Those who believe in heaven commit more crimes, says study
A new study by researchers at the University of Oregon and the University of Kansas found those that believe in heaven are more likely to commit crimes than those who believe in hell.
A belief in heaven may mean more chances of commiting a crime, says a new study.
Researchers at the University of Oregon and the University of Kansas found that those who believe in heaven and a forgiving God were more likely to commit crimes than those who believe in punishment in the afterlife.
According to the New Scientist, the study compared data on country-wide religious beliefs in the afterlife with crime data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
In total, the researchers compared nearly 150,000 people in 67 countries and were able to gauge whether the belief in heaven or hell was stronger.
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Countries with strong beliefs in heaven showed significantly higher rates of crime even when controlled for GDP, income inequality and life expectancy, said Practical Ethics.
“Rates of belief in heaven and hell had significant, unique, and opposing effects on crime rates,” said the study authors, reported CBS News.
“Belief in hell predicted lower crime rates … whereas belief in heaven predicted higher crime rates.”
The study was published in the journal PloS One.