Heretic, Heal Thyself! Atheism, Nonreligion, and Health

Religion and spirituality, whether assessed as beliefs, or attitudes and behaviors, is broadly associated with higher levels of health. However, the current literature does not clarify whether being a None (i.e., nonreligious) or an atheist is associated with poorer health outcomes. In a related vein, the current literature has also not demonstrated that "traditional" religious beliefs and behaviors (e.g., attending church, praying, or perceived religiosity) are associated with health benefits for Nones and atheists. The current study used data from the 2008 American General Social Survey (N > 600) to explore these questions. Results suggested that Nones and atheists report comparable health outcomes to Somes and theists. Comparing atheistic Nones, theistic Nones, Atheistic-Somes, and Theistic-Somes revealed that these four groups reported, at times, significantly different relationships between prayer and health, and perceived religiosity and health. The discussion focused on the need to move the research field away from describing monolithic relationships of religion and health, toward an approach that recognizes that salutary effects associated with religion are contingent on what a person believes and how he or she identifies religiously. The discussion also identified an issue with how atheism is assessed within much of the existing literature.