slight edge over children attending public schools based on test scores, graduation rates, and overall performance. According to the studies by Gibbons and Silva, students that attend a faith based school achieve nearly two and a half percentiles better than students of public school (20). An additional analysis by Levin states on page twenty-four the average pupil educated at a Catholic faith based school receives five and four tenths to seven and six tenths percentiles higher on math exams and have a four and two tenths and six and a half percentile advantage in language arts compared to students that attend public non-religious schools. Based off the study, public education students without the presence of faith integrated in their schooling score well below the kids who receive religious affiliated education. Graduation rates among students educated within a faith based school also proved higher than their counterparts, coming in at over ten percent higher (Levin 5). Children taught in a private religious learning environment have a much greater chance of reaching high school graduation. Overall, research and analysis back up the notion that introducing religion into learning and teaching settings improves student outcomes. Although, some claim that the research performed in the interpreting test scores of faith based schools presents bias because these schools generally include students from more prominent backgrounds. However, the analysis includes special formulas to eliminate bias. Researchers back their findings, saying, “authors provide a comprehensive exposition of the work, including the methodological errors in the studies and how these relate to their results and subsequent conclusions,” (Levin). Experts explain they know that everyone makes mistakes, and try to elaborate on their errors in the results of the analysis. Furthermore, studies include complicated equations to altogether attempt to eliminate the unbalanced backgrounds and lives of children attending the different schools. Studies, however, do not point to a direct cause of the increased student outcomes in their surveys, but they do suggest some reasons. Factors such as school culture, work ethic the school enforces, and directing kids away from risky behaviors seem likely to have a positive impact on pupils (Jeynes 256). Since the faith based schools allow and enforce their religious beliefs, students likely will work more diligently in the presence of their God. Schools also warn students away from risky actions because students believe their God always watches over them. Whatever the reason for increased test scores and graduation rates among religiously affiliated education centers, result do not lie. Studies suggest and prove students who attend faith based schools achieve higher scores and rates than their competitors.
Additional studies have found religion results in an overall better behavior in individuals. Religious rules (i.e. the Ten Commandments) result in an ethical and moral being. The designed rules help individuals achieve the necessary righteousness in order to fulfill the moral quota required by their religion. If an individual genuinely upholds his or her religion, the said person should obey the rules of his or her faith. With this idea in mind, the outcome should result in a morally excellent behavior that benefits every being. (“How Religion”) In 2011, two psychologists, Azim Shariff and Ara Norenzayan of the University of British Columbia, came up with a new theory that suggests a difference between the belief of an amicable god and a vengeful god. Shariff and Norenzayan found that nations with a high percentage of the population believing a vengeful god had much lower criminal activity than that of the nations with strong beliefs in a “nice” or “friendly” god. Shariff and Norenzayan’s studies also found that countries with a higher belief in heaven than hell have a much higher crime rate than countries where these supernatural locations obtain an equal belief. “The discovery supported a growing body of evidence that supernatural punishment emerged as an effective cultural innovation to encourage ethical behavior.” (Cooper) Meaning a fear of getting looked down upon, judged by, or punished because of action make humans less likely to commit crimes and perform immoral actions.
Likewise, the physcologists performed two studies on a range of forty to sixty undergraduate students in order to tell if God directly affected the likelihood of a student's participation in cheating. However the study could not predict whether belief in God kept students from cheating. They did find, however, that, “... viewing God specifically as punishing and less-loving was consistently associated with lower levels of cheating.” (Cooper) In another study, however, a group of college students received information that someone had spotted the spirit of an old graduate student near a testing room. Another group did not hear of the situation. The scientists found that the group that knew about the ghost had a much less likely chance to cheat than the group that knew nothing. (Norenzayan and Shariff 803)
In yet another study that Norenzayan and Shariff performed, found that, “Supernatural concepts such as ‘God’ and ‘Prophet’ can refer to moral actors semantically and dynamically associated with acts of generosity and charitable giving.” They found this in playing a game of dictator. Researchers told fifty test subjects, all from various spiritual backgrounds, that they would receive placement in a room by themselves with ten one dollar coins. They got to decide how many they kept, and how many they left for another person. The subjects obtained no information nothing about the receiver. Likewise, the receivers knew nothing about the givers. Next, surveyors “religiously primed” half of the test subjects. Meaning each subject unscrambled five sentences provided to him or her before performing the task. The religiously primed subjects read sentences with words such as divine, spirit, prophet, God and sacred, and the neutrally primed subjects unscrambled neutral sentences. The scientists found that subjects with neutral priming left a mean of one dollar and eighty-four cents, and subjects with religious priming left a mean of four dollars and twenty-two cents. The results show that, “... implicit priming of God concepts did increase prosocial behavior (i.e. increased how much subjects left for an anonymous stranger), and this effect was observed for both theists and atheists.” (Norenzayan and Shariff 804-805) The tests showed that God or Godlike thoughts made people more giving than those without these thoughts; even in non-believers.
Some argue that religion has a negative effect because it produces radicals. However, knowing that most radicals deviate from the guidelines of what their religion says should contribute. In addition to this knowledge, the number of radicals compared to the number of “peaceful” believers immensely differs than some may think. (“How Religion”)
Studies performed in the past, both in the United States and overseas, reveal that individuals with a greater appreciation for religion report to have higher life satisfaction levels than those with a lesser appreciation for religion. Having faith leads people to believe the low times in life can end up not only working out, but can even result in a higher quality of living. (Adams) According to the Pew Research Center’s article Religion in Everyday Life, “40% of adults that are highly religious describe themselves as ‘very happy’, compared with 29% of those who are less religious.” As shown by this statistic, individuals exposed to religion live happier lives overall than those not exposed to religion on a regular basis. People who practice their religion regularly end up more engaged with family members and their communities. This gives them a greater sense of purpose, and leads them to happier and more content lives. (“Religion”) According to Nick, the author of Can Religion Make You Happy?, “Meeting with others for religious events is more than just practicing faith… This can be a very powerful source of happiness, as many research studies in the field of happiness have shown.” Allowing religion in schools would fulfill what the aforementioned quote states by enabling students to gather and worship.
Certain studies conducted show that the connection between happiness and religion emanates from support within the community in which they share their religion (Adams). On average, fifteen percent of those who describe themselves as highly religious rely on the guidance and advice of their religious leaders. The use of this guidance results in a more secure feeling with the decisions they make. (“Religion”) Allowing religion in schools would provide students with more opportunities to receive advice and guidance they seek. Overall, the vast majority of studies indicate that people who practice their faith report to have a better mental well-being and increased feelings of happiness than those not as spiritual (“Spiritual”).
Around the world a multitude of studies have produced the same conclusion: people of faith can cope with difficult and strenuous situations in a more productive way (Adams).
An Illinois News Bureau article World survey links religion and happiness - for some written by Diana Yates, expresses this with a study which found that individuals affiliated with religion appear happier than those lacking faith in societies that cannot provide even the most basic of needs, such as food. Finally, all people need a feeling of hope, “No matter how bad the situation is, the belief in a divine power which metes out ultimate justice can provide an almost inexhaustible source for hope and optimism from which we can draw new strength” (Nick). This means religion can provide hope even in the darkest of times, even when one thinks it will never get
better.
The government should allow religion in schools because students should not receive punishment for worshipping, praying and speaking about religion in a classroom setting. The many studies performed on how religion affects test grades, behavior, and happiness all prove this point. People simply care more about life when they have something greater to look forward to. If the rules regarding religion set by the government become more relaxed all would benefit. Teachers and students do not need to worry about saying “too much” in class or praying at a lunch table. The end result in allowing religion more openly in public schools would mean higher test scores, better behavior, and a sense of greater happiness.