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posted by janrinok on Saturday November 07 2015, @11:54PM   Printer-friendly
from the thank-$DEITY dept.

Here's a discovery that could make secular parents say hallelujah: Children who grow up in non-religious homes are more generous and altruistic than children from observant families. ...

A series of experiments involving 1,170 kids from a variety of religious backgrounds found that the non-believers were more likely to share stickers with their classmates and less likely to endorse harsh punishments for people who pushed or bumped into others.

The results "contradict the common-sense and popular assumption that children from religious households are more altruistic and kind toward others," according to a study published this week in the journal Current Biology.

Worldwide, about 5.8 billion people consider themselves religious, and religion is a primary way for cultures to express their ideas about proper moral behavior — especially behavior that involves self-sacrifice for the sake of others.

-- submitted from IRC


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by sjwt on Sunday November 08 2015, @04:25AM

    by sjwt (2826) on Sunday November 08 2015, @04:25AM (#260240)

    "contradict the common-sense and popular assumption that children from religious households are more altruistic and kind toward others"

    No, the results are exactly what most Atheists and Agnostics have been saying forever! People use religion and Gods to justify shity behaouire where posible, and divine absolution as an option when their religion dosent jsutify that shity behaviour.

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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 08 2015, @02:00PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 08 2015, @02:00PM (#260340)

    Religion primarily exists as an excuse for those in power to fleece their flock of money, rape children, have multiple wives, or what ever else they think they can get way with if they say their magical sky being says so.

    So color me fricken surprised if children who have been mentally raped by people who force them to believe lies about the universe are less likely to be good altruistic people.

    • (Score: 2) by Bot on Monday November 09 2015, @01:45AM

      by Bot (3902) on Monday November 09 2015, @01:45AM (#260612) Journal

      > who force them to believe
      Parser error.
      Forcing to believe is impossible, I guess the traditional Jesus supposed fairy tale shows no instance of forced behavior for a reason.

      --
      Account abandoned.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @03:45PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @03:45PM (#261299)

        > Forcing to believe is impossible

        You never met my mother.