Heretic, Heal Thyself! Atheism, Nonreligion, and Health

Abstract:

While religion and spirituality are often linked to better health, it’s less clear how this applies to nonreligious people like atheists and Nones (those with no religious affiliation). Using U.S. survey data, this study found that atheists and Nones report similar health outcomes to religious individuals. However, the health impact of practices like prayer varied depending on personal beliefs and religious identity. These results suggest that religion’s effect on health depends on how people believe and identify, rather than religion itself. Read the full article to learn why measuring atheism accurately is key to understanding this relationship.

About the Author: Dr. David Speed

Dr. David Speed an Associate Professor at the University of New Brunswick in the Department of Psychology. His research focuses on challenging the commonly held belief that religion and spirituality inherently lead to better health outcomes. While numerous studies suggest that religious attendance, prayer, and religiosity are correlated with improved health outcomes, there are significant gaps and inaccuracies in the existing literature.

Through his research, Dr. David Speed highlights the lack of confirmatory evidence that being nonreligious is detrimental to health. His work indicates that atheists do not necessarily fare worse than believers, suggesting that the health benefits attributed to religion and spirituality are overstated. Dr. Speed’s research critiques the prevailing assumptions in the field and addresses the complexities of studying the growing nonreligious population.