Gallup recently released a new poll on the importance of religion in people's daily lives. In some states more than three quarters of those polled consider religion to be important, while in other states just over half do. That is quite a range. Is this difference in emphasis on religion in daily life from state to state associated with other differences between the states? At least one inquiring mind wants to know. Thanks to the internet, this question can be answered can be answered. What it means? That's harder to say.
Let's start with the classic tradeoff between God and Mammon. Granted, Mammon is, or was, a god, but Mammon is not like most modern gods. Mammon was concerned with making a living in this world, while modern religions are more focused on getting one's reward in the next world. How do the more religious states fare? Consider this chart of median household income:
This is what one would expect. There is a tradeoff between God and Mammon. Whether having less money leads to more praying, or working instead of praying means more cash on the barrelhead, people in states where religion is more important have less money.
What about life? People are always saying prayers for long life. Does a focus on the afterlife mean less concern with the beforelife? Do prayers for health lead to longer lifespans, or was Galton right? Consider this chart of life expectancy at birth:
Yikes! People in states where they consider religion more important have notably shorter life spans. Can praying take years off one's life? Does praying instead of seeking proper medical care have consequences? A stronger desire to meet one's maker seems to expedite the inevitable, often by quite a bit.
So much for people's own lives. What about the lives of others? Many religions are opposed to murder, the intentional taking of human life, for other than military or enforcement purposes. Are people in states with a greater emphasis on religion less likely to kill others, or do high murder rates lead to more prayers for one's safety. Consider this chart of the per capita murder rate:
That doesn't look good. One is much more likely to be murdered, or to murder someone else, in a state where religion is more important. (Please, no annoying and tasteless door to door missionary jokes.) What about one's chances as a career criminal, or as a potential victim of crime? Perhaps murder is an anomaly, and more religious states are less beset by crime. Consider this chart of the overall crime rate per capita using data from the CDC:
It looks like murder is just one of the many crimes that are more popular in states where people attach a greater importance to religion. This gives a boost to the "beset by crime" hypothesis leading to a more religious attitude, but where do all the criminals come from? Perhaps more religious people are softer on crime than those less religious attitudes. People with criminal inclinations may recognize this, and yield to impulses and opportunities they would ignore in a less religious, tough on crime state.
On the plus side, people in more religious states may be having more sex. Some religions consider sex to be one of the rewards of the afterlife. Other religions argue that the next world is completely sexless. It is hard to speak from experience on this matter, but people who consider religion to be more important have a different attitude towards sex, particularly irresponsible sex. Consider this chart of the birth rate for teen aged mothers:
Despite the availability of in vitro fertilization, very few teen aged women give birth without having first had sex. Of course, this could just reflect an aversion to birth control, or a simple desire to have children sooner. Given a shorter life expectancy, this would not be all that surprising. In any event, the chart above shows that sex and religion can both be important in daily life.
In fact, the urge to have children in more religious states is stronger than in less religious states overall. Women are more likely to be teen aged mothers, rather than waiting for their big two-oh, and they are more likely not to wait for marriage. Consider this chart of the illegitimacy rate:
It may be that early childbearing and aversion to marriage lead to more religious attitudes. I can imagine a woman with a baby, no husband, a poorly paying job and an unpaid rent bill being sorely tempted by prayer.
On the positive side, more religious people are only slightly more likely to get divorced once they do get married as you can see in this chart:
This may reflect the disconnect between marriage and childbearing in states where religion is considered important, as opposed to its linkage in more secular states.
Obviously, choosing a more or religious state is a personal matter, but living in a secular state means more money and less crime. Do people prefer to live in states where religion is considered more important? One measure is how much people actually pay to live in such states. Consider this chart of house prices:
If anything, people will pay more to have neighbors who consider religion less important. (Please, once again, no door to door missionary jokes.) The cost of housing is an important part of the cost of living. So, on the positive side, cheaper housing partly compensates for the lower pay in more religious states.
Another compensation is a lower local tax burden. As with God and Mammon, there is also a conflict between God and Caesar. God can be pretty contentious as anyone who has read The Holy Bible I: The Old Testament knows. In general, religious people will render unto Caesar appropriately, but they clearly would rather give more to God. Consider this chart of the overall state and local tax burden:
This may be related to the higher crime rates. People who consider religion to be important in their daily lives may resent government interference anywhere in their lives. If it's God versus Caesar, they'll go for God. This means accepting a higher crime rate, if it also means lower taxes.
Since many readers of this diary entry have made politics an important part of their daily lives, it is worth considering the politics of the situation. Consider this chart showing the percentage of the popular vote that went for McCain, as opposed to Obama:
As one might expect, people in more religious states tended to vote for the Republican. In states where religion is considered more important people are less concerned with money, life span and personal safety. They are worried about the next world, not this one. Of course, when people are beset by the problems of a lower household income, a shorter life span, higher crime rates, and a plethora of Republicans, it is no surprise that they rely more on the power of prayer to get through the day.