Happy & Conservative

[Twilightdance]

There is a strong linkage between your happiness and your religiosity, says NY Times, summarizing decades of research in the field. Opinions are apparently unanimous.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/op...-all.html?_r=1

Ofcourse this does not fundamentally tie with Indian demographics.

[Shuddhasattva]

Namaste

I wonder if they would be as keen to discuss the more significant and objective statistical correlation between conservative demographics and crime / social ills...

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Yes, "ignorance is bliss".

Aum Namasivaya

[sanjaya]

Interesting. This addresses American politics in some detail, which should be of great interest to us Indian Americans. It doesn't directly address religion though, or even Christianity in specific (which unfortunately is what you're most likely to be if you're religious in America). It makes sense, really. Conservativism is traditionally defined as maintenence of the status quo, which suggests that one is happy with the current state of affairs. Liberalism, then, involves a desire for change, suggesting that one is not happy with his current state.

EM, regarding the "ignorance is bliss" idea, the article actually addressed this too. They're claiming that from a scientific standpoint, one can't default to this reasoning because it's entirely possible that liberals are inventing non-existent problems to be concerned with, and conservatives are not burdened with such assumptions. It points out that liberals typically associate happiness with economic equality, which is why they are more bothered by the current state of affairs. I'm certainly tempted to also say that conservatives are happy to be oppressed, but when I really think about it who am I to tell someone what should make them happy. I guess I'll have to think about how best to restate the liberal explanation of why economic inequality is bad.

[Twilightdance]

I'm certainly tempted to also say that conservatives are happy to be oppressed, but when I really think about it who am I to tell someone what should make them happy.

As much as I known now that I will never be happy , but we should not give in to these temptation of "explaining-away" what we don't like or consider to be inferior - this is precisely the conservative trap. World is too complex to form deterministic opinions on most things [even particles of the "physical" universe are so elusive get hold of, what to say about mind & consciousness?].

As much I dislike religion including most forms of Hinduism, I feel people have perfect right to believe and practice whatever they want - and we should not form hard opinions about them based on our own prejudices.

Social, economic and all forms of religious persecution needs to be fought against though, as much as their monopoly on the human happiness, spiritual needs of humans etc.

[Twilightdance]

I wonder if they would be as keen to discuss the more significant and objective statistical correlation between conservative demographics and crime / social ills...

I think in US you will be hard pressed to find a positive correlation between conservatism and crime. Social ill is subjective to the society. From religious conservative view point LGBT rights, women rights etc can be seen as social ill and consequently denying these rights as social good.

I believe religion brings about an order in chaos, subjugating peoples whims to hard coded heavenly laws, generally having a deterrent effect on crime.

Islamic societies may be brutal in other people eyes but relatively crime free. Because crime in eye of sharia may instantly take away the criminal's life.

So there is an obvious correlation, but it is negative. I don't know if that's what you meant in the first place.

[sanjaya]

I think in US you will be hard pressed to find a positive correlation between conservatism and crime. Social ill is subjective to the society. From religious conservative view point LGBT rights, women rights etc can be seen as social ill and consequently denying these rights as social good.

Indeed, I expect one would find a negative correlation between conservativism and criminal behavior. Yes, Christians are hypocrites and all, but I'd expect that most of them at least try to obey their religion at least some of the time.

[Shuddhasattva]

Namaste

The "bible belt" has the highest rates teen pregnancy, obesity - and other health issues, divorce, STD infection. For a relatively rural region, if we adjust for this, we find that they also have the highest rate of violent crime. Big cities like LA and NYC have more, but that's due to the level of urbanization.

[sanjaya]

Namaste

The "bible belt" has the highest rates teen pregnancy, obesity - and other health issues, divorce, STD infection. For a relatively rural region, if we adjust for this, we find that they also have the highest rate of violent crime. Big cities like LA and NYC have more, but that's due to the level of urbanization.

Really? Well, that is surprising. I'm not so surprised about the teen pregnancy part though. For all the Christian talk about abortion, the most Christian state in the nation (i.e. Mississippi) failed to pass the personhood amendment which would have banned the procedure. Maybe the laws other possible implications bothered some people, but I have to wonder if many Christians took advantage of America's secret ballot process and voted against it in spite of advocating public support. Bashing Hindus and other non-Christians is easy, but I suppose that standing up for Christian morality is harder when it may affect the way you live your life.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Namaste
The "bible belt" has the highest rates teen pregnancy

Yes, for the USA this is correct... Mississippi is the highest and New Hampshire with 15.7 births per 1,000 female teens is the lowest; yet note the overall trend which is key to telling the full story:

The average teen birth rate decreased 9 percent from 2009 to 2010, reaching an all time low of 34.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19.
That's a 44 percent drop from 1991 to 2010. There were less teenage mothers in 2010 than any year since 1946.


source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57411981-10391704/u.s-teen-pregnancy-rates-at-an-all-time-low-across-all-ethnicities/


praṇām