USU professor discusses effects of religion
Religion has the power to bring happiness, peace and confidence, as well as pain, conflict and uncertainty. Its presence or absence is felt by almost everyone in the United States.
Richley H. Crapo, professor of anthropology at Utah State University, teaches a class on the anthropology of religion. About 90 percent of Americans say they have religious beliefs in some form or another, he said.
Religion is used as an indicator of whether people in society are good. For example, one rarely sees a political candidate campaign without mentioning some religious affiliation, Crapo said.
How religion affects people
Religious participation is connected to social characteristics. About 40 percent of Americans participate in religious services. People who actively participate have above average measures of mental health, he said.
“Actively religious teenagers tend to have less contact with the law, less use of illegal drugs, controlled substances and alcohol,” Crapo said.
Similar characteristics are seen in religious adults. In addition, they tend to have greater percentages for voting in elections, he said.
The term “religious” has many different meanings throughout the country. In any case, religious affiliation provides for a temporary community of people who share common beliefs and values. Religion personifies things that are not human, such as God, Crapo said.
“We take our own humanity and put it out there,” he said.
The numbers
According to statistics published by the Central Intelligence Agency in 2001, more than half of Americans are members of various Protestant faiths. Almost 30 percent are Roman Catholic. Two percent are Jewish and 10 percent don’t have a religion.
Larry Elkington, manager of the Management Information Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said 73 percent of the population in Utah is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ.
According to the Utah Department of Health, roughly 8 percent of Utah residents are Protestant, while another 8 percent are Catholic. The Jewish, Buddhists and Agnostics, to name a few, represent very small percentages.
Characteristics
“All religions have variation in belief and practice among their members,” Crapo said.
Some Hindus, for example, worship particular gods, like the god of wisdom, and others create their own gods. Likewise, members of The Church of Jesus Christ at the grassroots level may think the church takes a stand on a certain issue when members of the administration in Salt Lake City are neutral, Crapo said.
“Communication is not perfect in any organization,” he said.
In the past, American communities were made up of people who were affiliated with the same faith. Now, religion doesn’t integrate communities as much. However, Utah has achieved a “tremendous cohesive effect,” due to the predominance of one religion, Crapo said.