Posted on 12/02/2011 4:30:57 AM PST by equaviator
Sports fans who have a religious bent won’t be too happy with a new study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EHT). According to the university, which is located in Zurich, Switzerland, atheist children are better at sports (i.e. more athletic) than kids who embrace a religion.
To complete the study, 600 first-grade school children in Winterthur, Switzerland were examined. Over a four-year period, researchers looked at their coordination, strength and agility — all measurements that would help to determine their athleticism.
In the end, the researchers at ETH’s Institute for Movement Sciences and Sport took the data they collected and cross-referenced it with the children’s other information — the origin of their parents, their native language and their religion. The results are certainly interesting.
Among the children, those who had no faith background were found to be the most skilled when it comes to athletics. Following right behind them were Christians (Protestants and Catholics). And at the tail end of the spectrum were Muslim children, who, according to The Local, were below average in their performance.
Interestingly, Muslim girls were particularly unskilled in athletics. This, says Stegan Fritschi, the school’s director, may be based on the fact that Islamic girls are sometimes reluctant to make body contact with other children — something that would clearly be an impediment in the sports world.
Of course, faith wasn’t the only factor impacting performance in sports. Language and socioeconomic status also played into the equation. On the latter front, the more educated a family and the more money it had, the higher performing the associated student was.
It‘s important to note that this is a relatively small sample size and that the research wasn’t done in the United States. Still, it’s interesting to review the results, as it may serve as a solid basis for future research into the impact of personal faith on performance in sports.
Tim Tebow
Thank (little g)od we finally have this settled!
Guess they forgot about those Southern Baptists whose children get full boat football scholarships and end up ink the NFL. Oops!
First graders in a strange little country? Meaningless.
1. Families which indicate they are Catholic / Protestant pay a tax for EACH person ...
2. The tax is a percentage of income. "On the latter front, the more educated a family and the more money it had, the higher performing the associated student was." just sayin' ....
LOL! Some of these “study” guys have way too much free time on their hands.
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle...
I am filing it under Bulls***
And just how do we define an “atheist” child when all children are too young and unformed to decide upon which flavor is best in milk, chocolate or strawberry, let alone contemplate existential subjects.
They have the gall to term this a *study*? Loooooooooooooool...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How many Christian athletes decide their performance of church duties is more important than practices and games scheduled during prayer meetings, Sunday school or worship services. Many don’t play sports because they have their priorities right.
As Edmund said -- these are meaningless to us
I see you have never played softball for a church league. It gets pretty raw out on the field. Never heard of a dad telling his kid to turn the other cheek on the field.
Why, what did he ever do to you ... after all, it's not like he's a mime or something ...
maybe we should skip CCD this sunday
Good points - and another thing: First graders? Really? Who knows “what” they are spiritually in the first grade. This was clearly an agenda’d study from the get go and totally meaningless - except to once again expose that science is mostly driven by politics and not science at all.
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