Chapter 11 states that religion may be one factor leading to long and healthy life, but more so because of the social ties involved in church. A church community can provide an individual with a support system and social network. However, the association between longevity and religion may also be due to the fact that people who report that they attend religious services on a regular basis may be healthier to start with. People who attend church on a regular basis have the ability to get out and about, are most likely not depressed, and they have enough social skills to be able to function as a member of a church community. The data from the Terman subjects suggest that community involvement in church can be beneficial, however, religion can also be dangerous to health. “People who shun modern medical treatment in favor of faith healing can cause great harm to themselves or their ill family members.”
The argument that the authors made that religion can be harmful to your health reminded me of a family friend from home. I went to high school with a boy, let’s say his name is Rob, in which his family believed in scientology. I do not know the entire belief system of this religion, but I know that Rob and his family took zero medications and vaccines. In fact, his family brought measles back to the US after a vacation trip in Europe because they had never had the measles vaccine. Their house had to be quarantined. Everyone has the right to practice their own religion, but there are some cases where one’s religion can be harmful to people surrounding them.
Going off of Chapter 11 which suggested that the social network might be the most important aspect of attending church, Chapter 12 focuses on effects of social support on longevity. It discusses the importance of volunteering, joining groups with shared interests, and expanding social network. I thought it was interesting that they found that pet companionship was not necessarily linked to a longer life. How sad!
It’s interesting how you bring up the point that the authors make about how religion can be harmful to health. It makes me wonder to what extent we should rely on religion to make our decisions. In todays world, favoring faith healing can prevent one from getting the treatment that they need to get better. There is a role that ethics plays in this– how can doctors and other health care providers intervene to make sure that their patients are getting the care that they need, while still being respectful and understanding of their religion?
The authors of the book say that pets cannot replace humans. I wonder if this has to do with not only the emotional role that we have as humans in our social bonds, but also the practical help we can provide if one’s car breaks down, or if someone needs money to be bailed out of jail. Although pets are an alternative to loneliness, having genuine human connection seems to be more beneficial.
I also thought it was interesting that the authors noted that religion can be harmful to health as well as beneficial. If this experiment, or a similar one was conducted again, I think it would be interesting to analyze the benefits or harms to longevity based on specific religions. Perhaps we would be able to analyze whether there is a trend in longevity among specific religions.