Wealth and religion

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Importance of religion and GDP per capita in the world. Religion is negatively correlated with wealth.

There has been some research on the correlation of wealth and religion. Wealth is the status of being the beneficiary or proprietor of a large accumulation of capital and economic power. Religion is a cultural system that often involves belief in supernatural forces and may intend to provide a moral system or a meaning of life.

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Wealth and religion [edit]

A study in the United States, published in the Social Forces journal and conducted by Sociology researcher Lisa A. Keister, found that adherents of Judaism and Episcopalian attained the most wealth, believers of Catholicism and mainline Protestants were in the middle, while conservative Protestants accumulated the least wealth, while in general people who attend religious services achieved more wealth than those who do not (taking into account variations of education and other factors).[1] The researcher suggests that wealth accumulation is shaped by family processes.[2]

The median net worth of people believing in the Jewish religion is calculated at 150,890 USD, while the median net worth of conservative Protestants (including Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, Christian Scientists) was found at 26,200 USD.[1] The overall median in the dataset was 48,200 USD.

Another study, published in the American Journal of Sociology (AJS) by Lisa Keister, found that "religion affects wealth indirectly through educational attainment, fertility, and female labor force participation" but also found some evidence of direct effects of religion on wealth attainment.[3]

Wealth and atheism [edit]

Atheism and agnosticism are labels used to describe people who have an active disbelief that god(s) exists, do not know whether a god(s) exists, or believe it is impossible to prove whether God(s) exists. The term "non-religious" is used for those who have no religious affiliation.

Some studies have found correlations between wealth and lack of religious beliefs. The GDP of countries generally correlates negatively with their religiosity, i.e. the less religious a population is the wealthier it is.[4][5]

It has further been theorized[citation needed] that wealthy countries, whether religious or non-religious, in order to become wealthy, encourage education, personal wealth, and intellectual resources, and in the course of doing so, allow freedom of thought.

Religious beliefs of the wealthy [edit]

See also: List of the 100 wealthiest people

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "Religion Helps Shape Wealth Of Americans, Study Finds". Researchnews.osu.edu. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  2. ^ "Religion and wealth: The role of religious affiliation and participation in early adult asset accumulation = Religion et richesse: le rôle de l'affiliation et de la participation religieuse dans l'accumulation de biens à l'entrée de la vie adulte". Cat.inist.fr. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  3. ^ http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/525506
  4. ^ "Religion & Wealth: Less Religious Countries are More Wealthy". Atheism.about.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  5. ^ Survey Reports. "World Publics Welcome Global Trade — But Not Immigration | Pew Global Attitudes Project". Pewglobal.org. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  6. ^ "Carlos Slim Helu - Trade by Numbers®". Magazine.globeinvestor.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  7. ^ "Warren Buffett “Agnostic,” Bill Gates Rejects Sermon On The Mount, Not “Huge Believer” In “Specific Elements” Of Christianity". American View. Retrieved 2012-05-20.  Text "Bill Gates Rejects Sermon On The Mount, Not “Huge Believer” In “Specific Elements” Of Christianity " ignored (help)
  8. ^ "Bill Gates". Nndb.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  9. ^ "Warren Buffett". Nndb.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  10. ^ "Wired 14.11: Faces of the New Atheism: The Scribe". Wired.com. 2009-01-04. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  11. ^ "Billionaires Blog: BILLIONAIRE SUCCESS STORY : Lakshmi Mittal - Arcelor Mittal". Billionaires-blog.blogspot.com. 2007-11-24. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  12. ^ "Mukesh Ambani". Nndb.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  13. ^ "The Business of religion". Nndb.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  14. ^ "Being Bernard Arnault". Nndb.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  15. ^ http://www.atlantic-times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=1683
  16. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2244577/Aldi-heir-Berthold-Albrecht-dies-leaving-11-billion-fortune-family-wait-month-announce-death.html
  17. ^ Boggan, Steve. "The billionaire Facebook founder making a fortune from your secrets (though you probably don't know he's doing it)". Daily Mail (London). 

External links [edit]

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