have tremendous beneficial effects on health.
A study on this issue, involving more than 1,100 healthy men and
women aged seventy to seventy-nine, was reported by Yale
epidemiologist Lisa Berkman at a January 1995 meeting of the
American Medical Association. She confirmed that strong emotional
support and social ties can help lower blood pressure and enhance
survival after a heart attack. Berkman also found that significant
social ties, including close friendships and family relationships,
improved the levels in the brain of the chemicals norepinephrine
and cortisol, which have been associated with excessive stress.

Stronger Marriage Ties

Religious compatibility between spouses at the time of marriage
has a large influence on marital stability. A study, conducted by
E. L. Lehrer and C. U Chiswick of the Economics Department of
the University of Illinois at Chicago, also found that spouses of
different faiths generally break up more often than those with a
common faith. (Source: August 1993 issue of the journal
Demography)

A commitment to a meaningful marriage-rather than just
cohabiting with a partner or remaining single-has also been
linked in scientific studies to some specific health benefits.
Researchers from the University of Chicago found that divorced
men had twice the rate of alcohol abuse as married men.
Divorced women also had more problems with alcohol than their
married counterparts. Other researchers reported that those
who live together before marriage have higher divorce rates,
are more likely to be sexually disloyal, and are generally less
happy than married couples. (Source: Conferences of the
Population Association of America, April 1995).

In fairness, I should note that there are more studies than these,
some of which have produced negative results. On balance,
however, religion seems to be good for you.

Science is limited to empirical results, but our relationship with God
remains both a gift and a treasure.

Blessings!
Pastor Garry