Here's an article about Robert Putnam's forthcoming book: American Grace:
"Against the expectations of hard-core secularists, Putnam asserts, "religious Americans are nicer, happier, and better citizens." They are more generous with their time and money, not only in giving to religious causes but to secular ones. They join more voluntary associations, attend more public meetings, even let people cut in line in front of them more readily. Religious Americans are three to four times more socially engaged than the unaffiliated. Ned Flanders is a better neighbor."
There are, of course, a variety of causal issues regarding *why* this is the case, but it still makes for an interesting finding. I'm looking forward to reading the book.
Thank you Jay!
2 comments:
I wonder why he used the term secularists here. A secularist is someone who wishes to avoid the entanglement of government and religion so that no one sectarian group is more favored than any other. I think a more apt person who might dislike the quote would be a hardcore anti-religous person.
Thanks for the tip! I'm going to put this on my list of must-reads.
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