Religion

The Velveteen Ocelot

(126,297 posts)

19. Being rich hasn't caused Qatar to give up religion, although

Mon Dec 17, 2018, 01:41 PM

Dec 2018

the Norwegians seem to have shrugged off their gloomy Lutheran Pietist theology. The difference might have to do with the nature of the societies and religions involved in each. Qatar is Muslim, and middle-eastern Muslims do not seem to want to stray from their faith, rich or not. It is also an absolute monarchy, with little press freedom, and manual labor is done mostly by foreign workers who are not at all rich. Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a king who has no power at all; the society is egalitarian with a strong social safety net and better press freedom than the U.S.; the people are well-educated and poverty is rare. Why is one rich country religious and the other not? In the case of Qatar it might be because its monarchy requires it. In Norway, although the Lutheran church is the "established" church, neither attendance nor belief is required.

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You don't have to imagine how religion is correlated with violence [View all] Major Nikon Dec 2018 OP

Is there a direct and quantifiable correlation between religion and murder? The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2018 #1

I found some more data - I didn't really check for correlations - but religiosity is strongly Jim__ Dec 2018 #2

Most of these are poor Third World countries. Many have unstable and/or despotic governments. The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2018 #3

I agree that it's much more complicated. Jim__ Dec 2018 #4

the proposed evidence itself doesn't establish one qazplm135 Dec 2018 #17

The very religious are often very, very poor.... Bretton Garcia Dec 2018 #6

Religion is clearly a factor in societal behavior. trotsky Dec 2018 #7

no, it deserves the same level of evidence as anything else qazplm135 Dec 2018 #18

That's the point I've been trying to make, though apparently not very effectively. The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2018 #25

you've been making it fine qazplm135 Dec 2018 #27

No, your point was well made. guillaumeb Dec 2018 #34

Nope, wouldn't care, because it's a post in the Religion group. trotsky Dec 2018 #26

Ahn accounta it's gahd! lol nt TwistOneUp Dec 2018 #29

Perhaps rich people cause poverty. guillaumeb Dec 2018 #33

Maybe the rich need religion, to keep the poor submissive Bretton Garcia Dec 2018 #39

Which says something about the rich, guillaumeb Dec 2018 #41

It says something about the religious, too. nt. Mariana Dec 2018 #42

What group of humans is not violent? guillaumeb Dec 2018 #43

I listed facts Major Nikon Dec 2018 #5

The five least religious countries are The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2018 #8

So are you trying to say correlation does not imply causation? Major Nikon Dec 2018 #9

Just having a little fun with statistics. The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2018 #10

There's better ways to do that Major Nikon Dec 2018 #12

I imagine there's a step or two in between. Mariana Dec 2018 #11

You can also go many steps beyond Major Nikon Dec 2018 #13

But it still begs the question of whether religion causes poverty The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2018 #16

Obfuscation rarely adds much to the conversation Major Nikon Dec 2018 #22

The richest country in the world is Qatar, The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2018 #14

Both of those countries are rich because of oil Major Nikon Dec 2018 #15

Being rich hasn't caused Qatar to give up religion, although The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2018 #19

Sometimes one thing has very little to do with another Major Nikon Dec 2018 #24

Furthermore, the existence of outliers doesn't negate the correlation. Mariana Dec 2018 #23

You are familiar with the concept of "Average" right? Mariana Dec 2018 #20

Of course. I'm just amusing myself with statistics. The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2018 #21

It's 95% religious bc other religions are not allowed TwistOneUp Dec 2018 #30

I am wondering whether, if Qatar stopped requiring and enforcing religious observance The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2018 #35

Indonesia is pretty religious qazplm135 Dec 2018 #28

See discussion above about the concept of "Average". Mariana Dec 2018 #36

OP said nothing about average qazplm135 Dec 2018 #38

China is also note worthy for its ferocious oppression guillaumeb Dec 2018 #31

I couldn't listen for more than a few seconds, so I'll take your word on that Major Nikon Dec 2018 #32

Lots of countries engage in ferocious oppression Mariana Dec 2018 #37

What of China? guillaumeb Dec 2018 #40