In last week’s article in this column, we discussed the connection between good relationships and happiness. We presented the 70-year-old study done by the Harvard University which said that good relationships result in happiness, good health and the good life.
But is there a co-relation between religiosity and economic well-being, on one hand, and religiosity and happiness, on the other? We ask this because once again we witnessed how tens of millions of devotees risked their lives and limb to be part of the procession of the image of the Black Nazarene on the streets of Manila. We see how, during the Holy Week, penitents get themselves tied or nailed to a cross in much the same way as Jesus’ crucifixion. Then there are the different town fiestas all over the country to honor patron saints, a practice that has been passed down from the era of the Spanish conquest of the Philippines to this day. What could be the underlying motivation why people cling to these religious practices? Is religiosity connected with happiness, economic circumstances and a sense of contentment?
The 2015 Global Attitudes Survey of the United States-based Pew Research Center revealed that about nine in every 10 Filipinos (87 percent of the population) consider religion very important in their lives. Of the 40 countries surveyed around the world, the Philippines ranked 10th while it ranked third among Asia Pacific nations, next to Indonesia and Pakistan. Senegal and countries in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Ethiopia and Uganda topped the countries which said that religion played an important part of their lives. The least religious among the 40 countries surveyed were China where only three percent of the population believed in the importance of religion, followed by Japan with 11 percent, and France with 14 percent. The survey revealed that most of the nations which put importance to religion were poor. The question that now comes to mind is, do people living in poverty cling to religion only because they expect an improved economic status—and life satisfaction—by praying?
A sociologist, Brother Clifford Sorita, said that economic circumstances can influence a person’s cling to religious beliefs. He has personally observed that during paydays, church attendance is scant while churches are generally packed on lean days. Faith, he explained, brings hope. However, he said, there is yet no study that shows a direct correlation between religiosity and poverty. In fact, the study further revealed that in the United States of America—considered the wealthiest nation in the world—53 percent of the population said religion was important in their lives. Moreover, there has been no conclusive study linking the vastness of wealth to one’s degree of happiness or satisfaction with life. On the contrary, another study says that there is a limit to the sense of satisfaction (often mistaken as happiness) that money can bring. It says that earning 60,000 dollars a year (approximately P2.8 million) can make a person content with life but if he earns more than that, it does little, if any at all, to make him any happier. Thus, for as long as one lives comfortably and has enough resources to meet one’s needs, earning more will not add to one’s happiness quotient.
Is there then a correlation between religiosity and happiness? In several tests done in the United States using the Oxford Happiness Inventory and the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity tests, the date gathered show that the happiest individuals are those who score low on neuroticism, high on extroversion and high in the scale of attitude toward Christianity. Additionally, in a study done in the University of Kuwait on the relation of religiosity, health and happiness, it was established that religiosity and the strength of religious beliefs had significant and positive correlation to health, happiness and life satisfaction.
In my view, these findings correlating religiosity and happiness are not surprising at all. When one has a relationship of trust with his Creator, one is better able to handle trials and crises. Belief and trust in a Supreme Being reduce stress and misery because one’s faith that God will not abandon him makes life easier to live. In much the same way that a person in a loving relationship with his family and friends knows that he has people he can rely on in times of need, a person who has a relationship with God believes that whatever happens to him has a reason and it is always for his best interest, whether in the short or the long term.
I have personally seen God’s hands work in my life. Sometimes I would pray for something I thought was good for me but was given something else instead. In time I would realize that had my specific wish been granted I would either have been in trouble or would have been unhappy. Practicing religious rituals, however, is not the same as having a meaningful and profound relationship with one’s Creator. If one were to be truly happy, he must remember that the quality of his relationships—with his family and friends, and with God—hold the key.
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