Religions are thought to serve as a deterrent against unethical behaviors.
However, when it comes to predicting criminal behavior, the specific religious beliefs one holds is the determining factor, says a University of Oregon psychologist.
The study, appearing in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE, found that criminal activity is lower in societies where people's religious beliefs contain a strong punitive component than in places where religious beliefs are more benevolent.
Welcome to Hell: The University of Oregon study suggests a real link between populations who believe this is real, and the crime-rate
A country where many more people believe in heaven than in hell, for example, is likely to have a much higher crime rate than one where these beliefs are about equal.
The finding surfaced from a comprehensive analysis of 26 years of data involving 143,197 people in 67 countries.
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