A 2008 study in The Quarterly Journal of Economics found that the repeal of so-called blue laws — which limited commercial activity on Sundays — led to increased drug and alcohol use. And a 2006 study in the Journal of Law and Economics found that crime rates go up slightly after Easter — at a time when people are most likely to go to church.
Growing up religious has also been associated with better health outcomes, as has regular participation in religious services.
Moreno-Medina takes a middle road when it comes to the relationship between religion and crime. He pointed out that, at least in his study, less church attendance seemed to have no impact on more violent kinds of crime. And while religion is important, he said, it’s not a cure-all.
“I don’t want to push it to say that this study is showing that religion is required for our community to be able to live in harmony,” he said.
Ahead of the Trend is a collaborative effort between Religion News Service and the Association of Religion Data Archives made possible through the support of the John Templeton Foundation. See other Ahead of the Trend articles here.
This article originally appeared here.
