Posted on 02/24/2014 7:45:08 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Fire, brimstone, eternal suffering — hell is not a pleasant concept. But research has pointed to the societal benefits of a belief in supernatural punishment, including higher economic growth in developing countries and less crime.
But there are also drawbacks, even in this life. A new study links believing in hell, and perhaps even thinking about it, with lower levels of happiness and satisfaction in life.
"It seems there is this trade-off," said Azim Shariff, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon.
In research published in January in PLOS ONE, Shariff and a colleague looked at international survey data to see how belief in heaven and hell affected people's daily emotional states, along with a more long-term measure, life satisfaction.
Because many, but not all people believe in both heaven and hell simultaneously, Shariff and Lara Aknin of Simon Frasier University in British Columbia focused on those who believe in one but not the other. In the vast majority of cases, this meant people who believed in heaven unchecked by hell.
Looking at survey data from 63 countries, the researchers found that the more a belief in heaven outstripped a belief in hell in a country, the happier and more satisfied the residents were. When researchers looked at individual responses, they found a similar pattern — people who believe in heaven reported greater satisfaction with life.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
I’ll bet they didn’t survey the folks who didn’t believe and already died.
So why are liberals so angry all the time?
If I’m reading correctly, this was of people who believed in hell but not heaven?
Well, that concept is incoherent anyway, so they’re probably just unhappy with the illogical nature of their worldview.
Ping.
Ecclesiastes 7:2
Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living should take this to heart.
Ecclesiastes 12:5
Remember Him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember Him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral
Makes one wonder if those believing in Heaven are happier? Suppose seeking Heaven is like seeking the tree that grew straight without breaking or flying like a bird through the skies or traveling the Universe from end to end in one blink of an eye. Guess being happy is only a concept and unreal to those thinking they have one chance when God grants more than one chance. Guess many believe they never belong to Heaven and rather think they belong to Hades. Would be easy to be unhappy believing one belongs to Hades.
This from an assistant professor of psychology from U of O. There has to be a snarky remark here somewhere.
‘cause they know that’s going to be their new address if Hell is real
I believe in Purgatory so I am halfway in-between.
This study basically says that if you don’t believe in Heaven, but you do believe in Hell, you are more likely to be unhappy.
No kidding. What a shock. The corollary is equally shocking: that those who believe in Heaven, but not Hell, are also unhappy. If it’s all good, none of it is good.
I live about 21 miles from Hell as the crow flies.
And yes, it has most definitely frozen over.
The devil is in the details I guess :-)
It might not have singled out the eternal security folks, to whom hell, while its existence is acknowledged, is NOT a big deal any more. This leaves the ones who are hoping to merit their salvation, and that’s pretty glum.
I believe in hell.
I am thrilled that I wont be there.
I am glad that there is justice.
I believe in hell.
Can’t tell you how many men I’ve seen driven to near insanity during their marriage.
Now divorced from their respective Harridans and no longer having to rely on Air Traffic Controllers to duck the myriad of Broom stick flights....They are much happier and calmer.some still suffer PTSD but, even they believe there is life outside of hell and they continue to crawl toward the light.
Like alcoholics recovering “One Day at a Time” gives them small goals to work toward and they wake each day grateful to God for another breath and chance to be inspired by his mercy....
Bump.
Not sure how one can believe in a Christian Hell and not Heaven.
Equivocator ....
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