Least and most religious nations

[CuddleDom]

The problem with comparing Scandinavia with religious countries is what country are you making a fair comparison too?
It should be one with the same ratio of natural resources to population and not suffering the ravages of colonialism.

[lucy]

It should be one with the same ratio of natural resources to population and not suffering the ravages of colonialism.

What's the connection between the ratio of natural resources to population got to do with the percentage of people who declare themselves as religious?
Coming to think of it, what has colonialism to do with it?
I'm really just curious.

[Thorne]

What's the connection between the ratio of natural resources to population got to do with the percentage of people who declare themselves as religious?
Coming to think of it, what has colonialism to do with it?
I'm really just curious.

This is just off the top of my head, but it seems to me that countries with a high ratio of natural resources to population would have a higher per capita income than a country with a low ratio. Higher income generally means better health and better living conditions, which reduces the hold which a religion can gain on the population. Historically, religious organizations have been used to control the poor to keep the rich happy. A financially stable population has more reason to enjoy their lives and less need to look to an afterlife.

The same applies, to some extent, to colonial countries. Most of the resources are taken by the colonizing people, with little remaining for the natives. Coupled with generally repressive missionary activities, the poor population becomes heavily religious.

Sorry, no evidence to support this, just my take from what I know of history.

[lucy]

Thanks, Torq, but this theory doesn't make too much sense. I'm pretty sure that with the exception of Norway all Scandinavian countries are pretty low on natural resources, yet they all are among the richest countries. Same goes for Switzerland, which is literally bare of any natural resources, except of water, wood and rocks. Yet, although I don't have exact figures and have to rely on personal experience, I'd say that only a small minority of Swiss are religious.
On the other side there are countries like Saudi Arabia or most of the gulf states, most of them high among the richest countries in the world when it comes to natural resources (and per capita income). Yet they are about as religious as it gets.

So, no, your explanation isn't really satisfying.

[Thorne]

When talking of natural resources don't forget tourism. I know Switzerland gets a lot of tourists, and they have their banking industry, which is a man-made resource. I assume the Scandinavian countries get a lot of tourists as well, seeking the beautiful countryside. And doesn't Norway have claims to some of the North Sea Oil?

As for the Middle East countries, how much of their income actually goes to the people? They are mostly monarchies, where they are not outright dictatorships. The relatively few rich people make the bulk of the income. Plus, Islam right now is reminiscent of the Catholic Church of the Dark Ages: believe or die. I wonder how many would choose to remain faithful if actually given the free choice.

[CuddleDom]

Countries like Saudia Arabia fall into post-colonised nations. Till after WW2 they were occupied and now dominated by an elite. So have not had a democratic or other people's revolution to redistribute wealth.

[CuddleDom]

When talking of natural resources don't forget tourism. I know Switzerland gets a lot of tourists, and they have their banking industry, which is a man-made resource. I assume the Scandinavian countries get a lot of tourists as well, seeking the beautiful countryside. And doesn't Norway have claims to some of the North Sea Oil?

As for the Middle East countries, how much of their income actually goes to the people? They are mostly monarchies, where they are not outright dictatorships. The relatively few rich people make the bulk of the income. Plus, Islam right now is reminiscent of the Catholic Church of the Dark Ages: believe or die. I wonder how many would choose to remain faithful if actually given the free choice.

Natural resources also include timber which these countries are rich in. Hence why they had no need to colonise as a means of bringing in resources for the purpose of industrialisation.

Yes Islam is still in it's teens (counting a religion in centuries) and is much like Christianity at the same age. So it is almost impossible to get accurate census on how many are actually religious.

[thir]

This is just off the top of my head, but it seems to me that countries with a high ratio of natural resources to population would have a higher per capita income than a country with a low ratio.

As has been said elsewhere, the picture is muddled by the fact that per capita income is really fiction and income can, in reality, vary enormously.

Higher income generally means better health and better living conditions, which reduces the hold which a religion can gain on the population. Historically, religious organizations have been used to control the poor to keep the rich happy. A financially stable population has more reason to enjoy their lives and less need to look to an afterlife.

I would agree that good living conditions and education reduces the hold of dogmatic religions. People are less dependent on a god's goodwill, and more inclined to crave more freedom. This has been seen often enough.

But it does not mean that nobody wants religion. As said earlier, in DK, US and UK, and quite possibly other places, the dogmatic religions are simply, in some cases, replaced with undogmatic ones. "Freedom religions" you might call them. They do not convert, they do not seek power, there is nothing between whatever people believe in and themselves, and nobody, but nobody, tells them what to think ;-)

The same applies, to some extent, to colonial countries. Most of the resources are taken by the colonizing people, with little remaining for the natives. Coupled with generally repressive missionary activities, the poor population becomes heavily religious.

I am afraid that is a most shameful fact.

[CuddleDom]

What's the connection between the ratio of natural resources to population got to do with the percentage of people who declare themselves as religious?
Coming to think of it, what has colonialism to do with it?
I'm really just curious.

Sorry I should have made myself clearer.

It is not the correlation between religousness and natural resources. Rather that when comparing atheistic nations to theistic nations one has to take into account their natural resources and history of being plundared.

Also Geothermal energy which is a major natural resouces is used in Scandinivian countries like Sweden and Iceland. While Norway has Oil form the north sea.