From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Tue Jul 10 2001 - 08:41:48 MDT
From: "Harvey Newstrom" <mail@HarveyNewstrom.com>
> This is a typical example of bad statistical analysis. Without positing a
> cause and effect, it is invalid to conclude that church going makes people
> live longer. A more likely analysis is that people who live longer (i.e.,
> older) tend to go to church more than younger people.
This resembles the old cause-and-effect-reversal that "married people live
longer" used as an argument for getting married. Actually, people who live
longer (because they're healthy and able-bodied) are more likely to marry.
Similarly, going to church doesn't help people live longer, but a long life
wears down one's critical thinking ability and social skills to the point
where church-going becomes attractive. Furthermore, just because people go to
church doesn't mean they believe the crap that's peddled there. I've known
several people who go to church to score with the opposite sex, to promote
their marketing schemes, and other shrewd purposes.
> Older people grew up in earlier times which were more church oriented. The
> older people get, the closer they are to death, and the more interested they
> are in an afterlife. Many activities that are contrary to church-going,
> such as sex or busy weekends, tend to decrease as one gets older. People
> who died already could not participate in the survey.
LOL, excellent points. "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to
die," so why do religionists promulgate the myth that church-going allows you
to live longer? Seems like they should be bragging that going to church allows
you to go to heaven sooner!
> In other words, this survey doesn't show anything except that the average
> church goer is older than the average nonchurch goer!
Yep, that it does. I don't like to see anyone suffer, so I'm all for letting
religionists go to heaven right now!
©¿©¬
Stay hungry,
--J. R.
Useless hypotheses, etc.:
consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia,
analog computing, cultural relativism, GAC, CYC, and ELIZA
We won't move into a better future until we debunk religiosity, the most
regressive force now operating in society.
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