Religion to thank for high employment rates, study shows

[ladycat]

Researchers at Bath university found that the UK, the US and Nordic countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway were among those with employment rates as much as six per cent higher than countries where other religions are practiced by the largest proportion of the population.

According to their study of 80 countries, published in the American Journal of Economics and Sociology, female employment rates are also about 11 per cent higher in Protestant countries.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle2566736.ece

[RichieC]

Please learn the difference between causation and correlation, and amend your posting title accordingly.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by RichieC

Please learn the difference between causation and correlation, and amend your posting title accordingly.

The posting title is word for word the news headline, and I can't change it. I'm not a moderator.

[Batt]

Originally Posted by RichieC

Please learn the difference between causation and correlation, and amend your posting title accordingly.

In the strictest sense, it is always correct to say "Correlation does not imply causation". With casual use of the word "imply" the idea of a causal connection is in some sense true, but that is because the word "implies" can loosely mean suggests rather than requires. And correlation is certainly needed for causation to be proved.
In this case the relationship having been studied in 5 countries mentioned by name, and 80 countries indicated, it would seem that a broad basis exists that a causation may in fact exist.

[RichieC]

Originally Posted by Adron

In the strictest sense, it is always correct to say "Correlation does not imply causation". With casual use of the word "imply" the idea of a causal connection is in some sense true, but that is because the word "implies" can loosely mean suggests rather than requires. And correlation is certainly needed for causation to be proved.
In this case the relationship having been studied in 5 countries mentioned by name, and 80 countries indicated, it would seem that a broad basis exists that a causation may in fact exist.

Really? And where was the discussion of other possible causes? What makes this possible cause more likely than others? Does the notion that the Nordic countries in particular even have anything more than a very nominal identification with ANY religion supported by the facts as we know them?

I don't know whether the study was well done or not. I do know that the article describing it was poorly done.

[Batt]

Originally Posted by RichieC

I don't know whether the study was well done or not. I do know that the article describing it was poorly done.

Then why didn't you say that instead of trying to be a smart aleck and try to put someone else down? The supporting link to the report was given in the original post.

[Meg Z]

The article is poorly done, not the OP, and it would be interesting to see the original data. I wonder what other factors, if any, were looked at.

I find the article even more poorly phrased in that they also don't differentiate between religion and denominations. The title says religion, but the article says Protestant!

I wonder if they looked at countries as a whole, or surveyed individuals. It appears to me they did each country as a whole. I think those who are non-believers, those of other religions, and those of other Christian denominations might find it interesting that the US is Protestant!

And I also find it interesting that they assume only Protestants have a work ethic.

[RichieC]

Originally Posted by Adron

Then why didn't you say that instead of trying to be a smart aleck and try to put someone else down? The supporting link to the report was given in the original post.

Oh, please. No one is that overly sensitive, are they? I sincerely doubt that ladycat is hiding under her bed weeping bitter tears.

[ArkansasLady]

ya know...it dont matter if it is good English, bad English or any English *grammar* or whatever...if you dont like it MOVE on...who cares how it was written...have mercy..
~C~

[Melissa]

People are supposed to be nice, considerate, or at least polite on this forum. Some of the discussion methods employed here are lacking in those areas.

[MorrisonCorner]

Yes, well... perhaps Melissa... but this thread is an example of baiting, in my opinion. There are so many variables as to make the assertion of causality highly unlikely... faux science to support a given political, social, or religious agenda.

If this study were accurate, Iran would be an economic powerhouse.

[longshadowfarms]

Aside from the wording of the topics, I wonder if it might possibly have more to do with unemployment benefits. I may be wrong but if you look at "protestant-ish" countries and what unemployment benefits they have as opposed to some of the other countries, that may have played into the results of the study. Way too hard to tell without a whole lot more info than the article provides.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by RichieC

Oh, please. No one is that overly sensitive, are they? I sincerely doubt that ladycat is hiding under her bed weeping bitter tears.

You're right. I don't care what you think of me. But I do think you're not being a very nice poster.

[RichieC]

Originally Posted by ladycat

You're right. I don't care what you think of me. But I do think you're not being a very nice poster.

And I think MorrisonCorner is right and the intent of your post was to bait. Making you...a not very nice poster.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by RichieC

And I think MorrisonCorner is right and the intent of your post was to bait. Making you...a not very nice poster.

I don't bait. I post articles that I find of interest.

I have deliberately avoided posting a lot of articles that I knew would cause an uproar. I didn't think this would be one of those.

[wy_white_wolf]

Let me get this right, Richie C and MorrisonCorner are complaining about a post that links to an article that suggests Prodestant (a Christain Religion) based religious countries have LOWER unemployment than other religious based countries.

Do I have that right?

[donsgal]

Originally Posted by ladycat

Researchers at Bath university found that the UK, the US and Nordic countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway were among those with employment rates as much as six per cent higher than countries where other religions are practiced by the largest proportion of the population.

According to their study of 80 countries, published in the American Journal of Economics and Sociology, female employment rates are also about 11 per cent higher in Protestant countries.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle2566736.ece

Why not just say that ambient weather temperatures have to do with it? Denmark, Sweaden, the UK and the US are rather cold as opposed to most middle eastern islamic countries, so maybe that's it.

The whole article is garbage. Must have been a very slow news day.

donsgal

[MorrisonCorner]

Originally Posted by wy_white_wolf

Let me get this right, Richie C and MorrisonCorner are complaining about a post that links to an article that suggests Prodestant (a Christain Religion) based religious countries have LOWER unemployment than other religious based countries.

Do I have that right?

No, you don't have that right. I can't speak for Richie C, but MorrisonCorner (that would be me) is complaining that the article is faux science... that there is nothing in this study which suggests that the conclusion is based on anything even vaguely causal. To draw such a conclusion you would need to control for as many variables as possible: climate, natural resources, disease, pests... any one of which could be the cause of the "higher employment."

It would be equally valid (and equally stupid) to say "Protestant based religious countries wear shoes more often than other religious based countries." Well, yes, they probably do, since much of Europe and North America is in a climate zone which makes going barefoot much of the year a health hazard.

Without controlling for climate, natural resources, natural environmental pathogens, proclivity for natural disasters, proximity to food sources, etc you can't draw any serious correlation between religion and employment.

I hope that clarifies things for you.

[wy_white_wolf]

I figured that. Just wanted for you to get it out.

BTW you forgot propably the biggest reason - Industrialision

[brreitsma]

As latin american countries have become more protestent crime and poverty have gone down and wealth has increased.